Meeting A Stranger

Jen flicked the cigarette butt onto the sidewalk and stepped on it. She scanned the bustling streets for the person she was supposed to be meeting, but he was not here as far as she could tell. She was told to wait by the statue of some guy on a horse she had never heard of, and it was ten minutes past the designated meeting time.

She fell in step with the passing people and crossed the street to the park. It was quieter and less busy here, which was one reason why she liked it, but it also reminded her of her childhood when she would play in the grass with her brothers. She found an empty bench beneath the ash trees and faced the lawn.

Before she could really get settled she heard the footsteps of someone approaching her from behind.

"Jen," he said. "Sorry I made you wait."