Endless rain into a paper cup...

I sit in a corner cafe; everyone at this mega-chain coffee shop seems a bit uneasy. However, it isn't the three-dollar cup of decaf that has me troubled...

I got off the bus at 7th and proceeded to pass the skirts and suits walking slowly towards 9-5 hell. I wasn't really watching where I was going, and it was not uncommon for me to bump into a few people on my way to catch a transfer uptown, so why was this day so different?

Looking left to check the traffic, I accidentally ran my messenger bag right into one of the suits' paths. When I turned to say "I'm sorry," I couldn't speak. Walking by was a man in his 30s, black hair, blue eyes, and a familiar smile. I had been making love to this man for the past 6 years in my sleep. I mouthed hello, but the man was already back on course.

"This is fate," spilled from my mouth just as the stranger got beyond ear-shot. Then the stranger turned and winked at me as he continued along his path.

Now, as I sit holding my cup to my lips wishing I'd had just done something: kissed the guy, told him my name, anything. Anything but let him walk away. I close my eyes as the warm coffee touches my lips. I kiss the stranger in this cup of coffee.