This is just a little something that popped into my head the other day.
People watching
I sat in yet another greasy spoon reading a local paper. It is difficult to get a grasp on the real world when you spend your whole day driving and sometimes most nights. I typically sit in a little corner watching everyone else live the kind of life I'll never have. I admit, its kinda weird, some old guy watching all the other diners enjoying their food. But I get no other opportunity to see normalcy.
As my food arrived I noticed a couple walk in the door. I could hardly call them a couple, though. They were dressed in some pretty strange clothes for this kind of place. He was wearing a dark suit with a hideous tie and she wore a skirt suit with high heels. They were attractive people. They seemed to be physically fit and well groomed. The hostess gestured that they should follow her and I saw him place his hand on her back, gently guiding her. These people sure are strange. I still couldn't tell if my first impression of them was correct.
They were seated just a couple of tables away from me. Just close enough and just far enough. I tried to see if either of them were wearing wedding rings, but as far as I could tell their fingers were bare. Were they secret lovers meeting on the outskirts of town? Did they work together? My curiosity got the best of me and I couldn't help but ignore my own dinner to observe these two.
Not much happened while they waited for their food. They seemed to be having a conversation that could also be considered a small argument. No one was yelling, but they definitely were not agreeing about something. The waitress brought their plates and I saw the woman roll her eyes as the man seemed to be drooling over his food. I guessed they actually come to places like this a lot. He dove right in while she examined her food thoroughly. It was just a salad, so I don't know what exactly she was looking for. Finally she pierced a few leaves with her fork, took a deep breath, and began eating. He offered her a bite of his burger, but she refused. He tried again, but still her answer was no. He gestured to something behind her and as she reached for what ended up being a ketchup bottle I saw him sneak a fork full of her salad. He was too slow, though. She turned and caught him. She playfully slapped his hand and they both smiled.
But there was something so strange about them. The way they interacted with each other told me that they were more than mere work friends out after a late night. Yet, again, it wasn't as if they were trying to be sneaky about being together. They were relaxed, comfortable, happy. I was envious of them. What ever they were to each other, it seemed to be something special.
They finished eating and as he turned around to get the waitress' attention I saw her pull a sneaky move of her own. She grabbed a couple of remaining fries off his plate, drowned them in ketchup and just before she successfully ate them he saw her and grabbed her wrist to stop her. They fought for a moment before he conceded and let her eat them. Again, they smiled and laughed before getting up to leave. He replaced his hand on her back, paid for their meals and left.
I'll never know who those two were, but I'm certain that they are extremely close. I left that night without eating, but I felt happier than I had in a long time.