Smiling

Yesterday morning, as I was walking through the gas station lot on the way to work, I looked up from my Sidekick to check my bearings and make sure I wasn't about to walk in front any moving vehicles. I met the gaze of a man in a pickup truck. He smiled at me and said something I couldn't catch above the music of my iPod.

I smiled back at him, a bright dazzling smile that wasn't for him but because I was in a good mood. It was for the perfect walking weather and the comments on my LJ and the emails on my SK and the sweetness of being alive. The smile wasn't for him, but I gave it to him anyway. "Good morning!" I bid him, and turned back to my SK.

At the edge of the lot, I saw the pickup pull up several feet from me out of the corner of my eye, and the man said something else. This time I pulled out my headphones. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, will you marry me?" he asked, grinning.

I shook my head, half-laughing. "Not today!" I told him as I started across the street.

"Are you married?"

I shook my head again, not about to try to explain. "Not today either!" I called back cheerily.

"Can I at least call you?" he called after me, but I was across the street by then.

And he couldn't, but I didn't mind that he'd asked.