She sits down

She found herself sitting down. Kris rationalized that she wanted to sit down for some strange reason. “What do you want?” Kris asked. She caught another glare from the suited man.

The man leaned back in his chair, a sly smile playing on his lips. “I want you to know that life is full of surprises, Christine. You never know what paths you’ll take or what people you’ll meet. Sometimes, the most unexpected person can change your life forever."

Kris steadied herself as she took a breath. “What do you want from me?”

“Well, Christine, I want to explore what would have happened if you didn’t take the tomboy door at college. Would you turn out the same, or worse?

For the first time since they’ve talked. Kris looked at the man. Really looked at him. Even though he still looked forgettable, there was power behind the man’s dull eyes. Power that Kris could barely hope to understand. “Better,” Kris found herself saying.

The man coughed, almost as if Kris had misspoke from his unseen script. “What?”

“You forgot to say, better,” Kris said. “What if I had remained… ‘girly’ in college and turned out better.”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn't expected that response. “You bet?” he asked, his voice a bit more serious now. “You bet you would be better if you were a girly girl?”

Kris hesitated for a moment, considering her answer. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “But I would like to believe so.”

“I disagree but your response is good enough for me.” The man stood up and cracked his knuckles. “You have until midnight to prove me wrong.” With that, the man left, leaving his plate and coffee with Kris as he took her memory of their conversation.