Eventide by J. Scott Coatsworth

Author:J. Scott Coatsworth [Coatsworth, J. Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Other Worlds Ink
Published: 2020-07-25T23:00:00+00:00

Six

It was summer, in New York, hot and humid in the way that only the East Coast in July can be, well over ninety degrees and muggy as hell.

I was sitting on a bench in Central Park, in the middle of one of my periodic unsuccessful attempts at getting in shape. It had been a week now and I was still gasping for breath.

Today’s attempt had ended badly, with me sitting there panting on the bench, head between my knees, feeling lightheaded and weird.

I was thirty-five and single.

“Want some water?”

I looked up, half-expecting a gym rat, some muscly guy who would drive me back into full-blown body shame.

Instead, he was aggressively normal. Light brown hair, brown eyes, nice features, someone you wouldn’t think twice about if you saw him crossing Fifth Avenue. He was dressed in athletic shorts, his shirt was tucked into the back of his pants. He had a nice chest, but nothing like you see in the magazines.

Lots of freckles.

“Thanks.” I took the water and uncapped the bottle, gulping it down gratefully.

“Hey, don’t drink too much. Your body has to play catch-up.”

“Not mustard?” I groaned at my own terrible pun. These things just slipped out sometimes.

He must think I was an idiot.

He laughed and held out his hand. “Peter.”

I shook it. “Tanner. Tanner Black.”

“Oooh. Pornstar name.”

“Yeah, well.” I gestured at my own lackluster form and shrugged.

He sat down on the wooden bench next to me. “Late New Year’s resolution?”

I nodded. “Friend’s wedding next month.”

“Oh God, I hate those.” I handed him back the bottle, and he took a sip. “Gorgeous day.” He glanced up at the cloudless sky, a stunning deep blue.

“Damned sweatshop, if you ask me.”

Peter laughed again. “Yeah, it is pretty bad.” He looked at me, and then looked away again.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Hey, you wanted to ask me something, or say something. Spit it out.”

“Okay.” He ducked his head. When he looked back at me, he was biting his lip. “I know it’s quick. But…you wanna go out sometime?”

I snorted. Nobody wanted to go out with me. “Yeah, right.”

“I’ve been watching you. Not like in the creepy stalkery way. But these last couple days. I was trying to work up the courage to ask you. I know you’re way outta my league.”

You gotta be kidding me. I’d never had anyone tell me I was out of their league.

I looked him over again. He was actually kind of cute, in that quiet, intelligent way I liked. He was funny. And hell, he liked me. “Why not?”

He grinned again, and pulled out a sweaty piece of paper from his pocket. “Here’s my number. Call me.” Then he leaned over and kissed my cheek, got up, and ran off.

I watched him run. He was beautiful.

Maybe the universe had a plan for me after all.

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