“How could I not know it was you?” Noticing his eyebrows raising, I cleared my throat, trying to cover up what I had just blurted out. “I mean, you have a unique sense of…style.” He looked down at his suit.

“Oh. You mean the suit?”

“The suit, the matching crocodile shoes, coordinating coat, hat, belt, and tie.”

“You like it?”

“Yeah! It’s umm…It’s you! It’s…blue!” I said, for lack of a better word.

He was still looking nervous and I started feeling bad. It must have taken a lot of courage to fly to Baltimore unannounced, putting his feelings out on the line. Letting him down wasn’t going to be easy. Easy Montana, think easy, think delicate, think how you would want to be handled if this were you.

“So, Montana, it’s so good to see you. And you’re looking lovely as ever. I guess I owe you an explanation for being here at the airport all dressed up carrying flowers and everything.”

“Curtis, no. It’s okay, you don’t have to explain.”

“No, but I should, really.”

“No, really you don’t. I know all about it.”

“You do?”

“It’s pretty obvious, don’t you think? I mean, look at you. You’re so nervous, you’re sweating. Curtis, you’re here because you wanted to surprise me. And you did. I’m surprised. You were the last person I expected to see in Baltimore when I got off the plane. Curtis, what you did is very sweet, and very thoughtful.”

“It is?”

“It is. Curtis, what you did speaks volumes.”

“Yeah, but Montana—”

“No buts, Curtis, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are a man of character, integrity, and more important, courage. Some day some woman is going to be very lucky to have you as her husband. But Curtis, today is not that day, and unfortunately, I’m not that woman.”

“Montana, I already know that.”

“You already know what?”

“I know that I’m not the man for you.”

“If you already knew that then why did you fly all the way to Baltimore to see me? And bring flowers?”

“Montana, I didn’t come to Baltimore to see you.”

“You didn’t?”

“No.”

“Curtis, come on now. We’re two adults. It’s okay. I know being let down isn’t easy, but you don’t have to create some fantasy scenario for why you’re here. It’s okay. God knows I’ve gone through enough letdowns in my life to know how it feels a thousand times over.”

“Montana, I need you to really hear me. I didn’t come to Baltimore to see you. Really, I didn’t.”