Lisa shimmied through the torrent of people, holding on to her tightly styled hair to prevent it before being bumped by the crowd. She danced seamlessly around any and every type of person- skipping nimbly to the side to avoid collision with a slender businesswoman not like herself, and indiscreetly diving to the side to save herself from being squashed by a very large, T-shirted young man, who really didn't care who he trampled on the way to his destination.
When Lisa had first arrived at her job several years ago, she'd tried telling the early morning traffic to just slow down. According to her calculations, if everyone lowered their speed by just 2mph, then each person would have up to three seconds more to move out of the way, lessening the crash rate by one half. Strangely, they'd been unwilling to try it. She cursed under her breath as the folder she was carrying slipped out from under her arm- Lisa tried to turn back, but all attempts were futile as the crowd whisked her away. What choice did she have but to follow the current?
As the traffic dribbled away, Lisa returned to the spot where she'd lost her folder, praying to find it in good condition. Instead, her eyes were drawn to a dark haired man of around her age walking towards her through the stranglers, a file clutched in...No way. All thoughts of getting to work vanished as the middle Simpson child bounded towards brown haired man with crooked teeth.
"NELSON!" She shrieked, indulging in an uncharacteristically girly scream that turned a couple of heads. A few more steps and she'd reached him, having composed herself. Unsure of how to act, Lisa decided to go for the formal approach. "Excuse me, sir, is that my, um, folder you have there?"
Nelson Muntz merely raised an eyebrow, gave a ragged grin and enveloped her in a bone crushing hug, hoisting her off her feet.
"Be careful how you put me down." Lisa muttered her into his neck. "Regaining balance in Stilettos is harder than you think."
A laugh rattled through Nelson, and he nodded, setting her down lightly and keeping a hold of her shoulders until she gave him the all clear.
Lisa washed her gaze over the man who stood several inches taller than her, before wrapping her arms around his waist once more. Abruptly, she pulled away, staring into his eyes and tilting her head in confusion. "What are you doing here? I mean, no offense, but I never really saw you as the, erm...lawyer type. Not that I think you're stupid! It's just..."
Nelson gave a wane smile. "You figured I'd be locked away by now, huh?"
"What! No! Of course not!"
He offered her a challenging grin. "You did too."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
Nelson raised an eyebrow once more. "Really?"
Lisa fiddled with her collar, eyes dancing around the building. "Uh...maybe." She confessed with an impish grin.
His jaw dropped in mock horror, and he batted at her head, which Lisa easily ducked. "Nope, I'm only here for jury service, I'm afraid." Nelson propped his suit. "Do you know, I had to borrow this from a friend? It fits pretty well, doesn't it? Considering it's not mine."
"WHAT? You still don't own anythingformal?!" Lisa hissed, shaking her head in a forlorn manner. "I've failed."
It was true. He'd loaned a tux for prom night, and whenever he showed up at someone's wedding- which wasn't that often- jeans were about as smart is it got. No one expected any better from him now.
"So," Nelson asked "I take it you're not on jury service too?"
"Uh, no..."
"How did I guess?"
"Well, my suspicion is that you sneaked a look inside my file..."
Nelson grinned. "Spot on."
She'd dated him once again, in highschool. And it had been great- they'd got on well, and everything that was needed for a happy boyfriend and girlfriend was there. Except, there was more. Milhouse was unbearable. He moaned all day- and probably all night- never letting up. Nelson enjoyed it at first- "Haw haw, who's destined to be together now" and so on, but eventually it became too much for even him. "If he loves you so much, can't you make him stop?" Nelson had complained.
The next day, Lisa and Milhouse had been the very last two in the class in the period before break. He'd began his petition once more as to why Nelson was unsuitable for her, when Lisa had an idea. Kissing him had shut him up once before in elementary school, and if she convinced him that she liked him, and would go out with him after she had a reason to break up with Nelson, all would be okay. For a while. Maybe...a week? But a week of peace was heaven. So, she'd kissed him. And who'd come in, to check she was okay? They'd try to work through it- Lisa had explained- but she'd seen the doubt in his eyes. And one night, Nelson had told her- "You don't deserve to be trapped in a relationship where you're not trusted completely. And I've tried to get past...it, Lis', I really have, but I just...can't. And you deserve better." He'd repeated that throughout the breakup. You deserve better. And he'd meant it. He'd been hurt by what he'd done- there was no hiding the agony in his eyes- but he genuinely believed this decision was the right one for him. For her.
"You deserved better."
Lisa's eyes refocused, to meet with Nelson's sad brown orbs. "I was just thinking back to it, as well."
The young lawyer nodded, before brushing into another subject: "Which room are you in?"
"The one just to the left of here."
"Oh...right...okay then, well...it was nice..."
"Yeah." Nelson murmured, giving her a farewell hug. "Nice catching up."
"See you around sometime." He added as she turned. No, Lisa thought We won't.
Just as Lisa had hurried halfway down the corridor, she heard Nelson call out to her- "Lisa, wait!"
Heart skipping a beat, Lisa raced over any and all possible answers in her head. Yes, Nelson, I'd love to get coffee after this. What time do you finish? Or maybe Oh, just let me write down my number possibly even Oh, I've got nothing on that day. Sure, I'll go into New York with you!
She spun around, a small smile spreading across her face. "Yes?"
Nelson extended a hand to her, a small brown folder clutched in it. "You forgot this."
"Oh, yeah...right." She mumbled, returning to his side to reclaim what was hers. The pair nodded at each other one final time, before going separate ways.
It was only when she'd reached the court room and needed to plead the case that she opened the folder. All was completely as she'd left it, except for a small yellow post-it-note attached to the top sheet of paper. A mobile phone number was scribbled onto it with a brown pencil- barely legible. But it was.
Smell ya later? The only writing on the note, but that made it every bit more special to her.