A Simple Love

Chapter 1

"It's 4:45pm and New York city is still as busy as ever, it's not like this back home in the country." Jen said to herself as she hurriedly walked down the street, lost in thought and trying not to get overwhelmed by her feelings. She's thinking about her life and how she's not really happy with the way things are going. She doesn't look where she's going and suddenly, she bumps into someone and crashes to the floor, then she says, "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The man she bumps into looks down at her with laughing eyes and says, "No problem, it happens to the best of us."

She looks at him and thinks, "He's cute and kind. That's a rare combination, but he was also kind and quite handsome." she said to herself with regret.

As she stands there looking at the man she bumped into she can't help but get lost in his dark brown eyes as he helps her get up. She notices that he's wearing a black fitted short sleeved shirt and black trousers that match with his black silky hair.

"He smells like the sea, get your head out of the gutters" she blushed and scolded herself.

Suddenly, she realizes that she's been staring at him the whole time they stood there and also that she doesn't know where she's going. She looks away from the unknown man and then says to him, "Could you tell me how to get to the library?"

The man smiles and says, "Sure, it's just down the street and to the left."

Jen thanks him and is about to walk away, when the man says, "I'm Dave, Dave Shepherd, by the way."

Jen turns back and says, "I'm Jen. Jen Jeffrey." she shakes his hands and say "It's nice to meet you, Dave." while she tries not to make eye contact again.

They stand there for a moment, awkwardly smiling at each other. Then, Jen says, "Well, I'd better get going. I need to find that library."

Dave nods and says, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Jen smiles and says, "Thanks. Have a nice day, Dave."

She walks away, but as she walks, she thinks about the handsome stranger she just met, she says to herself, "Don't you ever learn Jen, the handsome one's don't stay around."

As she approaches the library, she turns back and sees that Dave is still standing there, watching he. Maybe it's because her hair is all messy or she got a stain on her blue dress when she fell, she doesn't think much about it and goes into the library.

Dave thinks back to when he was a little boy, and his mother would take him to the library every week. It was his favorite place in the world. He would always find the most amazing books, and his mother would sit with him and read to him and his imaginations would run wild. He remembers how happy he was, just being with his mother and reading together. He feels a twinge of sadness, as he realizes that those days are long gone and so is she. But then, he looks up and sees Jen walking into the library. Dave walks up to the front door of the library and pushes it open. He steps inside and is immediately hit with the familiar smell of old books and dust. He looks around and sees Jen standing at one of the shelves, looking at a book. He feels nervous, but he walks over to her and says, "Hi."

Jen lifts her head from the book she was reading and smiles at him. She says, "Hi, Dave. I didn't expect to see you here."

"She smells nice, like a summer's breeze but unfortunately she's not my type of woman, then why exactly did I follow her in here?" he thought to himself.

What should he say?, He wondered.

After a moment of hesitation, he says, "I saw you come in here, and I felt like I was supposed to be here, too."

Jen looks at him in surprise. "Really? That's kind of strange."

Dave nods and says, "I know, it sounds kind of weird. But I couldn't just walk away."

Jen smiles and says, "Well, I'm glad you didn't. It's nice to see a friendly face.".

"We're friends now?" he thought.

Dave doesn't know what to say, so he just looks around the library, trying to think of something aside from her sparkling blue eyes and blonde wavy hair. He notices a section of books about art, and he points to it and says, "I see you're looking at art books. Are you into art?"

Jen smiles and says, "Yes, I am. but I dabble in writing so I guess I'm a writer, even though I haven't published anything" She looks at Dave and asks, "What about you?"

He thinks for a moment and says, "Well I'm also into art, I'm an artist"

"That's great," says Jen. "I admire people who can put their thoughts and feelings into a picture. I always feel like my words can only say so much, but an artist can capture the entire story."

Dave nods and says, "That's true, but I think words can say things that art can't. It's like they're two different languages, and they each have their own power."

Jen seems intrigued by this idea. She says, "I never thought of it like that before. It's an interesting perspective."

They continue to talk about art and writing, and they find that they have a lot in common, for example Jen is into street art and so is Dave. Just as Dave and Jen are really getting into their conversation, his phone rings. He looks at the screen and sees that it's his boss. He apologizes to Jen and says, "I'm so sorry, but I have to take this call."

She smiles and says, "No problem. I understand."

He walks away from her to take the call, but he can't help but think about how much he enjoyed talking to her, something about the way she smiles makes him feel calm. He walks outside and answers the call but still keeps his eyes on her. His manager asks him to come if he could come by the studio right away, and he agrees. He apologizes for having to leave her and says, "I hope we meet again, Jen."

He leaves and Jen whispers "I hope we do."

A few days later, Dave is walking down the street when he sees a "Help Wanted" sign in the window of an art gallery. He walks inside and sees Jen sitting behind the counter looking formal with her black suit and hair tied up in a bun, her blue eyes fixed to her computer screen.

"She looks good in formal wear." he said to himself as he approached her.

She looks up and smiles. "Hi, Dave. It's good to see you again."

He smiles back and says, "Hi, Jen. I didn't know you worked here."

She nods and says, "I just started a few days ago. I'm looking for a job that combines my love of art with my need to make money."

He chuckles then he asks, "So you're gonna be an artist, too?"

She shakes her head and says, "No, I'm not gonna be an artist. I just love art. I've always wanted to work in an art gallery. I'm hoping to learn more about the art world and maybe even make some connections that could help me in the future."

Dave is impressed by her passion and dedication. He says, "Well, I'm sure you'll do great here. You seem to really love art."

She smiles and says, "Thank you. I appreciate that. So, what brings you in today?"

He hesitates for a moment, and then says, "Well, I actually have an idea for a show. I'm wondering if the gallery would be interested in featuring some of my work." Jen's eyes light up. "Really? That's wonderful! I'd love to hear more about your idea."

He explains his concept, and she listens intently. When he finishes, she says, "Wow, that sounds really amazing. I think our customers would love it. I'll have to talk to the owner about it, but I'm sure she'll be interested." He thanks her and says, "I really appreciate you listening to my idea. I know it's probably not easy for you to make decisions like this."

She smiles and says, "It's actually my pleasure. I love hearing about people's passions and ideas. It's part of what makes this job so interesting. Plus, I love art, so it's nice to talk to someone who is as passionate about it as I am."

They chat for a while longer, and then he says, "I should probably get going. I don't want to keep you from your work." She waves him off and says, "Don't worry about it. I enjoyed our conversation. Come back and see me anytime."

He smiles and says, "I definitely will. Thanks again for listening."

And with that, he walks out of the gallery, feeling a little bit lighter than when he walked in. He's grateful for the opportunity to share his ideas with someone who is genuinely interested in hearing them. And he's glad to have met Jen. The next day, he gets a call from the gallery owner, who tells him that she loves his idea and wants to feature his work in a show. He's ecstatic, and he thanks her profusely. He's excited to see what the future holds for him and his art.