The Longest Five Minutes

The day has come. It's just before 11:50 a.m. The train is about to arrive. I'm excited, my mouth is dry, my stomach is in knots, my palms are sweaty. I worry that maybe I shouldn't have worn this outfit.

11:51 a.m. I'm nervous. Luckily, I'm not overthinking it… I'm pacing back and forth, my hands behind my back.

11:52 a.m. Which side will the train come from? Right or left? From the right. I calm myself down. Okay, then I'll walk a little to the right. Maybe he'll notice me from the window.

11:53 a.m. What if he doesn't like me? Well, it's a bit late to think about that now. Oh my God, it's so hot. Damn, I smell bad. No, you don't smell bad. You're silly.

11:54 a.m. I stop, and so does my heart for a moment. I see the train. It's arriving earlier. Too late to run. Where would you even run? You are in love. Like a silly teenage girl.

The train rattles loudly as it passes by, then slowly comes to a stop. I can't move. I'm standing on the other side of the platform, nervously fidgeting. I wonder where he will get off. Oh my goodness, it was so much easier last time, hiding behind sunglasses, quietly, unknownly watching this man. This man who is now traveling across half the country because of me. I can't believe he's coming. Because of me. For me. Me? I don't even deserve such a decent man. Shut up, stop it! Of course, you deserve him. I take a deep breath. I clasp my hands, close my eyes for a moment as people start getting off the train. When I open them, I immediately notice him. He's looking straight at me, and with that calm, upright posture, he starts walking towards me. Breathe! Exhale! Don't even try to go there, you'll just mess it up! I hear a voice in my head. He stops, right in front of me. I immediately smell his scent, and the pheromones do their work. The attraction is undeniable. I look up into his eyes, just standing there silently, he says not a word either. We're only a step apart. We move almost simultaneously to embrace each other tightly in a big hug. For what feels like minutes, we just hold each other. I feel the strength of it, his restraint disappears second by second. And the moment that defines that he and I, from now on, will be "us" is here. Two weeks have passed since our fateful accidental meeting. Since then, we've talked every day, and slowly, inch by inch, we only let each other get close. We reluctantly break the hug. As I let go, I run my hand over the nape of his neck and his neck itself. My hand rests on his shoulder. I breathe quickly, look into his eyes, feel one of his hands on my waist while the other slides under my chin. He gently lifts my head. I look at him with sparkling eyes, full of longing. He sees in my gaze how happy he makes me just by being here, holding me in his arms. He leans down to kiss me. His lips are soft, but like mine, they are dry from excitement. He gently kisses my lips. Before pulling away, I wrap my hands around his neck, hold him gently but firmly, and kiss him passionately. His arms tighten around my waist, and our lips meet in a perfect kiss. We have completely disappeared from the outside world; we don't see the train or the people around us. When we finally let go, we can say the first words to each other in person. "Hi!" "Hi!" We both smile, he takes my hand, and together we head towards the exit.