Status: Completed.
The Guy at the Coffee Shop
From a Glance
Past what was obvious, Frank noticed a few more things about the guy. The most amusing was probably the fact that he had no idea of the guy's name. He'd noticed him a lot, he'd stolen quick glances from him a lot, but he had no idea of his name. And it was fun trying to guess. But each name he came up with he didn't think would fit. How could you fit a name with that face and that personality?
Although, admittedly, Frank really had no idea of the guy's personality at all. He could be a jerk. He might be a jerk. But he'd seen him smile to himself a few times and if he was going to be quietly honest, Frank would admit the guy had a smile that a jerk just couldn't have.
Frank noticed other things about the guy at the coffee shop too. He noticed the way he always wore the same types of clothes, for one. Dark skinny leg jeans, from dark denim to black and dark shirts were obviously his staple items. His hair was always the same, too. Dark and messy but not disgusting. Dyed, but naturally kept because he obviously couldn't be bothered with much more effort than the dying part.
Beyond his phone, his wallet and his paper notebook, the guy didn't bring anything with him. He wasn't a novel reader, it seemed, and he didn't sit and read newspapers like other customers at the coffee shop did. He didn't sit and listen to music coming from a music device and he didn't look up from what he was doing, even if it was just thinking, when he heard someone new enter the shop.
Past that, Frank knew nothing of the guy's personality. What he saw was all he knew and although it wasn't much, he still felt intrigued by the guy. He found himself wondering whether conversation would be easy and he found himself wondering what the guy was interested in. Knowing what he sat and drew, Frank knew, would be a big clue. But he wasn't about to step out from behind the counter to inspect the guy's work. It was private and he'd respect that.
That and, quite obviously, Frank had a job to do. And he did do his job... He just spent the times that Gerard was there looking at him. And from flat out staring when he had no customers to serve to stealing glances upwards when he was serving a customer, Frank felt just the tiniest bit crazy that his eyes couldn't just stay down for more than a minute without a glance upwards for reassurance that the guy at the coffee shop was still there.
And it wasn't always a one-way thing, either, Frank was pleased to notice after about a month or so. Because a few times, he'd caught himself staring at the guy just as that same guy had glanced up to look at him. He'd be watching him and then suddenly, the guy would glance up from his coffee and look straight at him. And it wasn't often, but it did happen, because Gerard tended to keep his head down for the most part. But when he did look up, he always looked up to the guy at the counter who always seemed to be looking right back at him.
And it wasn't awkward eye contact. Or maybe it was. The first few times, Frank had to admit, it was a little awkward being caught looking at someone when he had a job to do. But after that, a few times of their eyes meeting and Frank had just tried a small smile. A small, polite smile, a bit of a nod and he had looked back away while Gerard just looked back down to his coffee, too.
And it was like that for the most of the winter: Frank noticed Gerard and he had the same name to him - 'the guy at the coffee shop'. He noticed him, he noticed his habits and he noticed his appearance more than any other customer he served. He noticed himself watching Gerard. Glances to staring and being caught and that was the end of the cycle until Frank smiled back. Once or twice he saw Gerard try a smile back, and it was in those moments he wondered what the guy's name was all over again. It was in those moments he also realised he should really have more work on his hands to keep his mind away from being so focused on just keeping his eyes on one customer.
But then, Frank reassured himself, all customers didn't look like 'the guy at the coffee shop'. All customers didn't come in in all weather and all customers didn't sit so alone, isolated and fine with it at the same time for hours on end either. All customers, Frank would eventually admit, didn't have his eyes doing a once-over every time they walked in or left. All customers, Frank argued with himself, weren't as captivating as 'the guy at the coffee shop'.
Although, admittedly, Frank really had no idea of the guy's personality at all. He could be a jerk. He might be a jerk. But he'd seen him smile to himself a few times and if he was going to be quietly honest, Frank would admit the guy had a smile that a jerk just couldn't have.
Frank noticed other things about the guy at the coffee shop too. He noticed the way he always wore the same types of clothes, for one. Dark skinny leg jeans, from dark denim to black and dark shirts were obviously his staple items. His hair was always the same, too. Dark and messy but not disgusting. Dyed, but naturally kept because he obviously couldn't be bothered with much more effort than the dying part.
Beyond his phone, his wallet and his paper notebook, the guy didn't bring anything with him. He wasn't a novel reader, it seemed, and he didn't sit and read newspapers like other customers at the coffee shop did. He didn't sit and listen to music coming from a music device and he didn't look up from what he was doing, even if it was just thinking, when he heard someone new enter the shop.
Past that, Frank knew nothing of the guy's personality. What he saw was all he knew and although it wasn't much, he still felt intrigued by the guy. He found himself wondering whether conversation would be easy and he found himself wondering what the guy was interested in. Knowing what he sat and drew, Frank knew, would be a big clue. But he wasn't about to step out from behind the counter to inspect the guy's work. It was private and he'd respect that.
That and, quite obviously, Frank had a job to do. And he did do his job... He just spent the times that Gerard was there looking at him. And from flat out staring when he had no customers to serve to stealing glances upwards when he was serving a customer, Frank felt just the tiniest bit crazy that his eyes couldn't just stay down for more than a minute without a glance upwards for reassurance that the guy at the coffee shop was still there.
And it wasn't always a one-way thing, either, Frank was pleased to notice after about a month or so. Because a few times, he'd caught himself staring at the guy just as that same guy had glanced up to look at him. He'd be watching him and then suddenly, the guy would glance up from his coffee and look straight at him. And it wasn't often, but it did happen, because Gerard tended to keep his head down for the most part. But when he did look up, he always looked up to the guy at the counter who always seemed to be looking right back at him.
And it wasn't awkward eye contact. Or maybe it was. The first few times, Frank had to admit, it was a little awkward being caught looking at someone when he had a job to do. But after that, a few times of their eyes meeting and Frank had just tried a small smile. A small, polite smile, a bit of a nod and he had looked back away while Gerard just looked back down to his coffee, too.
And it was like that for the most of the winter: Frank noticed Gerard and he had the same name to him - 'the guy at the coffee shop'. He noticed him, he noticed his habits and he noticed his appearance more than any other customer he served. He noticed himself watching Gerard. Glances to staring and being caught and that was the end of the cycle until Frank smiled back. Once or twice he saw Gerard try a smile back, and it was in those moments he wondered what the guy's name was all over again. It was in those moments he also realised he should really have more work on his hands to keep his mind away from being so focused on just keeping his eyes on one customer.
But then, Frank reassured himself, all customers didn't look like 'the guy at the coffee shop'. All customers didn't come in in all weather and all customers didn't sit so alone, isolated and fine with it at the same time for hours on end either. All customers, Frank would eventually admit, didn't have his eyes doing a once-over every time they walked in or left. All customers, Frank argued with himself, weren't as captivating as 'the guy at the coffee shop'.