Status: Completed.
The Guy at the Coffee Shop
Same Stories Untold
It wasn't his next shift, but the next time that Frank served the guy with the striking eyes he let himself pay more attention to the finer details.
Obviously, what he knew so far about him was pretty simple: he was a regular, and he sat at the same place with the same drink every time. But now... Frank found himself paying attention to what he didn't care for in other customers.
Other customers didn't all have such captivating eyes and other customers didn't religiously turn up to Elsarara no matter the weather. But the guy that Frank just knew as 'the guy at the coffee shop' did.
And he would've explained the guy to his friends, maybe. But to have such short stories, all with the exact same details and all with the same apparently boring plot even Frank knew would seem lame. And for someone that he could only admit he could explain as 'the guy at the coffee shop', it just didn't seem to serve much of a purpose. He didn't even knew the guy, after all, he just watched him.
So Frank kept it to himself. He kept the little, repetitive stories to himself. He watched Gerard with a vivid memory only remembered for himself. And eventually, he looked forward to each Sunday by himself. And the few occasions that winter when the guy came in out of schedule, those stories Frank appreciated to himself, too.
And Gerard stayed for varied amounts of time on those visits that were exactly the ones Frank remembered. The first time he'd walked into the coffee shop, Gerard had stayed maybe five minutes at the most. He'd been in a rush that day, and in a rush he'd just got himself a quick and easy flat white and after a matter of minutes he'd walked right out again. And that was Gerard's first visit to Elsarara.
The second visit came when he was in that area of Jersey City and on a whim he'd decided to go to the same place. For one, it was because he remembered the coffee and he remembered it had tasted good. For two, it smelt better. And for three, it had a nicer atmosphere he hadn't appreciated fully the first time. And once he'd gone in for the second time, he'd just ended up with the same thing, a flat white, but the difference was that he'd stayed a little longer.
By his third visit, Gerard had ordered himself another flat white and that had set the practice in as a habit. He still looked at the menu every time he went in, but every time, he got the same drink. New habits died just as hard as old ones, it seemed.
When the amount of times that Gerard had been in that same coffee shop became too many to bother counting or keeping track of, he'd well and truly had all his habits down pat. And by then, he was staying for up to and past half an hour. And beyond that, he'd just get second and third drinks of the same. And past that, he'd begun to bring his notebook. Sitting down, drawing as his free hand held onto his coffee for warmth and Gerard enjoyed his new winter habit.
The time Gerard's habit had set in was the same time that Frank had started paying more attention to the guy: he served him with a watchful gaze. He watched how he shoved his hand into his jeans and he watched how he counted out his money. He watched how he looked around and he watched how he said the same words to him every time: "Can I get a flat white?"
Yet it was only when Frank caught himself noticing exactly the way the guy stood and waited for his coffee, his arms folded but in a patient way, his legs parted in a way that showed he obviously felt pretty casual in the place, that Frank realised there was more to his watching of the regular than he thought.
It was around then he'd noticed himself looking forward to Sunday afternoon shifts and it was around then that he'd noticed himself looking over the guy with a silenced curiosity.
Honestly, Frank found himself glancing to the guy more often. And from that, the glances became longer. On some days, he'd just watch the way he'd sit and draw, his hand on his coffee, while other days he'd glance up to find himself just watching the way the guy sat there, slouched back slightly as he sipped at his coffee, his gaze on thin air.
He was like any other customer in that way - he was just there to sit and to drink and enjoy his coffee. But he stayed longer than other customers and he unknowingly caught the attention of the coffee shop's barista unlike any other customer.
Because Frank had watched other customers just sit and enjoy their coffees. He liked glancing up from his work to see them sitting and enjoying their drinks. Some had company while others looked like they'd prefer not to... Gerard looked like neither of those types. And past that, he was just attractive.
Dark hair, a pale complexion and hazel eyes that always looked thoughtful and Frank couldn't help himself but to glance up more than he did for others. The fact that he was a regular and was devoted to the shop was nice, too. After all, it was what caught Frank's attention in the first place.
Because Frank did just see him a few times like a regular customer - he'd looked up to see him and to serve him and then he'd be gone. But then he'd see him walk in and after a while he recognised the order with the face. And after that, it had slowly built up to not only recognition, but enthusiasm in seeing him too.
Because from the start of winter to the end, Gerard was there every week and past that, Frank found himself more captivated each time.
And it was only twelve visits if he thought about it - one visit every Sunday for three months only made twelve visits. But there were more than that. Gerard would come in randomly - and all together, it felt a lot more than just around twenty visits. Of course he'd become familiar. And the reason wasn't just how often he came - it was how long he stayed. He'd stay from five minutes up to hours, just sipping at his flat white. It didn't matter how long he stayed, because each time Frank was working, he noticed him.
And it wasn't until the end of winter that Frank heard past the order. And he'd heard "Can I get a flat white?" what felt like a million times - whether it be from Gerard's original order when he walked in or his second, third, fourth or fifth cup after that. But it didn't matter to Frank because each time, he found himself liking the way the guy said it. No one else it seemed, could order a flat white in such a flat out attractive way.
And honestly, Gerard's regular presence got to the point where Frank's smile from knowing the guy's order had turned into a hidden smirk. The way Gerard mumbled his unsure and thoughtful order yet made up 'uh' at the beginning of it was pretty amusing considering each time, despite what he was thinking, or how he said it, he got the same drink.
And each time, Frank just nodded and got the same drink again. Handing the coffee over, he'd add an 'Enjoy your drink' almost every time to which he got an appreciative nod. A 'thanks' was rare, but it happened and other than that, Frank just let himself watch as the guy walked to his table and sat down, his hot drink in hand while he just stood there behind the counter, still captivated by a guy whose name he didn't even know.
Obviously, what he knew so far about him was pretty simple: he was a regular, and he sat at the same place with the same drink every time. But now... Frank found himself paying attention to what he didn't care for in other customers.
Other customers didn't all have such captivating eyes and other customers didn't religiously turn up to Elsarara no matter the weather. But the guy that Frank just knew as 'the guy at the coffee shop' did.
And he would've explained the guy to his friends, maybe. But to have such short stories, all with the exact same details and all with the same apparently boring plot even Frank knew would seem lame. And for someone that he could only admit he could explain as 'the guy at the coffee shop', it just didn't seem to serve much of a purpose. He didn't even knew the guy, after all, he just watched him.
So Frank kept it to himself. He kept the little, repetitive stories to himself. He watched Gerard with a vivid memory only remembered for himself. And eventually, he looked forward to each Sunday by himself. And the few occasions that winter when the guy came in out of schedule, those stories Frank appreciated to himself, too.
And Gerard stayed for varied amounts of time on those visits that were exactly the ones Frank remembered. The first time he'd walked into the coffee shop, Gerard had stayed maybe five minutes at the most. He'd been in a rush that day, and in a rush he'd just got himself a quick and easy flat white and after a matter of minutes he'd walked right out again. And that was Gerard's first visit to Elsarara.
The second visit came when he was in that area of Jersey City and on a whim he'd decided to go to the same place. For one, it was because he remembered the coffee and he remembered it had tasted good. For two, it smelt better. And for three, it had a nicer atmosphere he hadn't appreciated fully the first time. And once he'd gone in for the second time, he'd just ended up with the same thing, a flat white, but the difference was that he'd stayed a little longer.
By his third visit, Gerard had ordered himself another flat white and that had set the practice in as a habit. He still looked at the menu every time he went in, but every time, he got the same drink. New habits died just as hard as old ones, it seemed.
When the amount of times that Gerard had been in that same coffee shop became too many to bother counting or keeping track of, he'd well and truly had all his habits down pat. And by then, he was staying for up to and past half an hour. And beyond that, he'd just get second and third drinks of the same. And past that, he'd begun to bring his notebook. Sitting down, drawing as his free hand held onto his coffee for warmth and Gerard enjoyed his new winter habit.
The time Gerard's habit had set in was the same time that Frank had started paying more attention to the guy: he served him with a watchful gaze. He watched how he shoved his hand into his jeans and he watched how he counted out his money. He watched how he looked around and he watched how he said the same words to him every time: "Can I get a flat white?"
Yet it was only when Frank caught himself noticing exactly the way the guy stood and waited for his coffee, his arms folded but in a patient way, his legs parted in a way that showed he obviously felt pretty casual in the place, that Frank realised there was more to his watching of the regular than he thought.
It was around then he'd noticed himself looking forward to Sunday afternoon shifts and it was around then that he'd noticed himself looking over the guy with a silenced curiosity.
Honestly, Frank found himself glancing to the guy more often. And from that, the glances became longer. On some days, he'd just watch the way he'd sit and draw, his hand on his coffee, while other days he'd glance up to find himself just watching the way the guy sat there, slouched back slightly as he sipped at his coffee, his gaze on thin air.
He was like any other customer in that way - he was just there to sit and to drink and enjoy his coffee. But he stayed longer than other customers and he unknowingly caught the attention of the coffee shop's barista unlike any other customer.
Because Frank had watched other customers just sit and enjoy their coffees. He liked glancing up from his work to see them sitting and enjoying their drinks. Some had company while others looked like they'd prefer not to... Gerard looked like neither of those types. And past that, he was just attractive.
Dark hair, a pale complexion and hazel eyes that always looked thoughtful and Frank couldn't help himself but to glance up more than he did for others. The fact that he was a regular and was devoted to the shop was nice, too. After all, it was what caught Frank's attention in the first place.
Because Frank did just see him a few times like a regular customer - he'd looked up to see him and to serve him and then he'd be gone. But then he'd see him walk in and after a while he recognised the order with the face. And after that, it had slowly built up to not only recognition, but enthusiasm in seeing him too.
Because from the start of winter to the end, Gerard was there every week and past that, Frank found himself more captivated each time.
And it was only twelve visits if he thought about it - one visit every Sunday for three months only made twelve visits. But there were more than that. Gerard would come in randomly - and all together, it felt a lot more than just around twenty visits. Of course he'd become familiar. And the reason wasn't just how often he came - it was how long he stayed. He'd stay from five minutes up to hours, just sipping at his flat white. It didn't matter how long he stayed, because each time Frank was working, he noticed him.
And it wasn't until the end of winter that Frank heard past the order. And he'd heard "Can I get a flat white?" what felt like a million times - whether it be from Gerard's original order when he walked in or his second, third, fourth or fifth cup after that. But it didn't matter to Frank because each time, he found himself liking the way the guy said it. No one else it seemed, could order a flat white in such a flat out attractive way.
And honestly, Gerard's regular presence got to the point where Frank's smile from knowing the guy's order had turned into a hidden smirk. The way Gerard mumbled his unsure and thoughtful order yet made up 'uh' at the beginning of it was pretty amusing considering each time, despite what he was thinking, or how he said it, he got the same drink.
And each time, Frank just nodded and got the same drink again. Handing the coffee over, he'd add an 'Enjoy your drink' almost every time to which he got an appreciative nod. A 'thanks' was rare, but it happened and other than that, Frank just let himself watch as the guy walked to his table and sat down, his hot drink in hand while he just stood there behind the counter, still captivated by a guy whose name he didn't even know.