Almost Kissed by the Checkout Desk Before the 8:15

Almost Kissed by the Checkout Desk Before the 8:15

I was late for work and somehow ended up in the history wing of the public library, except the stacks were also my old high school hallway. I kept looking for a book I needed for a meeting. An old classmate was there in a slightly too-formal coat, like a photo from a museum, but he still had the same backpack. We were supposed to go over something together. He took my hand to lead me past a longer-than-usual corridor of portraits, and I felt that teenage crush again mixed with adult embarrassment because I was wearing sneakers with a dress I don’t own. We almost kissed by the checkout desk, then I remembered I had to catch the 8:15. The doors wouldn’t open. I woke up still half-sorry we missed the train.