She was sitting on one of the padded benches, taking the weight off her feet.
The shopping centre was chaotic, she had never seen it so busy. She’d spent most of her lunchbreak looking for a pair of shoes. Her feet were killing her. She was happy to sit for a while, watching shoppers milling back and forth. After a while, she noticed the man in a suit. He was just standing still, looking lost. His clothes looked expensive. He was tall and quite good-looking. She supposed he was some kind of professional. She’d been doing all this summing up in her head when she realised that in all that time, he’d been looking straight at her. Suddenly, feeling both foolish and embarrassed, she quickly looked away. This solution didn’t last long, because moments later she became aware of the man struggling through the moving stream of shoppers, heading her way.
He approached with a pleasant smile and sat down next to her. He was even better-looking close up, she thought. She watched, as he nervously tried to make himself comfortable. He’d not been there long before he began to mumble. Under his breath, he said, “I shouldn’t be here. I should have returned to 2254.”
“Pardon?”
“You know, 2254. The future.”
Always good for a laugh, she said, “Oh! Really?”
He looked around. “Yes, I think it’s a mistake.” He paused. “Well, no, not really… I know it’s a mistake!” He rubbed his forehead. “I shouldn’t be here.”
She giggled. “Come on. Why d’you pick me?”
He looked straight at her. “I thought you looked ordinary.”
A little hurt, she frowned and said, “What do you mean?”
“Well, maybe not ordinary, but approachable. You know, someone to talk to.”
Still enjoying the banter, she said, “OK. Future man, talk.”
“Aren’t you hot in here?” He took out a hankie and dabbed at his neck.
“Not really. Feels pretty normal to me.”
He frowned. “No matter. I saw you take your shoes off and rub your feet.”
She thought for a moment, then said, “If you must know, they hurt. These shoes are not comfortable. I’m shopping for new ones.”
A broad, charming smile spread across his face. He said, “Wouldn’t be a problem where I come from.”
“Where’s that?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, 2254.”
She smiled back. “So, you say.”
He sat with his head nodding for a few seconds. “That’s OK. I can’t blame you for your scepticism.”
Her eyebrows went up in mock gratitude. “That’s all right then.” She pouted and said. “So, tell me why my sore feet wouldn’t be a problem where you come from?”
He looked around, then fell silent for a moment. He said, “Well, you wouldn’t be wearing shoes, for a start.”
“I wouldn’t?”
“No. Not in 2254, you wouldn’t.”
“How’s that?”
“I know you can’t imagine it, but we don’t wear clothes.”
She giggled again, louder this time. She said, “Oh! I get it, you all go around naked, do you?”
“Basically, yes, once the scientists figured out how to regulate the weather, the world’s climate became, well, very comfortable I suppose.”
Her face coloured slightly. She said, “So, no clothes; not even a bikini or a loincloth or something?”
He chuckled softly and said, “Loincloth… no, no loincloth. There was a time, apparently, when some people couldn’t adjust to the new norm and used pieces of adhesive material, but all that soon petered out.”
She couldn’t help staring at him for several beats. She was trying to think of something to say, when some sort of chime sounded from one of his pockets.
Suddenly, looking over her shoulder, he said, “On the subject of time, I think there’s something wrong with that clock.”
She turned in the same direction, but couldn’t see any clock. When she looked back, he was gone.
If it wasn’t for the crumpled hankie…
