They Say Love is Blind

It seemed like every day Tory was late for work. She'd already missed the first bus and was about to miss the late bus. She called the second bus the late bus because no matter what, she was destined to walk in to the office at least one minute late. But at least if she was only one or two minutes late it meant that she might be able to slip in unnoticed.She saw the bus rounding the corner and was forced to break into a run. Her neatly pressed hair was going to end up a mass of nappy curls.Tory sprinted, hoping not to twist an ankle, trying not to think about how embarrassing she must appear to the other commuters. She wasn't exactly small but despite her extra weight she moved with a speed born of desperation and managed to reach the bus before it pulled off.Breathlessly she searched for change and then almost fell when the driver began to take off before she was settled. She was forced to sit down in the handicap, elderly section so that she could dig through her oversized purs

"We have a fishermen's stew which has whitefish, white beans within a tomato stock. We have a Portuguese chicken which is mildly spicy, has rice, cheese and stewed in a tomato stock-" Tory watched the young woman intently as she rattled off the popular items. "But what do YOU like?"The waitress paused and allowed her eyes to linger on Tory. She smiled in a more relaxed manner. "My favorite dish is definitely sopa de couves."Tory was nodding her head. She had no idea what that was. "I'll have that please."The waitress gave her one nod. "And to drink?"Tory passed her menu to the waitress. "I'll let you decide."The woman retreated with the menu and Tory took in her surroundings in more detail, admiring the mural on the wall of an Island with palm trees and people looking suntanned and happy. Soft music played something that sounded like a strange jazz and Spanish fusion. The room was painted in vibrant tones and colorful pieces of art dotted the walls. It was trendy yet comfor

The next morning when the alarm went off, Tory thought fleetingly of calling in sick. She felt sick; her stomach was empty from skipping dinner the night before, but more than that her heart felt empty. So what if a man that she barely knew wasn't flirting with her? Only that it had made her so happy to think that he was and now that the feeling was gone, there was nothing else.Big deal; except that it had made her think back to high school when she liked some stupid jock or some egotistical popular guy who wouldn't notice her in a million years. And that is why she had cried herself to sleep last night.Dragging her pathetic self out of bed, Tory showered, then ate some toast and drank some juice in order to stop her stomach from complaining. Go to work, Tory, she said to herself. You have been late far too many times to just take off over some self-pity crap!Moving into action she thought about the late bus and having to see Lee. She didn't want that! She didn't ever want to see

Maybe she would kick herself for this later, but the answer to that one simple question was the most important thing in the world to Tory right now. "What made you even notice me? I'm sorry if I'm putting you on the spot-""It's not that." He turned to face her again. "It's just that I'm not usually this forward. I mean, I don't know anything about you yet...and the answer to that question might offend you."Offend her? She didn't know if she should prompt him to continue, or not. But she remained silent. His hands clasped in his lap and he sighed deeply. "I noticed you because you run for the bus every day.""What?" She looked at him in confusion.He sighed. "You run for the bus every day and when you get on you sound like you've just made love...and have been thoroughly satisfied." Tory's heart jumped in her chest, her cheeks flamed. He continued. "The first time I heard that...I could barely stand up to get off the bus. I look forward to that sound every day, Tory. And then,

The next day, Tory intentionally missed her normal bus. She wore a dress that complimented her curves and slipped on comfortable heels. Even though her feet protested due to all of the walking she'd done this week, she figured it would okay since her bus stop wasn't far from any of her destinations. Besides, bigger girls looked great in heels; especially if they knew how to do a model walk, and she'd practiced perfecting that long ago.When she saw the bus rounding the corner, she stood up from her seat on the bench, her heart pitter-pattering in anticipation of seeing Lee again. Her cheeks grew warm as she remembered the fantasies that she'd had about him the night before. He was sitting in his regular seat and Tory hurried to grip the pole since she'd figured out the bus driver's game."Hi, Lee." She said shyly."Good morning." He smiled. "Let me put your money in and you can sit down here by me." His hand was held out and she dropped the coins into his waiting palm. His movement