Tonight was a night of conversations with strangers...
After a productive meeting about the upcoming direction of Nomad•ness, which I can tell you all has been the forefront of work I've been doing behind the scenes, I had some time to kill before meeting Jason for this 30th birthday dinner. Defaulting to Starbucks, as I so readily do, I ran up on two women walking down the street, one holding a coffee cup.
"I'm sorry but did you get that from Starbucks?"
She responded, "No."
"Ok, do you by any chance know where there is one around here? I've got some time to kill-"
"Well I envy you," she interrupted, "I got this from a place called Thirstea on 10th street, make the left off Avenue A."
The woman looks at her cup, and reads for fortune of wisdom that was on the tag to her tea bag. I cannot remember verbatim, but it was along the lines of -- I'm drawing a blank. But it was good. I swear. Good enough that we parted with my shouting , "Thank you! It was destined that I stopped you two." We all went along our way.
Meeting the owner of Thirstea led to a half hour conversation about living in Japan, this after seeing my elation for him carrying my favorite Japanese candies, as well as wasabi covered dried peas. I dug this little nook giving me shelter from the rain.
Cafetasia is where dinner was had. The weather had Jason running a bit late. While I waited patiently, a man had entered the restaurant. I was busy looking at my menu when I felt the chair in front of me move. I looked up to find a stranger in front of me.
"I just had to come in here say hello. I wanted to introduce myself." I believe his name was Poet, or something, though it was hard to focus as (rightfully so) the waitress assumed this was the gentleman I was waiting for. Negative. They rushed over water for my 'other half'.
"It's a pleasure meeting you but I'm waiting for someone."
I don't know if he didn't hear, or didn't want to hear me, but he kept sitting, and kept talking.
"So what do you like here?"
Amused, I responded, "I'm not sure this is my first time here."
"Oh well the beef is amazing."
"I bet it is but that wouldn't work out because I'm vegetarian."
"Oh ok."
Pause.
"So look I think they think you are who I was waiting for and they're going to start coming over for my order."
"Oh you really were waiting for someone?"
Are you serious dude?
"Yes! Why did you think there was another menu on the table?"
The ahah moment plastered itself on his face, as he literally backed up from the table and left the restaurant.
Who does that?
I admit, I would have loved to see how that would have played out if I was meeting my boyfriend instead. No bueno.
strangers in passing...in NYC.
