It all began with the vivid crack of the fortune cookie that could only be heard for a single moment. He looked around to make sure that nobody but him heard it. I mean, he didn't want to disturb the groups of diners around him. Being noticed wasn't something that he considered pleasant. Ever since he was a little boy, he preferred being alone and going through life with as little social interaction as possible.
He sat alone at a table in the corner of the room, the place where people looked the least often. Why was he there he wondered? He didn't even like Chinese food. He took the strip of paper out of the tasteless treat. He observed how the cheap paper felt between his fingers. He took in the sound of small talk between the customers, forks clinking against plates and the flames of the stove in the kitchen. He inhaled the fumes of the atmosphere.
Just when he was just about to look down to read his fortune, a young girl stepped into the restaurant and distracted him. For some reason, he stopped breathing properly the second he saw her. He froze and he could no longer hear the sound of the place or appoint his attention anywhere else. He was transfixed on the girl with short blue hair that was filled with white snowflakes and knots from the December air outside. She was wearing thin clothes that didn't seem to be keeping her warm at all. She had a distressed look on her face. Her cheeks were red from the cold, and she looked flustered.
In that moment, he felt something click inside of him, but couldn't identify what or why. It was so sudden. He watched her very carefully as she spoke to the man at the front desk. He studied and scrutinized her ever breath. He could just make out what they were saying, over the buzz around him.
- Hello Sir, can I use the restroom. It's an emergency, please. I'll be two seconds.
Her words were slowly pronounced, so that they sounded like she chose them very meticulously. He supposed she didn't want to say anything wrong that would cost her using the bathroom, something that had her in such a panic. They fell out of her mouth like honey. The way her soft voice echoed through the restaurant, was as if she was almost scared to receive an answer. She was so delicate, fragile, ethereal.
Her breathing was heavy and her eyes couldn't stop moving around the room. She was wearing black skinny jeans, like him, with a sweater and a leather jacket on top. Not top of the line clothes, especially for -20 temperatures. She was the only other person in here who seemed nice. In that moment, he wanted to run up to her and hug her, but he remained frozen in his seat, the usual.
- I'm sorry, but we don't do that here. You have to be a customer, which you aren't. This is a very classy restaurant, so I would suggest you leave immediately.
- Sir, look here. Please just hear me out.
She pulled out a ten dollar bill from her coat pocket. In the way she moved her arms, he could tell that she was tired. But not physically tired. Not the "I stayed up too late last night" tired. She was emotionally drained. She needed a break from her life. Her movements were pained and she was fighting to keep herself standing, he could tell.
He sat and watched her, knowing the feeling. She still smiled through it all. He did pick up on that. Even though this man was denying her services, she seemed like she was trying. He sat there baffled by her. He didn't know her, or why she looked so worried about something so small, but he sensed a connection of some sort.
- I have some money. Please I'll do anything sir. I just want to use your bathroom!
She started to get a bit frantic, but remained respectful. She spoke beautifully, calling him sir and pronouncing ever letter smoothly. People started to stare at her, and of course, he noticed the looks. Rich, stuck up, middle aged women disliked her simply because she disturbed their $250 dinners. How pathetic. Again, he wondered what the hell he was doing sitting with these people, he didn't fit in at all. He rolled his eyes at the other costumers and turned his attention back to the puzzling stranger at the front of the vast room. He sat there breathing heavily and shaking his foot as he was beginning to get very angry at the disrespect everyone was showing this poor girl.
