Sketches From My Coffee Shop Getaway...No.2

"I'm Looking Through You, Where Did You Go?

Okay, file it under "male ego". A woman just a booth away intrigued me enough to pull out the sketchbook. This is actually the first sketch of four. To say she was actually good looking would be an understatement though I can't really call my sketch of her, a portraiture. It hadn't been a good week and I thought it would be a good idea to just get away from everywhere to think. I occasionally visit various coffee shops to sit and mope and "ponder."

And sketch.

Anyway, as she looked up and occasionally sipped from her coffee cup,  I noticed her looking my way as I was looking her way. We really couldn't help it because we were directly across from each other, one booth away. I must admit that I had a better view than she did because I was facing the outside windows and she had...

Well, she had the hallway to the restrooms and uh, me!

I became a bit self conscious about looking up at her enough to actually sketch the real person. I kinda did one of those "Drawing from the Whatever Side of the Brain" exercises where you just look up once or twice and really look at your subject and then draw from your memory, but I cheated quite a bit.

I couldn't help it. She was beautiful... and it seemed as though she was staring at me.

All kinds of thoughts enter my mind as I continued to sketch her. Eventually, even though I was rather disappointed with my results, I went on to other subject matter. I was too embarrassed to continue to look up at her to perfect my drawing.

I moved on, and I guess she did too, but she didn't leave. She actually bought a refill, sat back down and stared some more. When I realized it was time to check in on the home front, I put away my laptop, my sketchbook and with half cup of coffee, I got up to leave. It would make me crazy all week if I didn't apologize to her and put behind me all the imaginary possibilities that would never let me go.

Who knows? I may be able to show her the results of my constant perusal, that is, if she asks.

"Excuse me, ma'am," I said as I packed up my things. "I want to apologize if I seemed a bit forward staring your way. I didn't mean to insinuate anything."

"I was just wasting time staring out toward the window with a cup of coffee, my computer and my sketchbook. "I...

I noticed there was a few sheets of loose leaf paper on the table, a pen, a napkin and her large PJ's coffee cup as I lied and said," I'm actually waiting for someone and I guess they're not showing up!"

She smiled back and replied, "Oh, I'm sorry! I never noticed you drawing. Are you an artist?"

"Yeh, I said rather deflatedly, "That's what I do for a living!"

"That's nice," she said, as she turned her head to, once again, drift off to some unknown place of peace.

I walked away and I thought to myself, among other things, "She didn't even asked to see my sketches!"

C'est la vie!

Copyright 2013/ Ben Bensen III