The Bench

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See

Bridgette spotted the bench near the big oak, just like the message said. There were several benches but only one was occupied; a young guy was there, checking his phone, a single sunflower resting beside him.

“Are you… Daniel?” she asked.

He looked up, surprised, then smiled. “That’s me. You must be Sarah.”

“I’m Bridgette, actually.”

They both froze. Daniel checked his phone again. “This is supposed to be the bench under the big oak by the path bend.”

“There‘s no lack of big oak trees here, that’s for sure,” Bridgette laughed. Further down the trail, another dense canopy hung low over a similar bench. “It looks like we’re the only ones here.”

Neither of them moved.

“Well,” Daniel said, “since we’re both here …. and both apparently early for people who aren’t you or me …. do you want to sit? Just for a minute.”

Bridgette glanced up and down the path; not a soul in sight. Then she looked at Daniel; he smiled …. and she sat.

They talked about ordinary things …. the humidity, whether that sunflower was a good first-date idea or a strange one, if his name really was Daniel; it was. Twenty minutes disappeared. Somewhere down the trail, two other people were possibly still waiting, checking their phones, wondering if they’d been stood up.

“We should probably go find them,” Bridgette finally said, not moving.

“Probably,” Daniel agreed, also not moving.

The oak leaves swished overhead. Neither blind date ever got their appointed date. But something better had already started, right there on the wrong bench.