Sisters In Control - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jesse asked for some time, he needed a couple of days to find this lady again. To find the breathtaking woman from the store.

He feels incredibly dumb for just freezing before her. By just standing in front of her unable to think straight. Was it because of her eyes? Because of her hair? Or was it because of her beauty itself?

So gorgeous, so pretty, and tall, maybe not way too tall, since he´s used to living with a 6´6” amazon and the taller 6´8” amazon, but she was nowhere his size.

How could he meet her again if he doesn´t know a thing about her? How can he see her again if he doesn´t know where to look?

That store was the only place he knew she would be. Maybe it was wrong to assume that, she could be in town just for the day, she could even come from the other size of town and just happen to be at the store.

He was so foolish that he thought he had a chance to meet her again if he went to the store at that same time the next day.

However, his plan didn´t work that well…

What are the odds he´d meet her again? Well, if he tried, they could improve!

He knows a place she goes to, at least she´s been there once, that store. And he knows the time, maybe a time-frame? He can remember at what time he was there, so he can get there half-an-hour earlier, and spend an hour there. She should show up within that hour.

It was a good plan, at least to him.

What was he supposed to do? Look for her social media? He´s got no name. He can´t write down “Pretty ginger with green eyes”? Standing at 6´3”, to write down the name of the city to make the location easier? That was absurd.

Maybe if he had gotten a picture? Could that work? Hire a private investigator? Open an online forum to see if anyone knows her? Try to see if anyone can get him the name? That would be a little creepy, and maybe falling on the stalking department.

Jesse knew this had to happen under normal circumstances. For their encounter to be more of a coincidence. Even if the “coincidence” means he has to go to the same store, at the same time, every single day.

Just to be sure this wasn´t that creepy, or suspicious, he would buy a random item every time. Why? Well, walking into a store and then walking out, doesn´t it feel kind of odd? People won´t think you´re stealing, right?

Well, if you were there just once, but ever single day? Well, at least he thought it´d be suspicious, so he made sure to purchase a small item. Water, cookies, chips. Milk and eggs, that other day he did had something he needed to buy.

This went on for a week before his sisters began to put some more pressure on him. As if it wasn´t already enough with all of his attempts being frustrated when he didn´t see her.

“Are you sure you´ll see her again?” Corrie would ask.

“Come on, maybe she doesn´t live in town.” Mae would add.

“I think I found the one! Just let me know if you´d like to date her… I got a picture.” Corrie would ask.

“Face it, you messed up. You should´ve asked for her number, at least that would´ve been smart.” Mae bugged him.

Over and over, they just kept trying to persuade him out of this. Trying to step between him and the lovely lady he met.

And this didn´t have to be this way. He could´ve dated any other lady while he was searching.

Which led to a few more questions. Was she even single? Was the muse from the grocery store in a relationship? Was she seeing someone? Maybe she was married? Engaged? Divorced?

Well, even if the last one´s like a small window, he can´t deny his suspicion´s concerning him.

He didn´t even ask for her name, how can he know she´s not with someone else? If she´s got a couple? Or, at least, if she´s interested.

Jesse hates it, but he can listen to the sound of his sister´s voice, Maevis, saying this words: “You should´ve tried anything, maybe then we would already know if she´s not interested. But you didn´t. Now, you´ll keep going to the store, day after day, until you see her again. And how long would that take?” She was annoying, but his mind´s Mae was right.

For how long?

How much time before he realizes she´s not going to show up again? How long before he has to return to dating ladies his sisters pick for him. How long before he has to give up?

It was hard, but it was the truth.

---

He didn´t give up, a week flew by, and she didn´t show up.

How about she got to the store at some other time? Maybe she´s usually a morning customer? And that day, for some reason, she had to go during the evening?

It wasn´t something that gave him high hopes, but he had a lot of time to think while he was alone at the store.

A full hour during which he just couldn´t stop thinking on her. What to say, how to approach.

“Hey, remember me? I´m the guy you hand the ketchup to.” Stupid.

He knew he had to come up with something clever, something smart, something fun even. He couldn´t just stare at her and say nothing.

What was he supposed to do? Wait for someone else to speak for him? To hope Maevis or Corrie can ask her to go on a date with him? Isn´t that what he doesn´t want to do?

They can´t control his life, they can´t tell him who to date, ask the ladies to go out with him, that´s something he´s supposed to do.

Jesse´s a man, a grown man. He must take charge of this. He´s already determined, his determination´s pushed him to coming to the store, day after day, at the same time, only to meet her.

What will he do when he sees her? He´ll find the courage to talk to her, introduce himself, and then, to ask her out!

---

His hope was slowly turning into frustration.

It´s been ten days already and she hasn´t showed up. What´s the matter? Doesn´t she buy groceries?

Maybe this was a stupid plan all along. Perhaps, he should´ve known he won´t be seeing her again. What are the odds?

“What are the odds…” he thought as he wandered down the aisles, just like any other of those times.

He already knew what was on each aisle without even looking. The cookie-aisle, then the one with the bread, then the one with dairy, then the one with canned products. He´s been walking down this store for days now, it´s not hard to remember what there is on each one.

“I should´ve known better…” he frowned. “I mean, what was I even thinking?!” He was just walking, but he knew where he wanted to go.

“Was I supposed to just meet her here? To wander down these aisles, to casually get to a certain one of them. I know! To come straight to the one with the condiments. Straight to the one where the ketchup is, that´s it!” He thought, heading straight to the place where he met her.

Jesse was upset, and he was getting mad.

He pretended as if this could work, and now, he was heading towards the ketchup aisle, as if this was an actual plan.

“Sure, here I am. The same aisle, walking straight towards the ketchup. And now what? She´s supposed to appear on the other… end…” He was not looking where he was going, at least not further than three-feet away.

He was angry, maybe grunting a few words as his gaze was not aiming much higher than the floor. Then, he turned up, his eyes heading towards the ketchup, which was out of his reach. Maybe if he can´t reach, that´s some sort of way to summon her? He thought at the end, but then, his mind went blank.

At the end of the aisle, someone seemed to appear. In front of him, someone showed up, pushing a shopping cart.

Their eyes met. His eyes met her pretty, green eyes. She blinked, pushed her red hairs behind a little. Was he looking at her? She wondered.

There´s no way this was her. No way she´s coming his way. The same aisle, he´s standing in front of the same shelf, in front of the same product. The ketchup bottles are out of his reach. And now, she´s coming.

This was so awkward; he felt so dumb. The only thing he thought about doing was to smile.

She smiled back as she was still walking towards him.

“Oh no! She´s coming!” He had planned this for so long, and now, he found no words?

Soon enough, the shopping cart stopped a few feet in front of him, and then, she walked around it and towards him.

She was so tall, she seemed even taller than he remembers. May he, a 5´5” man, glare at the 6´3” gorgeous woman who´s approaching him. Maybe he should´ve said hi? Hello? He was unable to speak, he wasn´t sure if he could even make a sound. Not even squeak.

“I remember you.” Came her sweet, lovely voice. “You´re… the guy from the other day, right?” He nodded, at least he had control over his body.

“I knew it! I´m good with faces. And… if I´m not mistaken, you came here for ketchup, right? I know because I came here for the same thing. Here, let me help you. You can´t reach, right?” She was so kind, and she remembers him!

My name´s Jesse, he should´ve said that. Yes, that´s me, he could´ve said that too. I´ve been coming here, every day, just to get a chance to meet you, that would´ve been a little creepy, but it could´ve worked out.

Instead of starting a conversation, he just listened to her. She seemed like a nice woman, and easy to talk to. The problem is, it´s not easy for him to talk.

“I like this brand too, it´s tastier than the other ones. A bit sour, and just sweet enough, goes good with anything! And, hehe, yeah, I usually put it into a lot more things than I should. Sorry but, if it goes good with meat, chicken and fish, then it´s a super seasoner!” She was opening up to him, at least she was talking, making conversation, why can´t he?

When she turned, he just nodded, with a bit of a nervous look in his face. Maybe she was talking too much? He made her feel self-conscious, maybe she did talk too much.

“Sorry, I… shouldn´t talk too much, heh. Anyways, here´s the ketchup. And, I´ll grab one for me.” He took the ketchup, if he was going to speak, it´s now or never.

What are the odds? This moment here, not the odds, this was faith! The universe was rewarding his hard work, and now, he´s going to let it go to waste?

The tall lady was about to turn and walk away. Place the ketchup on her shopping cart and walk past him. What does he want? To look at her as she walks out? Or, to get her number?

“T-thanks! I… thank you…” finally, he speaks.

“No problem.” She replied, smiling at him, and now, it was her time to leave.

What to do? What to do? He´s got seconds before she goes away. And then, how long before he gets another shot?

Let´s be realistic here, if she was buying ketchup again, this soon, it means she uses it a lot. He could wait for the next time she comes back for ketchup? Or, he could man up and make a move.

Anything´s better than standing there, in silence, just watching things go by. Seeing how your chances are wasted. How all of your efforts are in vain because you couldn´t give the next step.

“W-wait!” He said, out loud. Well, here goes nothing.

Was he too loud? Was this unexpected? However she perceived it, the lady stopped and turned at him. “Yes?” she asked, directing her attention back at him.

His heart was racing inside his chest, it worked? He´s got her attention? Now what? What can he say?

“Wha… I´m Jesse.” He said, driving his hand forwards, aiming for a handshake. Hopefully, she´ll shake his hand.

She looked at his hand, blinked, and then smiled. He was acting so awkward, hopefully she doesn´t get suspicious that he´s got something in hands. Well, other than his dating proposal, which is not something bad.

“Nice to meet you, Jesse. I´m Sharon.” She shook his hand, her larger hand engulfed his as they greeted.

Now, he knows her name, Sharon. That´s way more than he got to know last time they met. Sharon, and she likes ketchup, good information.

As they shook their hands, he was wondering what to do, what to say. Hopefully, he won´t make this awkward. Or, he might speak without thinking.

“Sharon, that´s such a pretty name. As pretty as you…” Uh-oh, did he say that out loud?

Fantastic, now she´ll feel strange, bring her hand back to her, and walk away as she judges him inside her mind. Amazing, he screwed things up. Did he?

First, Sharon giggled, and then, she said: “So, that´s what it was then?” huh? He was confused.

What does she mean?

“S-sorry?” What was what?

“Oh, I didn´t mean… at first, I thought you were too quiet because I´m tall, don´t worry, people are often speechless around me. Specially those who are not used to a 6´3” lady. I was thinking you were, you know, overwhelmed by my size. Since you are… never mind.” She was going to say short.

Sharon´s got ten-inches on him, very close to being a whole foot taller. But she knows better not to say that. She continued.

“But, now that I know you think I´m pretty… it makes more sense that you´re so quiet. It´s cute, but don´t let yourself be intimidated by a tall, and pretty, lady.” His compliment just made her day.

“I´m not intimidated by your size…” He wasn´t, Maevis is intimidating, and Corrie´s some more. They are both taller than Sharon, however, her beauty does intimidate him. More than he´d like to admit.

Or was it the fact that he didn´t want to screw things up with her? Maybe that´s what´s scaring him.

“It´s not?” She said, both hands on her hips and standing as tall as she was.

“It´s not… I… I´ve seen taller ladies.” He admitted.

“Well, that´s good to know. Now… Jesse, did you make me stop because you wanted to shake my hand? Or just so you got to know my name?” He was making her curious, plus, he was quite handsome.

“Oh, no… I was… maybe…” he got too far, what´s the next step? Asking her out? No! Something less bold, but bold enough so that she knows he wants something. “I was just wondering, since… I struggle a lot to, you know, reach for the ketchup… maybe I could… get your number?” He had something in mind, hopefully it works.

“My number? For the ketchup?” She was smiling, but was clueless as to where he was going.

“Yeah, you know, maybe we can both… agree when to come here, so that you can, you know, help me reach the ketchup. OR, instead, maybe… if you give me your number, I could find a way to thank you for such… for being so nice. Maybe… dinner?” Well, he did find a way to ask her out, a little silly, but it´ll work.

“Oh, well, I think that´s a lot for just helping you reach. But I think it´ll do. I mean, if you don´t mind…” It worked! She was looking at him with tender eyes.

“No! Of course not, I mean… that´s the last I could do. Like… like you said, ketchup goes well with fish, meat and chicken.”

“It does…” The way she was looking at him, even if he was this nervous, she was giving him some nice attention.

---

Next thing he knows, he´s got her phone number saved on his phone, and his phone number saved on hers. So far so good.

“I´ll be sure to call you. Or text you! Or… anything you prefer…” he was nervous, and she could notice.

“It´s so cute, you´re so nervous. Don´t be, it´s ok, I won´t bite.” She chuckled.

“Hehe, no, of course not… s-so… I guess… I can text you, don´t mean to interrupt you while you´re… sleeping, or at work. I mean, you must be busy at work, maybe I should text, to make sure… you know, that I don´t bother you at… where do you work?” He was trying to put so much in a single sentence.

Once again, she giggled. “You´re so nervous, are you this way all the time? I don´t mind, but I find it goofy, in a lovely way, of course.” He feels both, humiliated and complimented. “I´m a nurse, so, yes, I can be a little busy at times, so… texting would be a better idea. But, if you want to call me, my shift´s usually over by 3:00, but sometimes I stay until 5:00.” She´s a nurse.

Which would explain her care-taking nature. Let´s be honest, not everyone helps a man struggling to reach for ketchup, much less twice. Sharon paid attention to his needs, and when she realized she could help, she just did.

“That´s… some good information. I… I´ll be sure to call… or text… or… I should get going before I mess up.” Maybe that was for the best, he´s still too nervous.

“Ok, but make sure to be relaxed for our dinner date, ok?” She said as he walked away.

“For sure!” did she say date?