5-minute romance

When fellow farmer and foe Eddie winks at her across the stall at the farmers market, Kathleen senses something new growing between them

Kathleen Gullman grumbled and crossed her arms over her apron. By the looks of the crowd forming at the stall across the farmers market aisle, she shouldn’t have waited another week to pick her squash. But she had decided to leave them behind, which meant that Eddie Perez, her biggest competition at the market, was getting all the customers eager for the vegetable. Kathleen even saw her regulars fervently filling their baskets. I hope they’re underripe, she thought to herself, turning back to her stall.

After the farmers market closed, Kathleen filled boxes with her remaining produce. Kevin, her right hand at Kathleen’s Greens, would arrive soon to help her load it onto the truck. Wiping her brow, Kathleen looked again across the aisle. Eddie’s actions mirrored her own, and as much as Kathleen loathed the way his business took away from hers, she couldn’t help but admire the view.

Rolled-up sleeves framed strong, bare forearms straining as he stacked his crates. The open collar of his denim shirt revealed a hint of dark chest hair, matching the day-old stubble on his chin. Kathleen was tilting her head to get a better look at him when he caught her staring. Smiling, he winked at her before returning to his fruit.

Kathleen blushed a deep red and turned, nearly knocking over a box of greens. Straightening the box, she turned her attention away from her competitor and to moving her boxes to the side of the stall. “Great crowd today.”

Eddie’s deep voice so close to Kathleen made her jump. She hadn’t heard him approach, and when she turned around, he stood a foot from her. He had that intoxicating smell she adored, the earthy aroma one acquired from picking beans and digging up tubers. “Yours was better than mine, I’m afraid. I guess I should have picked my squash.” “You’ll get them next Saturday when they realize I picked mine too early,” he said with a grin.

A surprised giggle escaped Kathleen’s throat. She and Eddie had been working these stalls for months without ever

“Eddie’s proximity was giving her unexpected butterflies”

exchanging more than a curt nod. She had created a vision of him as her foe, but he wasn’t funny in that vision…and he certainly didn’t look at her the way he was looking at her now.

“You have a bit of dirt…just here.” Eddie reached out a tanned hand and brushed his thumb gently across her cheekbone. Kathleen tried to remain still as her heartbeat quickened. “There. All better.” “Thanks,” she said, glancing around for an excuse to escape. Eddie’s proximity was giving her unexpected, albeit not unwelcome, butterflies. Still, she was so caught off guard that she felt an urge to get away. But the vendors on either side of her had already packed up and gone, leaving just the two of them within earshot. Be brave, she told herself. She cleared her throat.

“So, do you work another market on Sundays?”

“I do,” said Eddie. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, drawing her attention back to his forearms. “The one over at Penn Square. Do you?”

“I do the one at Wickery Park.” “Wow, Wickery Park.” Eddie whistled. “Big spenders in that neighborhood.” Kathleen smiled. “I can’t complain.” “I’m sure they will more than make up for the lack of squash profit today.”

Kathleen glanced over her shoulder for Kevin and the truck, expecting Eddie to return to his own boxes.

“Well, I should really…” “Listen,” he interrupted. “I’ve been standing over there week after week, watching you. Every week, I tell myself I’m going to come over and talk to you, and every week I chicken out. So today, I’m not leaving until I know if you’ll have dinner with me.”

Kathleen stared at him, trying to process what was happening. Eddie Perez, her arch nemesis, was asking her out. Eddie Perez, the man she saw customers giggling about every week. He wanted to take her to dinner, and if she listened to the warm feeling in her belly, she really wanted to let him. “I, um, I would love to,” she said. “Great!” He smiled again, his bright white teeth shining at her, making her feel giddy and courageous.

“Just lettuce know when you’re free.” Eddie’s belly shook with laughter as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I will. I can’t wait.”