Encounters
It was a warm summer night. The kind where the air hangs heavy and thick, like a blanket drenched in humidity. I was sitting on my front porch, enjoying the relative peace and quiet of my small town neighborhood. It was close to midnight, but I was still up, scrolling through Craigslist postings on my phone. I wasn’t really sure what I was looking for, but I always found the “Casual Encounters” section fascinating reading.
I had just clicked on a new posting when I heard a car slow to a stop in front of my house. My heart quickened as I realized that this was probably someone coming to answer my posting. I had been careful to include a fake email address and phone number in the posting, so there was no way for this person to know who I really was. Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous as I waited for them to come up to the porch.
A few moments later, a figure appeared in the darkness. It was a woman, probably in her early twenties. She was wearing a short skirt and a tank top, and she had long dark hair that cascaded down her back. She looked like she might be of Latin descent.
“Are you J?” she asked breathlessly, referring to the name I had used in the posting.
I nodded silently, not trusting myself to speak. My heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that I was sure she could hear it.
“I’m L,” she said, holding out her hand for me to shake.
I shook it awkwardly, still feeling nervous and tongue-tied. L smiled at me reassuringly and then sat down next to me on the porch swing. We were both silent for a moment, just looking at each other in the dim light from the porch light overhead. Finally, L spoke again.
“So,” she said softly, “are you looking for what I’m looking for?”
