What I Talk About When I Talk About Love

"Can you not do that?"

"Do what?"

"Flip channels like that. It makes me dizzy."

"I have to see what's on."

"Hello, it's called the TV Guide Channel."

"Yeah, but that just gives you the titles. I want to get the essence of the show."

"Oh brother. Hey, stop there! CSI!"

"This one time, I was on my way to work--"

"Yeah."

"--Minding my own business, walking down the street, when I turn the corner, and BAM. Cops, laying out the white sheet."

"No way."

"Way."

"You saw a dead body laying on the sidewalk on your way to work?"

"That's what I said."

"Did you CSI it?"

"I don't think the cops needed my help."

"Yeah. I don't like CSI Miami. I'm more a New York kind of girl. You can change it."

"I thought you didn't like it when I flipped channels."

"Eh, can't have everything. Oh wait -- What Not to Wear!"

"No!"

"Sex and the City!"

"Hell no....Yankees game!"

"Ugh, men. Although, is that Derek Jeter?... Wait, I was watching that!"

"I'll find something else. Movies, movies. Casino Royale?"

"Fine by me."

"'I'm Bond, James Bond.'"

"You wish."

"Are you going to talk the whole movie?"

"You're the one talking now!"

"Nuh-uh, you are!"

"Be quiet, you're going to miss the good part--when he falls in love."

"Women."

"Yes. You love us."

"Maybe."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Here we go again..."

"Oh, leave me alone."

"Can you stop sighing like that?"

"I'm not sighing, I just can't breathe over your cologne."

"You're funny."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. What are you doing?"

"it's your turn to be remote commando."

"Awww, thanks. You're gonna love this episode of Sex and the City."

"Women."

Charlie

Charlie whistled softly to the music streaming from his iPod. The cart of books squeaked as he pushed it along the waxed floor. He turned down an aisle and shelved a book back in its proper place. He glanced back at the cart; only three rows left. He grimaced and pushed the cart onward.

A shadow turned around a shelf and met Charlie face to face.

"Oh, excuse me."

"I'm sorry," Charlie said.

The shadow, now in full form, smiled shyly. Her dark brown hair fell around her plump face as she looked down for a moment. She raked it back and peered up into Charlie's face.

"You work here, right?" She asked.

Charlie noticed her blue eyes next. Blue like...like the ocean or the sky or something like that. "Yeah," he finally said.

"Um, this is a little random but--"

Charlie's breath stopped two inches short of his lungs. He cracked his mouth ope to let air in, but closed it quickly.

The girl giggled a little. "There's a woman...praying in the reading room. She's being kinda loud and we're all trying to study...

His lips set into a line. He sighed inside. "Okay. I'll see what I can do."

He followed her swift stride to the reading room. Students, eyebrows furrowed and lips curled, sat at tables scattered around the room. Books and papers lay strewn in front of them, but their attention lay in the back corner. Charlie walked slowly to the kneeling woman. He ducted at times, dodging her rapidfire Arabic.

"Um, excuse me...ma'am?"

She continued her prayer, ignoring Charlie, or just unable to hear him.

Charlie looked around. The cute girl's eyes nudged him. He took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry but--" He yelled, just as the woman stopped. She sat up and rolled up her mat. She tucked it into her totebag by her table. She sat down at her open notes and resumed reading where she'd apparently left off.

Charlie looked around the room again. Everyone resumed reading. The cute girl shrugged and returned to her table, where both her notes and her boyfriend sat.

Charlie just blinked and left.