Chapter 3 See Something You Like?

MADELINE

Madeline sipped her coffee without tasting it. Nothing was catching her interest, which was frustrating when looking for a distraction.

The worst part was she could sort of understand James’ reasoning, of wanting to be best he could be, but couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be with anyone other than the person she loved. Maybe James would figure that out and call the whole thing off? Did it make her naive, to hope for that?

It took effort to hold back a sigh as she turned away from the window, her gaze falling on the man who’d taken the seat opposite her own. He was leaning back in his chair, legs crossed, doing something on his phone while his mug sat on the small table between them.

The suit he wore was navy blue and perfectly tailored to his figure. She noted he wasn’t wearing a tie and the topmost button of the white shirt underneath was unfastened; it gave him more of a ‘casual businessman’ appearance.

Madeline’s focus shifted to his face. From where she sat she couldn’t make out the colour of his eyes but he had a prominent brow with thick, dark eyebrows that matched the semi-long hair he’d styled into submission. The one ear she could see had a beautiful curve to it that really drew the eye. She also felt that, if his hair had been cut shorter, there was a good chance his ears would stick out just a bit. Was that why it was long enough to tuck back?

The shadows that fell on his face were made of hard lines, as his facial structure was much the same. His cheekbones were high peeks and his nose would have been impossibly straight if not for the bump two thirds of the way up its bridge — he must have broken it at some point. The bump somehow added more harshness to the lines of which she was busy taking note.

His jaw was wide and strong, making her think that, if he weren’t so well dressed, he might have been mistaken for a brute. Even his hands, which had to be twice the size of her own, looked like they were made for fighting, not tapping away on his phone — except his nails. His nails were cut short and well cared for, so whatever his profession he didn’t need to use those hands for anything more than typing at a computer, or so she assumed.

The air about the man told the world he was serious but something in Madeline wanted to see him in a field of flowers or holding something delicate in those big hands of his. The juxtaposition of his harsh countenance paired with something soft and fragile would be breathtaking.

A smile came to him as he looked at his phone and Madeline was excited to see he had a dimple. Dimples were one of her favourite things. For a moment, she was sad, thinking of the fact James didn’t have any, but she would never let something so trivial make a difference in how much she loved him.

“See something you like?”

Madeline blinked, startled from her musings over the man’s face. Was he talking to her? Oh no. She’d been staring, hadn’t she. Wow. How rude could she be? And to a complete stranger!

Her cheeks began to warm as she gave him a sheepish smile. He turned just a bit so he was now fully facing her, giving her the opportunity to finally see the colour of his eyes. They were this intense, deep blue that caught her full attention. It was like looking out at the ocean as the sun began to set, when the water was still blue but beginning to turn towards black.

The man quirked an eyebrow and she realized she’d gone right back to staring. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized, thinking her face must be as red as a tomato. Her grip on the colourful mug tightened as she averted her gaze downwards, hoping he wouldn’t think her too rude. “It’s just… you have such fascinating facial structure.”

There was no response for a while, which had Madeline sneaking a peak through her lashes at the man. He was now staring, which made her rather nervous. “My facial structure fascinates you?,” he asked, sounding like he couldn’t quite believe the words he’d been forced to repeat.

Well now she had to elaborate or he’d think she was not only a creep but a weirdo.

“Yes,” she nodded, forcing herself to look up at him again. “The way your cheeks are all sharp lines and how the angle of your jaw works with them. Then there’s the bump on the bridge of your nose,” she tapped her own nose, to show where she meant. “You would think it would soften the lines but it somehow adds more depth. Not only that, it adds a really nice splash of character to your face.” Madeline couldn’t stop herself at this point, yammering away about the man’s face far longer than could be considered polite. Was it polite to dissect someone’s face to, well, their face? Ever? Ugh. Why was she like this?

It took a while but she somehow managed to stop, sealing her mouth shut after spending far too much time monologuing. The inability to stop herself from spewing verbal vomit when she found something that caught her attention was one of her biggest flaws. James was always so patient when she started, gently reminding her of what she was doing. This was a stranger who had no reason to be gentle about her rude behaviour.

He stared at her for what felt like an entire minute — but was really no more than ten seconds — because a smile flashed over his face. There was that dimple she’d noticed and now she knew it had no pair; only his left cheek was lucky enough to dimple when he smiled and she absolutely loved the asymmetry. It gave him a bit of boyish charm. Girls must swoon over this guy all the time, she thought to herself.

“No-one has ever said anything like that to me before.”

Madeline let out an awkward laugh, her cheeks somehow burning even hotter. “Yeah… sorry. I… got a bit carried away…”

“The way you describe things… you must be an artist.” It wasn’t a question but she felt the need to respond all the same.

“Once upon a time,” she replied, averting her gaze for a second time. There was no need to tell this man, no matter how beautiful, about her current situation and how it’d led to giving up her hobby.

“I bet you’re pretty decent at it.”

She blinked, startled by his declaration. How would he know, one way or another, if she was decent? “What makes you think that?”

The man laughed and she couldn’t help but enjoy how it had this raspy, almost dry quality to it. “Your enthusiasm and passion speak volumes.”

She flushed yet again. Her enthusiasm? Passion? She had neither of those things anymore. This man was just being polite, nothing more. “Thank you,” she replied with a polite nod, drinking the last bit of her coffee. “I should be going. Have a good day.”

Madeline hastily left without allowing herself a backward glance at the man she’d just met. She was halfway down the block when she realized she’d never asked his name. Christ. How rude could she be?

Then again… he hadn’t asked for hers, either, so that made the both of them equally rude. The thought helped settle her worries on that one matter but not how she’d gushed about his face. What was wrong with her? And then she’d just gotten up and left like the place was on fire.

She should have left the moment people watching failed to clear her mind because now, not only was she unable to stop thinking about James being with another woman, this man was also invading her thoughts. His striking face and just… ugh. Everything about him had drawn her eye to such a degree her fingers were itching to pick up a pencil.

Maybe, if she was quick, she could finish her errands and chores early, to have some time  quick sketches before James got home.