More Encounters of the Coffee Kind

I’m sitting in a coffee shop, earbuds in, and this guy sits down at the table in front of me. Right away I can tell that this is not his normal habitat. He seems jumpy, unsure of what to do, even though he has iced tea, a bag with (I’m guessing) a pastry in it, and a lap top. He’s dressed in a button down shirt and blue dress shorts and leather sandals, and is so clearly an executive who is trying to do summer casual. Eventually he opens his laptop and does a few things with it, although as far as I can tell (the screen is facing me) he’s just opening and closing programs and staring at his desk top for long periods of time.

After about an hour of this, he gets out is phone and makes a call. He’s sitting less than 6 feet from me, but I assume he assumes I can’t hear him because I have my earbuds in. But the music is low, I can hear everything. And eventually I turn the music lower so I can hear better.

The conversation starts out with small talk, and then he makes reference to when he should come over. I think he’s going to some kind of dinner party or BBQ. I decide he’s from out of town, here on business and a colleague has taken pity on him and invited him over on a friday night. He says “well, I don’t want to come over before you’re ready, I don’t want to impose,” which supports my story. Then the person on the other end says something and he laughs and says “That’s ok – I’m not sure if you’ve picked up on this yet but I can be pretty weird at times too.” And suddenly I realize – he’s not going to a co-worker’s house – he’s going on a date! (This is when I turned the music lower). Now I consider his agitation and dis-ease  in a completely different light and decide that this is maybe a third date, and he’s not entirely sure where he stands with this girl (or guy I suppose).

He says “So 30 minutes then? That will give you enough time?….Oh that’s ok, we can wait until we get there. In Fairfax County I prefer to drive completely sober anyway.” So I’ve decided that he’s going to pick her up and go to Wolftrap – hence the nice but casual outfit.

He hangs up the phone and sets it down and then looks at me and says “will you make sure no one walks off with my phone?” Which surprises me b/c I was sure he assumed I couldn’t hear him, and at first I feel obligated to pretend that I didn’t hear what he said, so he wouldn’t know i was shamelessly listening to his conversation. After a second I glance up with a confused/surprised look to indicate that I hadn’t immediately realized he was talking to me, and he repeats his request and I smile and nod.

He comes back with another drink and picks up his phone and proceeds to fiddle with it for the next 25 minutes. Then he stands I realize its now time for him to head out for his date. He looks at me and says “See you,” and I respond “Yup. Good luck!” because I’ve spent so much time thinking about this date that I’ve decided he’s going on, that I forgot that a) i don’t know him, b) I’ve invented the scenario anyway. He gives me a strange look but then says “thanks,” and walks out.

And once again, I’m left to wonder how the story ends…

 

Awe…

I’m sitting in a coffee shop, just working on my lap top (ok, i’m blogging more than working, but whatever). I’m sitting in one of the arm chairs and shortly after I sat down, a little over an hour ago, these two hispanic men sat down at the table near me. In the back of my mind I assumed they were construction workers on lunch break, NOT because I’m judging, but because there was a table of exactly that on the other side of me when they sat down. I didn’t pay enough attention to notice that they weren’t in cement and paint splattered clothes. After about 20 minutes, it slowly invades my consciousness that the tone and pace of their conversation is very different than raucous exchanges at the table of construction workers. Their conversation is all in spanish, so I don’t know what they are saying, but its has a more gentle tone and rhythm. When the table of construction workers leaves, I become even more aware of these two guys, and I realize that their body language and tone are not at all typical for two men having lunch.

I finally succumb to my curiosity and take a good look at them. The first thing I notice is that the guy facing me looks to be in his late 40’s and the other guy, though his back is to me, seems to be in his 30’s. They are both leaning toward each other with elbows on the table, and I realize that they are probably not heterosexual.

Then I notice this look in the eyes of the older guy, its that look, the look that every person gets when they have discovered something unexpected and wonderful.  

I decide that this is a first date from an internet hook up, and I think its going well. At least from the perspective of the guy facing me. Now i’m hooked and wishing desperately that I understood Spanish so I can have my theory confirmed. I keep looking over at them, pretending to be studying the pedestrians on the street outside the window they are sitting next to, but it doesn’t matter, because I don’t think they are aware of anything other than each other.

I wish I could see the face of the other guy, to see if he feels the same way. I hope desperately that he does, because I’m now fully on the side of the older guy. I’m rooting for him to get a second date with the hot young guy. I’m listening carefully to their conversation and trying to glean as much information from the tone and rhythm as i possibly can. They seem to have a lot in common, there is laughing, and lots of back and forth. I think this looks good.

I’m wishing I could say something to them, like “good luck”, or “I’m so happy for you.” But I’m also  starting to get worried that its not mutual, and my heart aches just a little for the older guy because he’s my buddy now and I want to protect him.

They just left. It seemed like the younger guy ended the meeting abruptly, but without knowing what he said and relying only on body language I can’t say for sure. They walked out together still talking, but then I lost track of them… I want to know if they made a second date. I want to talk to my buddy and see how he thinks it went…

Damn coffee shop eavesdropping. There is never any resolution.