Hanging by a Moment

Mind Eraser

Whole Foods, where everybody knows your name. Ok, I know that's Cheers but I've been here so often in the last few weeks that it might as well be true for Whole Foods too. My friends think I'm pathetic, borderline psychotic, and I don't necessarily disagree with them but it's better than the alternative. I've lost count of the terrible Tinder dates, pointless blind dates, and bars and clubs that have no decent human beings at them. Ever since I met the salmon stealer I haven't been able to get him out of my mind. It was only a few minutes we spent together but I swear there was a connection there. I had more fun in those few minutes than I have on all of the dates I've been on lately put together. I just want to see if I saw him again that we'd have the same spark. That's right, I'm using the word spark. That's how serious this is.

Gone are the days of meaningful relationships. All everyone wants is a random hookup, or worse, no strings attached friends with benefits. They want all of the good stuff without having to put any work into it. God forbid you mention commitment, they're out the door. That's what I've been experiencing anyway. The fact that this guy was out planning a meal that he was going to cook speaks volumes above the guys I've met lately. The fact he was cooking for two is still worrisome, but he was flirting. I know he was. OK, maybe there's a possibility he was just being nice, but I'm willing to put myself out there and shoot my shot. That is if I ever see him again.

I started out pretending that I was food shopping, wandering the store hoping to run into him and that wasn't getting me anywhere. I then started bringing my laptop here to do some work, killing two birds with one stone. I used to do all of my work at Starbucks when I needed to get out of the house or a change of scenery, there they actually do know my name, but Whole Foods has become my new mobile office. It sounds worse than it is, really. I'm only here a few times a week. It's only been a few weeks so it hasn't been that many times. Are you sold yet?

Even with my people watching I have been able to get a good amount of work done. I do a good amount of people watching at my usual Starbucks office, but there are so many more people here to observe. It also doesn't help that I am actually hoping a specific person walks through the doors. I'm lucky that the tables are set up right where I can see people walking in. Yes, I hear myself, I know how crazy that sounds.

My phone starts ringing, my best friend is calling. There is a part of me that wants to ignore him so I don't get distracted, but I do wind up answering. "Hey, Pooh, what's up?" His real name obviously isn't Pooh, it's Nick, but I never call him by his real name. He's had his nickname since before I could remember. It's Pooh, as in Winnie the Pooh. I've known him pretty much my whole life. It's more like he's family than a friend. We grew up together. He's my best friend.

"What are you up to? Are you free?"

"Uhhhhh. Kinda. Yeah?"

"Don't tell me you're at Whole Foods looking for that guy." One of the things I can count on him for is that he always tells me how it is. He doesn't hold back.

"I'm not at Whole Foods looking for that guy."

"But you are at Whole Foods."

"I might be."

"Looking for that guy."

"Looking for...produce."

"There are millions of guys out there and you're spending all of your free time at Whole Foods waiting for one you don't even know."

"I...don't really know why."

"I'm coming there to save you from yourself."

"I'm working!"

"Bullshit. How much have you gotten done?"

"Some. A lot. Like, a whole project."

"Jesus, how long have you been there?"