“那么，就让它一团糟吧！”斯泰西低语道，朝着门那边点了点头。是巴里，他用那双蔚蓝色的眼睛望着我，脸上带着摄人心魄的微笑，走进了饭店。
“Hello，” he said softly. “Do you have time to join me for a cup of coffee？”
“Of course.” I tried not to gasp.
We slid into a boothbooth n.货摊， 售货亭， 棚 and our conversation picked up where it left off before. He， too， was making a career change and was moving back to South Africa. His departuredeparture n.启程， 出发， 离开 date was one week before mine. Now I knew I had to calm my pounding heart.
We obviously had no future together. He took my phone number and invited me to dinner sometime. I accepted， suppressingsuppress vt.镇压， 抑制， 查禁， 使止住 my sadness， knowing I would be leaving in two short weeks and the date would probably never happen.
But it did. He picked me up a few days later for a movie and dinner. We talked for hours about our lives， our hopes， our separate dreams—mine in New York， his in South Africa.
“你好，”他温柔地说道，“现在有空喝杯咖啡吗？ ”
“当然！”尽量不让自己失态。
我们拐进了一家小店，接着上次的话题聊了起来。从他的谈话中，我得知他也正要换一份工作，回到南非去。他的行程先于我一个星期。现在我明白我必须让自己冲动的心冷静一下。
我们俩人之间不会有什么结果。他拿了我的电话号码，并说以后请我吃饭。强忍着内心的伤痛，我接受了他的邀请，因为我知道两个星期后我将离开，这可能是永远都无法实现的约会。
可这竟然变成了现实。几天后，他来找我，我们一起看电影，吃晚饭。我们聊了几个小时，聊生活，聊希望，聊我们各自的梦想——我的在纽约，而他的在南非。
Never had I spoken so freely， so comfortably， with a man. He reached across the table and took my hand. I thought I saw in his eyes the same love I felt swelling in my hear. He said， “Im just sorry I met you only one week before I leave.”
“We still have seven days，” I said meeklymeekly adv.温顺地， 懦弱地.
“Then lets make the most of it.” He helped me on with my sweater. Hand in hand， we strolledstroll v.闲逛， 漫步， 跋涉于 to the car and made plans for the next day and the next and the next. As he drove me home， Tracy Chapman sang， “Give me one reason to stay， and Ill turn right back around.” Was his heart singing along like mine？
We spent part of every day together for the next week. I knew I was falling in love， but dareddare vi.敢， 胆敢 vt.敢冒， 不惧 not speak it. I couldnt upsetupset vt.推翻， 扰乱 our chances for a lifetime.
我从来不曾有过这样的感觉：和一个男人如此无拘无束地贴心交谈。他握住我的手。从他的眼睛里，我感受到了爱，不只是他的，也包括我的。
“可我们还有整整7天。”我深情地答道。
“那么就让我们尽情地享受它们吧，”说着，他帮我穿上外套。我们手牵着手走向汽车，计划着我们的明天以及明天的明天。在送我回家的咱上，我心中响起了特蕾西·查普曼的歌：“给我一个留下的理由，我将会回头……”不知道他的内心是否也有这种想法？
在接下来的一周里，每天我们都会抽空在一起。我知道自己已经深深坠入爱河，但却没有勇气说出来。
“And I know he loves me， too，” I moanedmoan vi.发出呻吟声， 抱怨， 哀悼vt.呻吟 to Stacy over a cup of coffee in my nearempty restaurant. “Weve even talked about trying to get together over holidays. Hes meeting me here soon to bring me a gift to remember him by.”
Just then， Barry strolled in. I stood to welcome his arms around me. We sat， sipping our coffee. “I will miss you so much，” he said softly. “But I know youll think of me whenever you hear this.” He placed a Tracy Chapman CD on the table in front of me. Then he pointed to the song title， Just Give Me One Reason.“We can listen to the same music and remember each other.”
“Oh， and one more thing to remember me by.” He set a small box on top of the CD. The same awe I felt at our first meeting paralyzedparalyze vt.使瘫痪， 使麻痹 me now. The love I saw in his eyes as we gazed across the table was gift enough for a lifetime. Finally I reached for the box and opened it slowly. A diamond ring！
“我知道，他也爱我，”当和斯泰西在我那空空荡荡的餐厅里喝咖啡时，我轻声说。“我们甚至已经谈论过如何一起度过假期。他很快就要来了，还要送我一件礼物。”
正说着，巴里走了进来。我站起来，投入他的怀抱。坐下后，我们各自抿着杯中的咖啡。“我会非常想你的，”他温柔地说。“不过，我想当你听它的时候一定会想起我，”他拿出那张特蕾西·查普曼的CD放在我的面前，他指着那首主打歌《我只要一个理由》说道：“当我们听同一首歌时，我们都正在思念着对方。”
“对了，还有一样东西。”他拿出一个小盒子放在CD上。就像第一次见他时一样，我又愣住了。我们彼此凝望，他眼中的爱意是我一生都受用不尽的礼物。最后，我拿起那只盒子，慢慢地打开了它。啊，我的老天，是一枚钻石戒指！
“Michelle， I have loved you from the first moment I saw you. On our first date， even before we had coffee， I knew you were the woman I was going to marry. I woke up this morning， desperatedesperate adj.不顾一切的，令人绝望的 ， thinking， its May 3！ In three days Ill lose my angel. Sure， my career in South Africa is a chance in a lifetime， but you， Michelle， are my dream come true. Please marry me.”
“Yes， Barry， yes，” I cried.
“I know what moving to New York means to you， but will you come with me to South Africa？ I believe with all my heart， Michelle， that we were brought together on purpose. Nothing in my life is going as I planned it， but I know its all a part of a bigger plan. Barry chuckledchuckle vi.吃吃地笑， 咯咯叫n.吃吃的笑声. “God has a great sense of humor， but a poor sense of timing.”
Exactly one year later， on May 3， we were married under an African sky. Our dream come true. Our chance of a lifetime.
“米歇尔，当第一眼看见你便深深地爱上了你。在我们第一次约会之前，不，甚至在我们一起喝咖啡之前，我已经知道你是我要娶的女人。今天早上，我睁开眼睛，一想到已经是5月3号，我绝望极了，再过三天，我将失去我的天使。的确，在南非的事业是我生命中的一个转机。可是你，米歇尔，让我的梦想成真。请嫁给我吧，亲爱的米歇尔？”
“噢，是的，巴里，是的！”已是泪流满面。
我知道到纽约生活对你意义重大，可我还是希望你能同我一起到南非生活。米歇尔，我内心坚信，是上天安排我们见面。我生活中的许多事都与计划背道而驰。可我相信那都是一个更大计划的组成部分。”巴里咯咯地笑着说：“老天的确很幽默，可是却不怎么会安排时间。”
一年后的5月3号，我和巴里在南非的天空下举行了婚礼。我们都梦想成真，也不曾错过我们生命中的机遇。
每个人都会面临机遇和选择，这时候能否及时把握并做出明智的选择将成为获得成功与幸福的关键所在。愿我们每个人都好好珍惜出现在自己身边的机遇，抓住幸福，快乐一生。要知道，有时候，幸福就在身边。别不去理会，真的是这样，用心发现，再去珍惜与相守。