Written March 25, 2015.
I wasn't in any particular hurry, just strolling down the wet streets and gazing up at the hundreds of feet of glass and metal towering overhead. I wandered aimlessly through occasional crowds and groups of people, through the din of city life; cars passing, planes flying, distant construction. It was about midday that I passed by (yet another) Starbucks and a man sitting just inside the window caught my eye. He wasn't looking at me, just sipping his coffee and reading the Seattle Times comics. I stopped then, looking at him, making sure I wasn't blocking the sidewalk. I wasn't sure why I was so drawn to him, but there I was, feeling the inexplicable need to go inside and talk to him. It was because I was in no hurry that I decided to do so. I backed up a few paces, pulling open the door and inhaling the wafting smell of coffee; delightful to my nose, but abhorrent to my taste buds. After ordering my usual chocolate milk (with whipped cream ofc) I approached the man nervously. He looked up from his newspaper when I stood over his table. I was frozen in place, not sure what to say, staring at him with my mouth agape. He raised an eyebrow and spoke.
"…Ma'am? Can I help you?"
I was snapped out of my stupor, shaking my head and responding. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
"Not at all, go right ahead." I sat across from him with my arm on the back of the chair and my back against the window. He seemed to be looking at me with confused yet interested eyes, the same look I'm sure I gave him when I first saw him. A barista set my drink on the table and after nodding to her, I turned to him.
"So, what's your name?" I took a sip of my drink.
"Julian… is that a chocolate milk?"
"Yeah! How'd you guess?"
"It's written on the side. Good drink choice, by the way. What's your name?" As he sipped his own drink I realized it wasn't coffee, it was chocolate milk like mine.
"Jolyn. Pretty close to Julian I guess, actually," I said with a chuckle.
"Wow, that's a cool name. I've never heard it before."
"I'm not really surprised. My parents made it up."
"Hah, nice. My parents wanted to name me Julius- like, after the caesar- but they also didn't want me to get stabbed. So they went with Julian."
"Good choice. I've heard getting stabbed is not a fun experience."
"I would not imagine so." He smiled and went back to reading his comics. Something about Julian made me want to stay there, just spend time with him. I didn't know what it was. He reminded me kinda of… me? The way he spoke, his mannerisms, his humor… hell, he even kinda looked like me. His fluffy brown hair stuck up on the top, his nose was a little on the big side and, if you looked closely, even crooked. I watched his blue-grey eyes dully skim the page he was holding and just wondered: what the hell?
"…Ma'am? Can I help you?"
I was snapped out of my stupor, shaking my head and responding. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
"Not at all, go right ahead." I sat across from him with my arm on the back of the chair and my back against the window. He seemed to be looking at me with confused yet interested eyes, the same look I'm sure I gave him when I first saw him. A barista set my drink on the table and after nodding to her, I turned to him.
"So, what's your name?" I took a sip of my drink.
"Julian… is that a chocolate milk?"
"Yeah! How'd you guess?"
"It's written on the side. Good drink choice, by the way. What's your name?" As he sipped his own drink I realized it wasn't coffee, it was chocolate milk like mine.
"Jolyn. Pretty close to Julian I guess, actually," I said with a chuckle.
"Wow, that's a cool name. I've never heard it before."
"I'm not really surprised. My parents made it up."
"Hah, nice. My parents wanted to name me Julius- like, after the caesar- but they also didn't want me to get stabbed. So they went with Julian."
"Good choice. I've heard getting stabbed is not a fun experience."
"I would not imagine so." He smiled and went back to reading his comics. Something about Julian made me want to stay there, just spend time with him. I didn't know what it was. He reminded me kinda of… me? The way he spoke, his mannerisms, his humor… hell, he even kinda looked like me. His fluffy brown hair stuck up on the top, his nose was a little on the big side and, if you looked closely, even crooked. I watched his blue-grey eyes dully skim the page he was holding and just wondered: what the hell?