I didn’t ride the train
but my car had a flat
and I couldn’t be late,
not after the last time
my boss told me I’d me
filing for unemployment
the next time, which
was this time.
The train bumped every third rail,
exploiting the silence
over expressionless faces.
I bounced my leg and cut
my gaze opposite me.
A woman embraced my glance
with a warm smile
and a sparkle in her eye.
The corner of my mouth curled before
I pleasantly lifted the other side.
The woman had a dark skirt
with her legs crossed.
She moved her beige heel
in a circular motion.
She hugged herself in her
autumn sweater.
She looked sweeter than
anyone I thought I’d meet on a train.
My loneliness had struck a deal
with my low self-esteem.
The woman’s smile lifted my spirits.
I asked for her name before
I could withdraw my insecurity.
Jodie. She said.
Alex. I hated my name,
but I told her anyway.
Jodie covered a laugh.
I cleared my throat in deep thought
about how to keep the flow
of a conversation going.
Jodie asked about my tire.
I asked her what about it.
Jodie said she popped it.
She knew it was the only way we’d meet.
Jodie said her father owned the firm,
and I’d find a promotion.
Jodie asked what I thought about
a conversation over coffee later.
I told her it’d be on time.