Things seem to be turning around quickly. that or i've stopped caring about how i appear when i talk to strangers. Maybe it's just a facet of getting older, who cares. it's working for me.
You see, i've been chatting with one of the baristas at my local starbucks. typically i'll make polite, succinct conversation with them when i roll through in the mornings to pick up my pick me up. I don't like to speak much in the mornings, that's why i get up so early. it gives me time to warm back up to humanity before i have to interact. So, here i am interacting with the new set of baristas at a starbucks on the way to work. i quit going to my old one closest to the house since there was one barista that had begun to sort of stalk me when i got there, allow me to explain:
So there i was, doing my thing, getting my coffee. Normal saturday afternoon, right? It's not crowded or anything so i figure the wait won't be bad. There's a lady chatting to the cashier so i stand away from the counter and pretend to read the menu boards. I say pretend because i know what i want, the same thing i always get, Grande Cappuccino, whole milk, one raw sugar. i prefer the unprocessed sugar and whole milk, it tastes better and i'm not that concerned with the calorie count. i watch what i eat and get a bit of exercise through rock climbing and sculling.
Anyway back to the lecture at hand, there i stood pretending to wait when the other guy on duty comes out from behind the counter, walks up to me and puts his hand on my arm, above my elbow and asks a little too sweetly, "How are you? What can i get you today?" I disengaged my arm and took a small step backwards. "Um, just the usual, thanks" i said. Never have i had a barista come out from behind the counter to talk to me. Maybe it was just slow and they're starting some new friendliness initiative. I pretty much dismissed his odd behavior from my mind and moved on to pay and wait for my drink. When i got my coffee there was a little smiley face wearing glasses on it. Guess it was supposed to be him, he wears glasses. Creepy. I try to enjoy my coffee and move on, it tastes like weirdo.
About a week later, i'm back again. I look around before entering and dont see him so i figure it's clear. I enter, place my order, and wait for my drink. I had just gotten my hair cut which plays into this part of the story. As i'm standing there, i feel someone run their fingers up the nape of my neck to my new, shorter hairline. "Get a hair cut today?" he asks in a mildly sibilant voice that creeps me out big time. I shudder and shake like a wet dog, trying to get the feeling of his fingers off of me. "um, yes." i reply. i walked out, leaving my drink on the counter.
I had decided that was enough and i wouldn't go back. My brother insisted that i go back and talk to the manager. he said if the guy was making me uncomfortable i needed to talk to the manager and not let this creep get the upper hand. I really like Joe, the manager of that particular starbucks so i thought i'd give him a try. The next week, i went in early one morning before work to talk to him. I explained the situation and how i'm not a really touchy/feely person. i dont let the kids touch me at work, unless they need a hug for some reason. i dont like the other teachers hugging or messing with me much at work either. It's just not my thing. Joe said he understood and would talk to the guy. He was sympathetic and that was good. I'd hate to have to go elsewhere i told him. I really liked the people that worked there, except for him. I took them baked goods i made, knew a few of them by name, heck, one of the girls there wants me to bake desserts for her wedding next year! So i went on my merry way and hoped the situation would be resolved.
Cut to a couple of days later. Once again, i'm hitting the friendly neighborhood Starbucks for my morning java. By now i've taken steps to insure i dont see Mr. Creepy again. The people that work here all park in front of the store and i've made a mental note of which car is his by process of elimination over the course of a week or so. Even though his car is there, i go in anyway. He stayed behind the counter and started to make my drink, i thought things were going ok. Maybe i could keep coming here and avoid unpleasantness, right up until the time he handed my drink. as i reached for it, he grabbed at it again, putting his hand over mine and saying, "I hope you enjoy your drink." I grabbed my drink, snatched my hand away, and threw up a little in my mouth. That was the last time i ever went in, ever.
Fastforward to about eight months later. School's starting up again and i need a new Starbucks to fulfill my coffee needs before work. Since i live in Dallas, there's one around every other corner, it's not to hard to choose a new one. I begin to frequent a new one between work and home. This one is full of friendly people who don't try to accost me on a regular basis. There is one girl who works there that caught my eye though. we make polite conversation and she gives me a hard time occasionally for dressing down for work. Two days a week we can wear jeans and our college shirts or 'spirit wear' like our school shirts. they really razzed me on picture day when i came in wearing a tie and jacket!
Anyway, i went in one day and could tell she was having a bad day, this was @ 6:30 in the morning. I happened to bake my waffle cookies the night before and decided to bring her in a few in one of my tins. I keep lots of tins to put baked goods in. by now my friends give me their used ones from Christmas with the hope that I'll fill them back up! i usually do.
So i took her a tin of cookies and told her to have a better day. The next time i came in, she came from behind the counter and crushed me in a hug and thanked me for bringing her the cookies, said it made her day so much better. This became our ritual. I'd come in and see her once or twice a week, she'd come out and give me a big hug or sometimes even take her break and talk to me for a few minutes in the morning. I discovered she's a student, a good bit younger than me, and has three jobs. One of them was at Gamestop, the local video game store. I was immediately attracted to her. I mean, how many gals am i going to find that like video games and are cute like her? Not many.
Now it's this week. I've gotten over feeling bad for canceling the New Mexico girl's trip out here and I'm headed to starbucks monday afternoon for some coffee. I just got my Playstation 3 and I'll be up late playing it online with my brother. Amanda's about to go into work but she sits with me to rap for a few minutes. Now a'days she makes sure she hugs me and makes a joke about being a starbucks perv like the other guy. ha. ha. I decided what the hell, I'd ask her out. i almost feel like I've been getting that vibe from her. then again, what do i know? I'm fairly inept socially like that, at least i think so. But things went well. i offered to cook her dinner and she accepted. As i was making my way out Jay texted me and wanted a cup of coffee for himself. that was a nice opportunity to go back in and maybe get her phone number. silly me, she was ahead of me there and had her number written on one of the sleeves.
i was fairly proud of myself. i honestly don't remember a time where i asked someone out like that on the spur of the moment. Not in high school, when i was terribly sensitive about my height or college where i was too wrapped up in classes and hanging out with my relatively small social circle.
guess there's always hope right?
tio
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment