Cafe Cliche

Sunday was a picture perfect day of September. If aliens were to land here in February and somehow asked me what a day in September should look like, I would tell them to look at that Sunday (in my brain) and then they would know. The sky was a crisp bright blue, the sun was warm, there was a pleasant breeze, there were big fluffy white clouds and the trees were still green and full. I was making my way over to Molly's Cupcakes on Bleecker Street in Greenwich village to meet up with a friend for her birthday party. I was starving, and when I got there I realized that filling up on cupcakes was not optimal for a lunch, so I excused myself to go have a salad and then come back.

I wandered over to Amy's Bread which was a couple of blocks away. I frequent Amy's quite often as it sits in very close proximity to my job on Cornelia Street. I had a short debate about what salad I wanted (The Tuna salad? Or the Pumpkin Seed Bean salad?) and opted for the Bean/pumpkin seed before making my way over to the window counter seat so as to look out on the street and continue to watch the picture perfect Sunday-in-September day that was going on outside.

My lazily buzzing mind was interrupted after shoving the third bite of salad ruthlessly into my mouth by a male voice: "Nice Salad! I was thinking of getting that one, is it any good?"

A guy was sitting at the window next to me. He looked like a late 20-something and had dark chestnut hair and Hazel eyes and had a bunch of papers in front of him. Ummm... Hello Seredipity!

He had a name, but I prefer to call him Mr. Hazel. I can't remember the conversation we had word for word, but I think it went something like this:

Hazel: Awesome, awesome, saying everything that's awesome. Yadda Yadda.

Me: Laughter, giggle, blush. What do you do?

Hazel: Winning, Winning, writing a one man show, started a theatre company, winning.

Me: Totally blown away, smiling a lot, shoving salad into mouth.

Hazel: Talks about job, traveling, I work in Connecticut.

Me: I work right around the corner!

(We talk about a ton of stuff...)

Me: Talk about what I do, laugh, talk about travel. Oh, by the way I have to get back to this party...

Hazel: Yeah, I have to get back to working on what I was doing, winning, winning, awesome, totally cool dude stuff.

Me: Finishing salad, look at the time: Holy Shit it's been almost an HOUR. Sorry, but I need to get going!

Hazel: I need to get back to work, too! but we should do this again sometime?

Me: YES. Here is my number.

Hazel: Here is mine.

Me: Maybe see you Wednesday night?

Hazel: I'm really busy usually but that might work!

(We share a long pause, looking at each other.)

Me: Getting up and leaving, I think you're really cool, Mr. Hazel.

(Another long look, almost as if I have met this person before, but I haven't, that's impossible, right? Wow, he's really cool.)

Hazel: It was really nice meeting you, Natalie.

Me: See you soon, Mr. Hazel. G'bye.

I walk out of the cafe and break into one of the biggest grins I've had in a while. Yep, Picture perfect September day, in every way. Even if nothing happens after this, and I never see Mr. Hazel again, I sincerely enjoyed that whole hour of getting to know a stranger far more than any of the time spent on online dating.