I’m reading some hardcore book like A Tale of Two Cities in the middle of a Starbucks in NYC. I’m sitting at a table alone with one extra chair next to me. “Excuse me” I look up to see a man with eyes that are so vividly green everything else seems to lose saturation. “Can I use this chair?” I stumble back into reality and say “Oh.. yeah sure” and go back down to reading.
About 30 seconds later I look up and realize that when he asked “Can I use this chair?” he was asking if he could sit with me, not if he could take the chair to another table. After making the realization I make eye contact with him. He does that sort of half smile that boys do. Of course instantly I melt. He starts asking stupid questions about the book I’m reading just to make conversation. I think it’s adorable, but still do that dorky high school thing where you play hard to get.
Near the end of a few hour conversation he say’s he has to go. So, we say our goodbyes. He say’s some inside joke about something we talked about earlier. Maybe about my book? Anyway, as we are ending the conversation I hint at him asking for my number or him giving his to me, but he seems to just reject the signals. He eventually leaves, and I sit back down disappointed because I thought we had something. I start to pack my stuff up, and pick up my book. I notice something different. On the inside cover there is writing “You’re not the only one who can play hard to get (555)-555-5555”
Written by Ryan Khosravi (ryancanfly.tumblr.com)