At first sight

She smiled. Then he smiled. And that is how their story began. He hadn't been expecting to meet anyone new that day. It had been an ordinary morning; an ordinary start to an ordinary day. He woke up on the same side of his ordinary bed, with a clear view of his ordinary front yard which was plain and, quite frankly, ordinary. He liked it that way: simple and plain. He got out of bed, washed his face, got dressed and, finally, left his barren apartment in search of nothing. She, on the other hand, woke up feeling glum. She loved her job, but found some of her clients were unnecessary and somewhat spoiled. Yet, she practiced her smile as she brushed her teeth and combed her hair backwards. While sitting down to her routine breakfast of toast and tea, she checked her phone inbox for that special text message which was taking it's sweet time getting to her. She feared that her boss had forgotten to deposit their paychecks yet again. She sighed before finishing off her toast. She rehearsed her smile once more using her oven as a mirror, just to be sure that it was completely free of insincerity. And then she left for work.

His trip wasn't any different from all his other ones before this. He signaled a taxi and made his way to the back seat, where he nestled himself into the corner and prepared himself for the trip. He gave the old woman who climbed in after him his fare and asked her to pay for him when the time came. He put on his earphones, closed his eyes and let the sounds of Mumford and his sons ease him into a trance-like slumber. The trip was nothing new.

She got to work early that day. So after clocking in, she called her mother.
"Hello?"
"Hi, mommy. O kae?"
"Ke teng, ngwana waka. Wena o kae?"
"Le nna ke teng. Le tsogile byang ko gae?"
"Re tsogile, Palesa moratiwa. A mme setse of fitlile ko merekong?"
"Eya, mama. I'm at work now. I just wanted to call and find out if everything's all right at home."
"Everything's fine, my child."
Minutes later, Palesa hung up. She found herself an apron and hairnet and reported to the front counter just as the doors opened and her first customers walked in. Palesa flashed her rehearsed smile and welcomed them most sincerely.

He was walking his same route. He passed the same vendors who sold the same assortment of vegetables, bootlegged DVDs, cigarettes and sweets. He passed the same buildings, crossed the same robots while listening to the same track list he'd been listening to for a while now. Something, however, caught his eye. He had always passed by here, but something was different. There was a new billboard advertising something new; something he now realized he really wanted. He walked towards it and stopped right beneath it, staring up at the most beautiful slice of strawberry cheesecake he had seen in the longest of whiles. Surely a slice wouldn't hurt, he thought to himself as he decided to deviate from his regular routine and follow this new sign towards the promised treasure.

A young woman entered, followed by an odd looking man who seemed lost. Even though he looked out of place, Palesa sensed that he was not a threat. She smiled as she watched him hold the door open for the other woman, who Palesa now concluded was not travelling with the strange man. His trench coat billowed behind him as he swooped in behind the female. The newcomers reached the front counter at the same time. Palesa could not help but smile as the strange man once again showed chivalry as he stopped and gestured to the female who entered with him to order first. He stood patiently behind her, looking deep in thought as she placed her order.
He knew what he had come here for, but now he was faced with multiple options - each as promisingly delicious as the next. He was suddenly brought back to reality when the young female behind the counter asked the woman in front of him is she perhaps wanted to change her order. It appears she was a little short, yet she waved this off and insisted she be given what she had asked for regardless. The young female behind the counter started asking her colleagues if they had small change on them. Eventually, she found some in her own pocket and put the rather unpleasant customer's order through. He noticed the young woman behind the counter for the first time when she smiled at the unpleasant customer and thanked her most sincerely for choosing McDonald's that morning.

Palesa was far from being happy. She was now short for her own lunch, having not received her pay yet. She handed the unpleasant customer her tray, thanked her for coming to McDonald's and without skipping a beat turned her attention to the next client. The man was staring at her, and yet she didn't feel threatened. He realized that she was looking his way and rearranged his thoughtful look into a surprisingly warm smile for someone of his stature.
"Welcome to McDonald's, may I take your order," Palesa said.
"Yes please, erm ... Could I have a, erm ..."

He knew he had to place his order, but he had been thrown off by the scene that unfolded before him just moments ago. And he couldn't help but blush when she spoke. She had a beautiful smile, he noticed. He wasn't much of a fan of gold teeth, but her gold-encrusted molar seemed perfectly suited. He was thankful that there wasn't anyone standing behind him. She smiled. Then he smiled. And that's how their story began.