I left the office earlier than usual today, sorely because I wished to spend more time in the café, doing nothing more than stealing glances off the stranger man who quietly sips his coffee in the corner booth reading a different book every week.
I have observed this stranger man since the fist time I set foot in this magnificent café. He has never changed his routine, not once. Everyday, I find a coffee mug and a croissant in front of him, his face buried in whatever book he is reading. More than a dozen times I have seen him steal a glance as I walk to my table. I do not know if he realizes it but this makes me smile and my cheeks almost turn pink. I like it when he does this, like it even more when I catch him and he quickly looks away pretending he was looking at something or other.
I know how he drinks his coffee, he brings the cup up close to his lips and hesitates, as if breathing in the scent of the coffee then proceeds to take a sip. He lets the beverage sit in his mouth for a second before swallowing, I assume he does this to taste all the flavors.
I know how he takes his croissant, not with the cutlery like most people. This stranger man usually sets the book aside, picks up the croissant and pinches a small bit off of it. At first I found it peculiar that he would do this, but later on, I realized how effective this is, its a simple and fast as compared to the whole process of using a knife and a fork.
I know how he reads. I can tell he has been reading for a while, his eyes move so fast from one end of the page to the other. Faster than anyone I know or have seen. Sometimes he pauses and thinks for a while, I assume when something unexpected happens, or when there is a major plot twist. His face often gives it away, there is always this subtle look of shock during these pauses. God I wish I knew what was going on in his head during these moments.
From all this, I can tell that the stranger man in the corner booth is a simple man. I like that about him!
I get to the cafe before him, and this greatly pleases me. At least for once, I get to observe him from the moment he gets in till he departs this fine establishment. My table is unoccupied, and so is his, and a couple of others. As I walk to mine, I get tempted to go and sit in the corner booth but I quickly push this thought away, we just shared an umbrella, nothing grand enough to warrant me getting into his space like that. Although something tells me he wouldn't really mind.
He arrives a while later and I manage to catch him just as he sits down. From his face, I can tell he is surprised that I am here before him. I give a smile and lift my hand for a wave. He hesitates for a moment, as if trying to figure out what was happening, I think that made him uneasy. He finally responds with a gentle smile and a nod of his head.
I watch as he sets his bag aside, undoes his brown scarf which he rests next to the bag. He fishes out a book from the bag and just before he can start to read, he looks up and catches me staring. I want to quickly look away but I don't, I keep it together and hold his gaze for a while. There is something about him today, this sense of confidence in his eyes, he too didn't look away like he always did. It is only when the waiter brings his order that he looks away and says something to him.
Shortly after, all his attention shifts to the book in hand. His eyes rush across and down the page, devouring the words with amazing speed. He sips his beverage, pinches a piece from the croissant and tosses it inside his mouth. I watch him for a while longer before I decide to attend to my work.
I really try to focus but I find it hard to, because I can think of nothing else but to walk to his table, sit right across from him, and talk to him. Yes, just talk to him, see what he is like. You can tell an awful lot about a person just from one conversation with them. You can tell how they think, how they articulate their words, how they respond to different topics and whatnot. And I know that he too would like to talk to me, I reckon it's quite obvious. I mean, he has been staring at me for many weeks, months! Surely, he must have things he wishes to say to me, just like how I have things to say to him.
His POV
She came in earlier than me today, a surprise, I'll admit. Not once in my countless visits to this cafe has she arrived earlier than me, I ponder over the matter of her early arrival but later on abandon this train of thought.
I notice she's in a good mood today, she even waved at me with a pleasant smile. I will not lie, this was the highlight of my day. This little gesture doesn't escape my mind for the largest part of the evening. I am just a simple, plain man, strange some might say, for I keep mostly to myself and avoid interactions if I can help it, but a simple man nonetheless. And her, she is... she is breathtaking, to say the least. Everything about her is stunning, she is like one of those perfect characters you read about in novels or you see on tv.
To think that such lady would take even the slightest of interest in a man such as me in itself is quite absurd, but she did, and she smiled at me, and waved at me. This meant the absolute world to me!
I settle on my usual chair and start unpacking, getting the book of the day, I look up in her direction and find her staring at me. I don't know if she could tell from my face but this gave me great pleasure, just her staring at me like that was enough to make my day. I want to talk to her, say hello and possibly ask for her name. My waiter friend walks to my table with my order before I get the chance to debate this matter in my head.
For the rest of the evening, I read as she types away on her Mac.
It's a beautiful evening, the sun is setting and its orange tinge pours into the cafe through the massive windows facing the street. A small cloud is gathering but nothing too alarming. The atmosphere inside the cafe is pleasant in all ways as always. A perfect evening, the only thing that would make it better is if I was sharing a table with the beautiful miss. I lean back and ponder over the scenario where she's sharing this table with me.
I imagine a pleasant conversation, over slow sips of our respective beverages, soft laughs, genuine smiles and a blissful time. I find myself smiling but the smile fades away quickly as another thought races into my mind, making everything dull. What conversation would a man such as myself hold with a woman like her?