Meeting
“You know you could have been suspected as a pedophile...?" Simi said, stirring her half-finished mango milkshake.
“Enough with that joke, Sim. You know it’s not funny anymore." George said looking up from his morning newspaper crossword puzzle.
Simi frowned. “You seemed like that then, I mean that’s what Eddie said because you suddenly took me in." Simi said bending over to George’s side of the table to solve the last crossword which was empty.
George took off his glasses, and let Simi take the newspaper, studied her for a few minutes and then said, “This is new information...when did he say that?”
“Oh! It’s when you took us to the amusement park and then shouted at uncle Cam on the phone about how he held hands with your friend’s son! But you yourself was holding mine." Simi said while filling in the empty blocks without looking up.
“Though that doesn’t make sense, and I am not interested...but how do I seem now?" George asked her, tilting his head.
“An old man...sex deprived single old man, with no physical activity...and FYI you have lost your charm...the one I fell for 10 years back." Simi said, looking up at him.
George raised his eyebrows and stayed silent.
“Well my coworker pointed out how you could be the average protagonist of a smut fanfiction where you actually kidnap a woman and you know the rest history..." Simi said.
“That’s more like it...please say thank you to your coworker for me." George said and got up from the table. “I have packed your lunch, it’s on the kitchen table. I will meet you in front of your office at 5." He walked away with his newspaper in his underarm.
Simi finished her breakfast, a special one with her favourite sandwich and mango shake as it’s her birthday and they were also going to have dinner out that day to celebrate her 30th birthday. While on the way to work she went back to her thoughts the first encounter with George, or rather a fight with George at the airport just because he asked a 19 year old Simi to shift to the next chair as he felt uncomfortable and crammed. George was 35 then...This birthday was more meaningful as it marked 10 years of them staying together, which was scrutinised by Simi’s only two friends, Eddie and Anna, one neighbour, Uncle Sam, and Nolan, George’s friend’s son. However, Simi being an orphan really added to the situation when after hanging out for about 3 years George said he should take her responsibility as he had no one for himself and so does Simi.
“It’s like you are my sugar daddy, except I won’t be able to give you any type of sugar!" Simi said at the day of moving in together, to which the person moving the packages, gave them a disgusted look but George assured them that Simi was just joking. This was okay...but the meeting on the first day wasn’t so much okay...Simi already was late to her job interview because of the flight being delayed and on top of that George really thought about speaking up to get comfy in an airport where people were almost frustrated with the airline company.
10 years ago...
“You need to wait...we are trying our best to see what’s wrong with the systems!" The official said. All the passengers of the flight was waiting at the boarding entrance, a suppressed commotion, and Simi was about to go off, when a man next to her said,
“Could you please shift a bit over that side? You are literally sitting on my lap.”
Simi looked back, white tee-clad a man in 30s, face hid by the NY cap on his head, looked up to face Simi, recently turned 19 year old, tensed because of being unable to reach her new job on time. Simi was taken aback by his visual when he took off his cap and told the official that they should get back to their work and not worry, and that it’s fine. To that, Simi made a shocked face and said,
“The official was talking to me, though!" lifting her eyes up.
“And there was nothing he could do. So I asked them to leave, and even if you get on a plane now, your job is gone." the man said shrugging his broad shoulders.
Dark hair, dark eyes, gym-going body, and uninterested expression, and probably unmarried because there was no ring on his fingers, Simi thought. “Well...um..." Simi stuttered, but managed to say, “Am I wrong to be angry? I am in need of money.”
The man looked at her head to toe, small, short, puffy cheeks, round framed glasses, seemed like she is on her way to the local grocery store, clad in a brown hoodie and grey sweatpants with printed elephant heads, and a huge backpack. Simi did not wait for an answer but turned around marched off looking for another seat away from the man. After and hour or so, they were informed to board the flight, and after getting seated, she actually saw the white tee man coming towards her while staring at his ticket.
“Well..." white tee man said, after reaching her seat, “Guess it’s going to be a hectic journey!”
Simi turned away to stare out of the window. “Ain’t nothing to see much outside, dear. I am George, nice to meet you, you remind me of my daughter a lot." He said and extended a hand.
Simi looked at him in disgust and stayed quiet for a bit. With that he took back his hand, pursed his lips, and said, “Okay.” and then resumed inspecting his boarding pass as if it were a map to the treasure island.
“I am Simi. Currently orphan, so I am not sure if you resemble anyone in my life because I never had anyone." She said, still looking out the window, to which George smiled awkwardly and sighed.
They stayed silent for the rest of the flight except for the time when George helped pass the water to Simi from the attendant, and occasionally exchanged smiles. George also took her trash even before she could touch them and passed them on to the trash bag carried by the attendant. After getting off, Simi helped George pick his second bag from the carousel, when he was putting down his first bag.
“Thank you. I guess you are nice, for real." George said holding out his hand for the second time that day, another attempt to have a handshake.
“Take back that hand, and I am sorry I remind you of your daughter." Simi said.
“Well yeah, I agree, it would have been better if she were alive though. But I am really am thankful, as you made my day. And fun fact, your acting like this is adding to the fun." George said with a smirk, and waved a bye at her while turning to leave. Simi stood stupefied, not knowing what to say, and wanted to slap herself right at that moment.
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Simi smiled at herself for being too headstrong at her first meet with a stranger and made sure to be nicer to people from now on. Because it would be the best kindness that can be shown. You never know who needs it.
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Here's a filler story when you wait for Stealing You.
