Oh my! How will I get out of this?

Buzz Buzz.

If this was that guy again! Oh brother! Honestly! 

The only reason I considered going for lunch with him was out of courtesy but mostly, to discover a new eatery. Why lie, those pics he sent looked pretty good to me. Really, that was it.

Before you roll your eyes or give me that cliché' statement- "Typical. Women!” hear me out.

Fine. I'll admit it. Initially like way way…way back... like years and years before this very moment, there might have been a chance. A wild wild chance.

 I remember how we met like it was yesterday.

There I was minding my business. With work being so hectic I had decided to kick start my weekend with a refreshing stroll at the park. As I was enjoying the stroll, this oaf of a guy knocked me flat out on the ground, while trying to make a catch. The ball rolled away and it's like time stopped for a minute. All I could feel was pulsating pain.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he said trying to help me up. I brushed him off and almost insulted him.

I was so mad! I couldn't even look him in the face. I was still recovering from the shock that I, a whole 27 year old me, fell like a sack of potatoes. The last time I fell this hard was probably when I was 18 and that was during a tackle when I was playing hockey.

Darn it, my body hurt. I couldn't even put a finger as to the source of the pain. I wasn't sure if it was my hands or my knees or the hard impact of his solid body knocking me down flat or all the above. I sincerely wanted to hold every part of my body and wish the pain away but it was impossible.

"Next time, look where you are going. You could have hurt me seriously with your childish antiques!" I growled, as I checked my hands for grazes and suppressed the urge to cry.

"You better not cry! You can't let him see your tears!" I reprimanded myself reminding myself my father's principle. Never show weakness. Never.

"Again, I'm very sorry..." he said lowering his voice. Despite my resistance, he gently helped me to a bench and started examining my palms, elbows and knees to check for any cuts or bruises.

"What is wrong with this man? Can he just go away," I kept thinking as I tried to fight off his insistence to check on me.

Much as I was fighting him off, he ignored my stubbornness and went on with such concern and tenderness; doused with the utmost respect that my anger began to melt into sheer wonder. I dare say a slight admiration even began to grow.

To flame it more, when his friends beckoned him to get back to the game he waved them off and instead continued to focus on me.

I was dumbfounded. This was a first for me...a first time in a long time anyone, let alone a guy had shown such genuine concern for me.

Most times, I'm the friend who's the rock.  Rarely did I ever get to experience the reciprocation of this with friends of both genders. Guys complain about being bro-zoned well I have been sister-zoned. Severally. Till I learned to accept it and live with it. So this was a bit strange, a nice sorta strange...to be treated like a precious flower of sorts

At the same time, this was tough. I was experiencing the highest level of internal conflict: to fight him off or to let this fast growing affection flourish?

I bit my lip and quickly wiped off that idea. After a lot of recoiling on the inside I managed to mouth a quick thank you. He actually had helped me and fortunately I didn't have too many cuts and bruises. I would live to face another day. Hurrah. The only thing was the painful thought of what shower-time would entail.

 "You know you didn't have to do this," I said as I began to collect my things together.

"Well that would quite irresponsible of me, wouldn't it?" he said with a smile and a wink.

My heart couldn't contain it. This was too much. It was then that I realized he was actually quite the looker. 

At first glance I saw just another ordinary guy but on closer glance I saw another side. I saw a handsome guy with a big heart and smile that literally made one weak.

"Get a hold of yourself. He just knocked you down and now just because he's checking on you, you're going jelly? Get a grip girl!" I told myself in an internal monologue.

"I probably should go now, thanks for the help," I said as I rose to make getaway

"Sure thing. Hope I bump into again...oh. Not like this though," he said noticing how his words might be misunderstood.

"I guess we'll have to see about that," I said and quickly hobbled away. With that, I tried to disappear as fast as I could and head to a cafe to lick my wounds and recollect on what just happened.  I went to my favourite restaurant, ordered a tall glass of vanilla milkshake, and sipped away the day's misgivings as I hit the re-start button on my weekend.

Home, friends, good food and lots of fun. I couldn't wait.

Buzz Buzz...It was a message from my buddies. Just letting me know that they had arrived and were waiting at the door. Getting to the driveway I was excited to see my friends’ car. I couldn't wait to see them. It had been a while and for sure today would make up for the months apart. This was going to be good night.

I grabbed my bags and started climbing the stairs. I could hear my friends chuckling, figured they were waiting outside my door. On reaching to the final flight of stairs, I froze in my steps. I almost screamed.

It was that guy. The same guy who knocked me down. What was he doing here? What was he doing with my friends?!

He hadn't spotted me but I had seen him alright. Who brought him here and which of my friends was the traitor? I was boiling mad. It didn’t matter that no one knew what had transpired earlier, fact is I wasn’t mentally prepared for this. I wasn't ready to meet him again, at least not now and not today, let alone in my home.

"Think quickly! Think quickly!" I told myself  

"To make a getaway or face him, I mean them!?" I contemplated.

 I quickly decided to try creep back to car.  No one had seen me so it was all good. I could call them from the car and figure out a diversion to avoid him. Just as I was turning around to go down the stairs one of my friends spotted me.

"Kate...Kate...where you going after keeping us waiting?"

Snap! Busted. 

Oh my! How will I get out of this?