Northern Wind
01
“That guy in the corner hasn't stopped looking at you since you came in.” Travis said to me as I took my first sip of my rather expensive Starbucks coffee. “Maybe you should take your coat and hood off so he really has something to stare at.”
“Shut up.” I told him slightly agitated, not bothering to turn around and look at the guy Trav was talking about. “I have a disease.”
“I'm just saying. He's impossibly cute. It couldn't hurt to show off a little of that tanned skin and purple hair.”
“Your bisexual hormones aren't helping my situation Travis. And yes actually, it could hurt.”
He shrugged. I brought my jacket closer to my chest and leaned back in my chair. My cold urticaria was really getting on my nerves and it was only the end of October. This busy downtown Chicago coffee shop lacked that Tim Hortons smell that I missed very much. It made me think of home, which again didn't help my current situation. I was freaking out.
“Maybe you should have secured a job before you left Toronto.” Travis pointed out. “I mean at least you've got shelter staying at my house but I'm expecting you to at least pay for some food.”
“I know, I know. And I'll get a job. I just... don't know where to start. All I have is that certificate of photography as a credential and honestly I don't think it's going to take me that far Trav.”
“Well if all else fails you could be a prostitute. That guy over there can be your first customer.”
My mouth dropped and I reached over the table to smack Travis over the head. The damage didn't seem to do much because he just kept laughing at me. A few people were staring from my hit on Trav, and the fact that my hood had fallen off and my purple hair was displayed to everyone but I wasn't particularly paying attention.
“Oh lighten up Stella. You came to live with me to get away from all of your depressing baggage back home. The least you could do on your first day in Chicago is smile a bit.”
“Call it jet lag if you'd like.”
“Are you kidding me? There is like an hour time difference from Toronto to Chicago.”
“Your point?”
I didn't feel like smiling. As much as I would like to, at that moment I believed that it was physically impossible. But that wasn't going to stop Travis from trying. He was the one who asked if I wanted to stay with him in Chicago. Things back in Canada weren't exactly the best for me and I was very glad that someone realized this.
“He is still staring at you.” Travis mumbled to mostly himself. “And look, he's doing that shifty eyes thingy to make it look like he was just staring around the room. Oh I've got your number buddy.”
“Travis! Stop that, it's creepy.”
“Just give me the satisfaction and look at him sweetheart. I'm sure you won't mind once you look at him.”
I rolled my eyes and concluded that my new roommate was crazy, and that was exactly what kind of attitude I needed. My eyes turned back to look at the guy that was supposedly staring at me. To my surprise I found myself turning away with a slight blush on my cheeks.
“Told you he was cute. You're blushing sweetheart.”
“It's cold in here.”
“Yeah, whatever you say love.”
He had looked right into my eyes the moment I turned around. I estimated he was about the same age as myself. His were brown, a piercing sort of brown that were quite lovely and his hair appeared to be cut short and also brown. I couldn't quite tell from the toque that was covering his head. He had a row of straight white teeth, I caught a glimpse of them when he smiled at me.
“Done your coffee?” I asked Travis. Perhaps I seemed a little to eager to get out of here.
“Yes, but I'd prefer to stay here for a bit. Wouldn't you?”
I glared at him slightly and contemplated hitting him again but thought better of it.
“If only glaring could kill Stella...” Travis winked. “I'm going to go to the bathroom, then we'll
leave.”
He got up as I was rolling my eyes. I put the extra napkins on the table into my shoulder bag and stood up to clear the rest of the mess Trav and I left there. A few seconds after I put the coffee cups into the trash Travis came around the corner looking rather refreshed.
“Shall we move on?” He asked me, holding out an arm, expecting me to take it. I smiled a little and brushed past him and towards the door. At the same time the guy who had been staring at me was heading in the same direction. Like a gentleman he held the door open for me.
“Thank you.” I said quietly, remembering out encounter only a few minutes ago.
“Thanks.” Said Travis.
The man nodded and smiled warmly at me.
“Don't mention it.”
Even his voice was attractive.
Once we were out of earshot I expected Travis to start talking about this stranger in the coffee shop, but he didn't. There was something about the look on this face that he knew something I didn't.
At the moment I wasn't curious enough to ask him what the look on his face was about. I just pulled up the hood of my jacket and walked beside my roommate. This city was still new to me, and I couldn't wait to get familiar with it.
“Shut up.” I told him slightly agitated, not bothering to turn around and look at the guy Trav was talking about. “I have a disease.”
“I'm just saying. He's impossibly cute. It couldn't hurt to show off a little of that tanned skin and purple hair.”
“Your bisexual hormones aren't helping my situation Travis. And yes actually, it could hurt.”
He shrugged. I brought my jacket closer to my chest and leaned back in my chair. My cold urticaria was really getting on my nerves and it was only the end of October. This busy downtown Chicago coffee shop lacked that Tim Hortons smell that I missed very much. It made me think of home, which again didn't help my current situation. I was freaking out.
“Maybe you should have secured a job before you left Toronto.” Travis pointed out. “I mean at least you've got shelter staying at my house but I'm expecting you to at least pay for some food.”
“I know, I know. And I'll get a job. I just... don't know where to start. All I have is that certificate of photography as a credential and honestly I don't think it's going to take me that far Trav.”
“Well if all else fails you could be a prostitute. That guy over there can be your first customer.”
My mouth dropped and I reached over the table to smack Travis over the head. The damage didn't seem to do much because he just kept laughing at me. A few people were staring from my hit on Trav, and the fact that my hood had fallen off and my purple hair was displayed to everyone but I wasn't particularly paying attention.
“Oh lighten up Stella. You came to live with me to get away from all of your depressing baggage back home. The least you could do on your first day in Chicago is smile a bit.”
“Call it jet lag if you'd like.”
“Are you kidding me? There is like an hour time difference from Toronto to Chicago.”
“Your point?”
I didn't feel like smiling. As much as I would like to, at that moment I believed that it was physically impossible. But that wasn't going to stop Travis from trying. He was the one who asked if I wanted to stay with him in Chicago. Things back in Canada weren't exactly the best for me and I was very glad that someone realized this.
“He is still staring at you.” Travis mumbled to mostly himself. “And look, he's doing that shifty eyes thingy to make it look like he was just staring around the room. Oh I've got your number buddy.”
“Travis! Stop that, it's creepy.”
“Just give me the satisfaction and look at him sweetheart. I'm sure you won't mind once you look at him.”
I rolled my eyes and concluded that my new roommate was crazy, and that was exactly what kind of attitude I needed. My eyes turned back to look at the guy that was supposedly staring at me. To my surprise I found myself turning away with a slight blush on my cheeks.
“Told you he was cute. You're blushing sweetheart.”
“It's cold in here.”
“Yeah, whatever you say love.”
He had looked right into my eyes the moment I turned around. I estimated he was about the same age as myself. His were brown, a piercing sort of brown that were quite lovely and his hair appeared to be cut short and also brown. I couldn't quite tell from the toque that was covering his head. He had a row of straight white teeth, I caught a glimpse of them when he smiled at me.
“Done your coffee?” I asked Travis. Perhaps I seemed a little to eager to get out of here.
“Yes, but I'd prefer to stay here for a bit. Wouldn't you?”
I glared at him slightly and contemplated hitting him again but thought better of it.
“If only glaring could kill Stella...” Travis winked. “I'm going to go to the bathroom, then we'll
leave.”
He got up as I was rolling my eyes. I put the extra napkins on the table into my shoulder bag and stood up to clear the rest of the mess Trav and I left there. A few seconds after I put the coffee cups into the trash Travis came around the corner looking rather refreshed.
“Shall we move on?” He asked me, holding out an arm, expecting me to take it. I smiled a little and brushed past him and towards the door. At the same time the guy who had been staring at me was heading in the same direction. Like a gentleman he held the door open for me.
“Thank you.” I said quietly, remembering out encounter only a few minutes ago.
“Thanks.” Said Travis.
The man nodded and smiled warmly at me.
“Don't mention it.”
Even his voice was attractive.
Once we were out of earshot I expected Travis to start talking about this stranger in the coffee shop, but he didn't. There was something about the look on this face that he knew something I didn't.
At the moment I wasn't curious enough to ask him what the look on his face was about. I just pulled up the hood of my jacket and walked beside my roommate. This city was still new to me, and I couldn't wait to get familiar with it.