Sebastian has been coming to this coffee shop ever since he discovered it his sophomore year of college. This is the coffee shop he studied at for the rest of college. The place he wrote his first—admittedly horrible—article that was published in a small, unknown newspaper. His first stop to celebrate his successful interview at the New York Times. Most importantly, this was the place he first spotted the gorgeous face he was currently staring at.
At first, Sebastian didn't think much about the man. Being a successful and prominent member of the gay circuit throughout New York City, Sebastian saw pretty faces like this every day. So when he caught himself glancing over just a few more times than strictly acceptable for a complete stranger, he couldn't figure out why.
Maybe it was the way this man held himself. Tall and confident but with a soft, welcoming smile on his face. He wasn't dressed like most of the men in the shop—tight black pants, a grey button up shirt underneath a soft grey sweater, a striped scarf draped around his neck—and that just made him all the more intriguing.
Or maybe it was the way he laughed with the barista, shooting her an exaggerated glare, acting like they were best friends. Maybe they are, Sebastian's mind supplied.
Whatever it was that drew Sebastian to this man, he could tell it was impossible to ignore it. He took out his pad of paper from his bag along with a pen, glancing up at the man every few seconds. He watched as the man took his cup, waving at the barista, and sitting down at a table close to the entrance.
Non-fat latté. With a shot of cinnamon. Non-assuming with a little something extra. Sebastian's a little surprised to look down and see what he had written but the second he consciously considers it, he can't think of anything else this man could possibly be drinking.
Jerome? Ryan? Trevor? Sebastian shakes his head and looks back over to the man, who is slowly drinking his coffee, seeming to be amused by something on his phone. Every name that filters through his mind doesn't seem to fit quite right.
He loves playing games on his phone. Mostly Draw Something and Words With Friends, just because they have some semblance of intellectual worth. But once in a while, he'll lose himself in a good game of Angry Birds or Temple Run.
Sebastian almost spits out his coffee in a surprised laugh when he sees the man look around with a nearly guilty expression on his face before glancing over at Sebastian—who is coughing and trying to get the coffee out of his lungs—and raising an eyebrow before smiling slightly and looking back down at his phone.
Sebastian can't describe the small fluttering in his stomach at seeing the smile, but he chooses to ignore it and picks up his pen.
Photographer. Or chef. Something creative. Maybe an interior designer. Looking up again to study his muse, Sebastian instead sees an empty chair and a clean table. He quickly scans the room and almost misses seeing the man throw his cup away before pushing the door open and leaving the coffee shop.
He frowns and caps his pen, no longer having a reason to use it. He shouldn't be disappointed. He knew his little infatuation was going to end sometime but the fact that he didn't even get the chance to introduce himself made him unreasonably bitter.
Shaking his head and trying to clear his thoughts, Sebastian can't help but hope to see the man again.