Speed Meet | Bridgette & Cat
@bridgettekingsley
Valentine’s Event, 2020
Note: Each paragraph switches perspective, starting with Caterina
As the timer rang out, Caterina moved on to the next table, only to see a familiar face. "Oh, hello there. You look suspiciously familiar, have we met before?"
Bridgette smiles at the woman as she sat, reading her name tag. Caterina. “I think so, though I can’t quite place where,” she answered. “Hi, I’m Bridgette.” She gave a little wave, orange bracelet on display.
The woman thought on it for a minute but couldn't quite place where. No point in wasting the time thinking about it, though. "Pleasure to formally meet you, I'm Caterina..." she awkwardly returned the wave.."so, Bridgette, what do you like to do in your free time?"
Bridgette thought for just a moment about which of her hobbies to share. “Oh actually, this is something that almost no one knows about me, but I really love to do puzzles. I think they’re really relaxing.” Bridgette twisted one of the rings she wore on her right hand, a nervous habit. “Do you have any pets?”
Caterina blinked a little in surprise. "Really? You don't get bored of them?" They were far to tedious for her...unless you were talking about the puzzles of a person's mind. "No, I had this dog growing up, but she was such a prissy little thing. I'm not sure I could handle another. Do you have any?"
Bridgette gave a little laugh. “No, I’m an ER nurse so I’ve got enough excitement going on. Puzzles give me a good break from the chaos.” Bridgette listened as Caterina shared about her childhood dog. “I do, actually. I’ve got three cats at home, but I don’t mind dogs much either, she replied. “What about you, what do you do for work?”
The woman perked up at the response. "An ER nurse? You must hear all sorts of interesting stories. Have you heard much about the eve-" the woman cut herself off, "no, no, work questions not allowed today. Maybe another time though? I'm a journalist for the Guardian so, I'm always a little in the state of finding relevant information." It was difficult to resist an impromptu interview, but that was not the purpose of the day. "Three cats? That seems like a lot. Are they all yours?"
Bridgette laughed off the little spike of anxiety in her stomach that came when Caterina revealed she was a journalist. “It’s fine,” she said with a smile that wasn’t quite genuine. “Maybe another time.” She had no intention of following up. Journalists were dangerous. “They are! My roommate helps me take care of them, though she pretends she doesn’t really like them. I think she’s bought them more toys than I have at this point.” Her smile got a little more genuine as she thought of Sorcha and the cats at home. “So was journalism always your dream job, or did you kind of stumble your way into it? Is it your passion?”
She knew that 'maybe' likely meant, no, but she would hold out hope. There was a lot to be learned. "That is quite sweet of your roommate. Did you get all of the cats together?" Not her topic of interest, per se, but now she wanted to learn more about the events that transpired. "Not always, no, but I have found it to be my love. The truth is very important to me. Has healthcare always been your passion?"
“No, they’re all strays. Pumpkin’s our newest one, we’ve had him for about two years now. He still likes to go work walks outside, but now he likes it if I’m with him when he goes.” Bridgette could probably gush about her cats all night if given the time, but their time would be up far too soon for that. “No. My true love is art. I do some freelance work, but medicine is fulfilling in its own right. I’ve always been empathetic and my mom was a big role model in choosing a path to helping others.” It was true enough. Katherine had been instrumental in her choice between art and nursing. “Alright, how about a turn-off. What’s something you absolutely cannot stand?”
Although pets were not quite Caterina's thing (she hated having cat hair all over her clothes) she still gave a small smile at the comment. "That sounds surprisingly sweet for a cat." And left it there. "Really, what sort of art are you most passionate about? You don't have to answer this but, are you glad you chose art over medicine?" It may be getting deep for a five minute meet, but may as well see what she could learn. "I can't stand indecision. It is very unattractive, in my opinion. What trait do you find most important in a partner?"
Bridgette loved getting a chance to talk about her art. Most people would tend to brush it off. "I do a lot of graphic design work for my freelance work. I've done a few logo redesigns recently. If it's a personal project, I love doing digital portraiture." Caterina would be a particularly beautiful portrait to draw, though that would maybe be a weird comment to share out loud. "I don't really look at it as though I chose one or the other. I've chosen both. I help others and I spend time on my art." She nodded as Caterina shared. "God, indecision is the worst," she agreed. "I think in a partner I'm always looking for someone who can balance me out. Like I said earlier, i'm really empathetic so I tend to carry the tragedies of others with me. A good partner for me would be someone who can remind me that I don't have to carry those burdens, especially not alone."
"Portraiture, huh? Do you prefer self portraits or doing portraits of others?" Art was something the woman could appreciate. She was always looking for new pieces to put in her home. She did have interest in a classy self portrait, but she did have the wherewithal to not ask about it yet. That would appear utterly narcissistic. She gave a nod at that. It was unfortunate when people were pressured to pick money over a passion. "Thank, I am glad you agree. Many of my friends do not see it the same way." She raised a brow at the trait...or description the other woman provided. "Wow, that sounds like something out of a romance novel. Do you think you will find that here?" Just as the question passed her lips, a warning buzzer rang. Less than one minute of interaction remained.
"Portraits of others for sure. There are so many interesting faces in this world." Bridgette smiled as the warning buzzer rang. They'd be wrapping up soon. "I think that's a lot to put on a five minute conversation," she replied wryly.
"Well, perhaps we should chat again some time." With that, she pulled a business card out of her clutch. "Don't be a stranger, alright?" Caterina shot the other a wink as the buzzer rang and she got up to move to the next table.
