The Encounter

Riley Tatum, an accounting supervisor at Giles & Sons, was done for the week.

Elizabeth O'Connor smiled as she firmly shook the doctor's hand.

Riley tucked his briefcase under his arm and pushed through the throngs of people in the intersection.

Elizabeth had sold three properties that month priced over $10,000,000, and she was pleased.

Riley turned the corner and headed to the pub.

Elizabeth rushed briskly up the sidewalk to the parking garage two blocks away.

Riley and Elizabeth brushed passed each other, but failed to make eye contact.

Elizabeth got home that evening and decided to celebrate.

Riley ordered a double shot of Jack on the rocks.

Elizabeth met a charming gentleman at a dance club just north of 5th street.

Riley realized he'd forgotten to close the Fletcher account and rushed back to work.

Elizabeth was asked for her telephone number.

Riley wound up staying at work until Sunday morning.

Elizabeth got married later that fall. She had three boys before dying at the age of 59 to breast cancer.

Riley was married to his job and lived a long, lonely life before dying in his sleep at 77.

Overview and analysis can be found after the jump.

My second Shortee. I skirted 205 words, then cut it to 200. With five minutes left, I cut another fifty and typed, winding up at 195. I was over time by two minutes. Fuck.

This Shortee is an experiment with lifelines, how people's lives can intersect and share a moment while nothing else needs to align. Imagine a movie where the main characters lead completely separate lives. Then, halfway through, they see each other, or just brush against each other. Then, the rest of the movie is their two separate lives. Would it make for good cinema? I suppose it could be done as a contrast piece, how two lives are so different, but can share a single commonality. Or, I suppose it could just be a thinking piece. Eh, I'm not sure if in-depth self-analysis of a Shortee is really required (or wanted) for the exercise, but it's here if it's wanted.