The beautiful woman next to me had a friend.
I wanted her phone number,
not realizing what I had beside me.
If I don’t get her number, I might die inside,
crawl under my bed and bawl in 4K.
I exchanged names and small talk
with the woman beside me.
She said she didn’t have a phone
but would give it to the girl I’d been eyeing.

I arrived home alone to the sound of no ringtone,
ringing in the stillness of my isolated thoughts.
The neighbors knocked on the wall,
shouting, It’s just a girl, and I’ll find
another.
But I’ve been searching for a woman
for the better part of my life.
No such luck, at least not yet.

A song played that I forgot rings on my phone,
display light flashed a romantic disaster.
“Hello?” I said, almost surprising myself.
“It’s Erin.”
“The girl from the club?”
“So, don’t hate me,” the woman’s voice was bashful.
“You didn’t give her the number, did you?”
“Can you blame me?”
I grinned. “I thought you were out of my league.”
“God sat us beside each other.”

Twitter – @AC0040

(© 2023 AC)

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