Chance Encounter

The guard looked at the entrance log for the previous day. Taking a quick note of the times that she had previously entered the building, he looked for the earliest time. He now knew when to have his eyes glued to the security monitor. He would not miss her today.

"The girl of his dreams" lived in the apartment building he was assigned to guard. She normally wore a navy blue skirt cut slightly above the knee and a white blouse. The guard imagined she was a competent secretary in a law firm. The lawyer that owned this reputable business entrusted many a case load to her and she handled these tasks without getting a hair out of place or a run in her stockings. Her duties probably consisted of typing official documents, including divorce decrees.

The guard paused in thought and wondered if the woman was married. She was certainly beautiful and men were probably showering her with proposals. Somehow, the guard imagined she had refused them all, looking for the same kind of perfection in a man, that she demanded in her daily routine.

The guard wondered if he could be that man, Mr. Perfect. Although he knew he wasn't perfect, he wondered if he could create the perfect circumstance. He would do this by using pre-memorized dialog and intuitive insights into her personality based on daily observations. Perhaps by the time she discovered his flaws, he would have won her over with his good traits. At the very least he would have acheived a connection to her. The time he spent with her, fleeting as it would be, would be something he could relive for the rest of his life. His plan was to catch her in a time of vulnerability. When things had not gone well for her, he would show up and compassionately offer her some assistance. This would be his "in". From then on, it would just be a matter of breaking down the barriers that existed between them.

The guard's train of thought was interrupted by the appearance of "The girl of his dreams" on the screen. She had dropped her books outside the elevator and was in the process of picking them up. As she was bending over, her face, just for a moment, met the security camera. This image, that the guard had felt lucky to see hundreds of times over the last few years, was missing its usual confidence. A clump of hair had fallen over her left eye and there was a black streak running down her right cheek. She had been crying. It suddenly occurred to the guard that the moment had arrived. All of the planning he had done for the last three years was coming to a head. He had to act now. He stood up and strolled to the door. The elevator was a meer fifteen feet away. All he had to do was open the door. He stopped, returned to his chair and watched as she picked up the rest of her things and entered the elevator. The elevator doors closed.

Epilogue
The guard entered the video surveillance area and the man he was relieving left the room without saying a word. He signed in on the time sheet and began starting his day in the same way he had for the last three years. After relaxing in his chair, he began pondering the previous day. Serenity passed over the guard and he let out a sigh of relief. Tranquility had come from the fact that his perfect paradise had not been lost to an inperfect reality.