John & Katie

Five Months of Her

JOHN.

I’ve been working as a doorman for the past five years, starting right after I graduated from high school. A close friend of my dad’s helped me land the job, and not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate how fortunate I was. It may not have been the career I imagined for myself growing up, but it has introduced me to people and experiences that have changed my life in ways I never expected. I’m John Daniels, born and raised in Brooklyn alongside my mom, dad, and two siblings. I’m twenty-four years old, and I currently live in the Bronx.

Jobs like this were hard to come by, and once people got them, they rarely left. The health insurance was excellent, the 401(k) was generous, the paid time off was hard to beat, and the holiday bonuses were something everyone looked forward to each year.

Still, none of those perks compared to the day I first sawher.

I can still picture it as if it happened yesterday.

She came running across the street, trying to beat the traffic light. The wind caught her long, curly black hair, sending it dancing behind her. From where I stood, I couldn’t tell if her eyes were dark brown or almost black, but I remember wondering.

She had the most beautiful complexion I’d ever seen.

Her skin glowed beneath the morning sun, and there was something strikingly unique about her. She was light-skinned, yet there was an exotic elegance about her that made her impossible to ignore. Some people might have mistaken her for European, but whatever her background was, she was absolutely breathtaking.

Before I realized what I was doing, my feet had carried me outside.

She looked up.

Our eyes met.

I smiled.

To my surprise...

She smiled back.

My heart nearly pounded out of my chest.

That single smile stayed with me for the rest of the day.

New Yorkers are always rushing from one place to another. Most people never look up, never make eye contact, and certainly don’t smile at strangers. Unless you’re at a bar or a nightclub, everyone seems trapped inside their own little world.

She was different.

From that day on, I looked forward to seeing her every morning as she hurried to work and every evening when she returned home.

The problem was... I was always working.

Every time I thought I might have a chance to speak to her, another resident needed assistance, a delivery arrived, or someone stopped to ask me a question.

Five months of exchanging smiles.

Five months of wondering who she was.

Five months of not even knowing her name.

I had considered writing my name and phone number on a piece of paper and slipping it into her hand as she walked by.

But the opportunity never came.

The only person who knew about my mystery girl was my best friend, Alec.

For months, he had listened to me talk about the beautiful woman who walked past my building every day. He laughed whenever I mentioned her, insisting I would eventually find the courage to introduce myself.

Deep down, I hoped he was right.

My phone buzzed with a text from Alec.

Alec:Hey, man. I’ll pick you up after work today.

I smiled and quickly typed back.

Me:Don’t you have to work?

Alec:I need a break. We can grab a drink at the pub.

I chuckled.

Me:Sure. That sounds great. See you later, dude.

Later that afternoon, Alec arrived a little earlier than expected. He settled into the office while I finished the last few minutes of my shift. I glanced at my watch. Almost time.

Like clockwork.

I stepped outside to open the door for one of the tenants, and that’s when I saw her.

Katie.

She had just appeared at the corner, right on schedule, completely unaware that the moment I’d been looking forward to all day had finally arrived.

I hurried back into the office and called Alec, telling him to come now because Katie was approaching. Then I took a breath and headed back to my post, trying to act casual even though my heart was pounding.

“There she is,” I said, nudging Alec. “The one in the blue jeans and the black jacket.”

She was alone, just as she always was.

As she drew closer, our eyes met.

I smiled.

Then I gave her a playful wink.

I’d started doing that about a month after I first noticed her.

Every single time...

She smiled back.

Together, we watched as she crossed the street. I couldn’t take my eyes off her until she disappeared into the sea of people rushing along the sidewalk.

I grinned and looked at Alec.

“So... what do you think?”

The words died on my lips.

That i***t was practically drooling.

“Dude!” I laughed, smacking him on the back.

He blinked a few times before finally snapping out of his trance. Swallowing hard, he shook his head.

“What?”

“You were staring.”

“I know,” he admitted without a hint of embarrassment. “She’s gorgeous.”

I rolled my eyes.

Then he smirked.

“You think she has a sister?”

I burst out laughing.

“I don’t even know her name,” I said.

That only made us laugh harder.

When my shift ended, we headed to our favorite pub just around the corner from our apartment.

Alec wasn’t just my best friend—he was also my roommate.

We ordered burgers, fries, and a couple of beers before settling into our usual booth.

After a while, Alec looked across the table at me.

“So... when are you finally going to talk to her?”

I sighed.

“I don’t know, man. Every time she walks by, I’m tied up helping someone.”

He shook his head.

“Dude, it’s been, what... five months?”

“I know.”

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed the back of my neck.

“I’m starting to think I’m never going to get the chance.”

Alec reached over and gave my shoulder a reassuring pat.

“You will,” he said. “Just be patient, my friend.”

“I hope you’re right.”

The rest of the evening passed with games of pool, a few rounds of darts, and plenty of laughs.

Around ten o’clock, we called it a night. I had to be up early for work, and the last thing I wanted was to drag myself through the next day with a hangover.

As we walked home, my thoughts drifted back to her.

I’d dated a few girls in high school, but none of them had ever occupied my mind the way she did.

It didn’t make any sense.

I didn’t know her name.

I didn’t know where she worked, or where she lived.

I didn’t even know if she was seeing someone.

I knew absolutely nothing about her.

And yet...

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Every morning, I looked forward to going to work for one reason alone—the chance to see her walk past the building.

Every evening, I hoped something would happen that would finally give me the courage—or the opportunity—to speak to her.

I’d replayed our first conversation in my head a hundred different ways.

I’d imagined asking for her name.

I’d imagined making her laugh.

I’d even imagined our first date, wondering where I’d take her if she ever said yes.

For now, all I could do was watch her from a distance...

...and hope that tomorrow would finally be the day everything changed.

I had even switched shifts with my coworkers just so I could be at work when she walked past the building.

Ever since I first laid eyes on my angel, I hadn’t been interested in anyone else.

Whenever Alec and I went out, women would flirt with us. Before her, I never thought twice about having a one-night stand. But after seeing her...

Things were different.

I wasn’t looking to settle down. I was only twenty-four.

Yet somehow, this girl had taken up permanent residence in my mind.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t get her face out of my head.

Alec was convinced I’d fallen hard for a girl who might already belong to someone else.

What if she has a boyfriend?

What if she lives with him?

What if she’s engaged... or even married?

The thought made my stomach twist into knots.

I made a mental note to look for a ring the next time I saw her.

No.

I needed to stop thinking like that.

Alec had planted those ridiculous ideas in my head, and now they refused to leave.

The truth was, I was driving myself crazy imagining her with another man.

That night, I forced myself to get some sleep before exhaustion caused me to miss my alarm.

The next morning, I took the train to work.

As I stepped onto the sidewalk, there she was.

My angel.

She stood on the corner, waiting for the light to change.

My pulse quickened.

This is it.

This is your chance, I told myself.

I took one step toward the door.

Then the elevator chimed.

Several residents stepped into the lobby at once.

“Good morning.”

“Can you call me a cab?”

“I need help with these packages.”

Just like that...

The moment was gone.

I glanced back through the glass doors.

She had already crossed the street.

Maybe tomorrow.

Spring arrived, and with it came warmer days.

One morning she wore black leggings, a white top, and a short black jacket that rested at her waist. A pair of white Converse completed the outfit.

She looked absolutely stunning.

The funny thing was, she could probably pull clothes out of a dumpster and still make them look fashionable.

There was something effortlessly elegant about her.

She never dressed to attract attention. No revealing tops. No flashy outfits.

Just simple clothes that somehow made her even more beautiful.

I admired that about her.

By then, I knew I had it bad.

If only I could talk to her.

If only I knew her name.

Her smile had become the highlight of my day.

One smile in the morning was enough to carry me through my entire shift until I saw her again that evening.

Alec kept telling me to be patient.

If only he knew how difficult that was.

For five months, I’d watched her from a distance, exchanging nothing more than smiles and the occasional wink.

Every day that passed made it harder not to walk over and introduce myself.

Then summer arrived.

On the first day of the season, she walked toward the building wearing denim shorts, a black T-shirt, and black Converse sneakers. Her long curls were pulled into a ponytail that swayed gently with each step.

She looked beautiful.

As always.

Her smile was as bright as ever, and I found myself smiling before I even realized I was doing it.

It was a busy Tuesday morning.

Residents streamed in and out of the building, deliveries piled up, and my radio wouldn’t stop buzzing.

I already knew what was going to happen.

I’d spend another morning watching my angel disappear into the crowd...

...without saying a single word.

Around one o’clock that afternoon, work finally began to slow down.

One of the tenants asked me to call her a cab. When it arrived, I opened the door for her. After she climbed inside, I gently closed the door and gave the roof two taps, signaling the driver to go.

As the cab pulled away, I turned toward the building.

Then I saw her.

My angel.

She was walking straight toward me.

For a second, I couldn’t believe my luck.

Five months.

I’d waited five long months for a moment like this, and somehow it had finally arrived.

Before I could second-guess myself, my feet carried me toward her.

Step after step.

There was no turning back now.

The noise of the city seemed to fade into the background.

The traffic.

The horns.

The conversations.

Everything disappeared.

It was just the two of us.

She stopped a few feet away, and suddenly we were standing face to face.

This was it.

The moment I’d imagined a hundred different ways.

Only...

My mind went completely blank.

Every clever opening line I’d rehearsed vanished.

Every question I’d planned to ask disappeared.

I stared into her beautiful eyes.

Then, without thinking, the first words slipped out.

“They’re brown.”

She tilted her head, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

I wanted the sidewalk to swallow me whole.

Seriously, John?

That’s how you’re starting this conversation?

Before I could recover from my embarrassment, I quickly added,

“Your eyes... they’re brown.”

For a heartbeat, she simply looked at me.

Then...

She smiled.

The same smile that had brightened every one of my mornings for the past five months.

The knot in my chest loosened.

I smiled back, feeling every ounce of fear melt away.

I had finally spoken to her.

Mission accomplished.

Or maybe...

That was just the beginning.

Because now came the hard part.

Getting to know the girl who had quietly stolen my heart.