07-05-2014, 11:57 PM
Connor watched the man- Calvin- and saw the pain in his eyes. He pulled out his wallet and Connor let him have his moment. The pain that came over the man was palpable and Connor's heart went out to him. He didn't know the story at all. But loss always looked like loss. You didn't forget that kind of thing, the way that your eyes looked as you faced a life missing the person who was taken from you, a future without someone you loved.
For a moment, the memory of Hayden came to him, teaching him to drive in a parking lot, and his heart clenched. He breathed and focused, remembered his son and the vow he made. Gradually his heart unclenched.
Some time went by and Connor was content to let the man have his silence. Guys didn't just talk to each other like that. That kind of thing was shared over a period of time, over a beer or 5, when you knew you could trust the person you were talking to. Sometimes, he envied women's ability to form connections with each other so quickly, to feel this kinship and bond and immediately open up. That had never been his way, nor most of his other guy friends. Course, as he thought about it, that kind of openness could backfire. He remembered his mom or Jamie making a new friend and for days being inseparable, sharing every secret....only to realize that they didn't really like each other or fit. And now there was someone walking about with all their secrets. Heh, that thought terrified him.
Course, what did he know? He was a pretty solitary and private person, over all. He didn't share much with people in general. He kept people at a distance. Ayden had broken through that wall. Just thinking about her made him smile, made his heart feel....something. Somehow, he'd been given a second chance, a new opportunity at life. He looked over at Calvin. The man needed something.
As if he'd realized it himself, Calvin spoke up. "Hey Connor, I passed a nice looking bar on the way here...place called Chesterfield's. Do you want to get a beer?"
Connor smiled at the man's choice. Ayden was working this afternoon and he was going to be stopping in to see her.
"Man, that sounds awesome."
A mischievous grin came over him. "I love that place. Actually, there's one waitress there I'd love to see again."
The grin widened as he laughed at his own joke.
When the metro stopped, they both got off and made their way to the bar, chitchatting about nothing important. Rapport was important. He learned a little about farm life. It was interesting.
They entered the restaurant and Sasha looked him up and down. "At least you're dressed this time Connor,"
she said with a smirk.
"Hey, you almost threw me out last time, Sasha. I'm a slow learner, but I do learn."
Her smirk became a smile and she led them to a table. With a glint in her eye, she said, "I'll get Ayden."
Connor laughed at the exchange.
He figured he'd let Calvin in on the joke. "Ayden's my girlfriend. She works here."
He looked at the man. "I kinda had a bad spell with the drink recently so I'm gonna drink water for now. But get what you want man."
He smiled at the man reassuringly. "Yeah, Moscow's a pretty cool place. It's funny, from hearing stories about Russia from my dad who grew up in the cold war, you get this image of what a place is like. It's nice to see that people aren't that much different wherever you go."
"So what about you? Meet any cool people?"
For a moment, the memory of Hayden came to him, teaching him to drive in a parking lot, and his heart clenched. He breathed and focused, remembered his son and the vow he made. Gradually his heart unclenched.
Some time went by and Connor was content to let the man have his silence. Guys didn't just talk to each other like that. That kind of thing was shared over a period of time, over a beer or 5, when you knew you could trust the person you were talking to. Sometimes, he envied women's ability to form connections with each other so quickly, to feel this kinship and bond and immediately open up. That had never been his way, nor most of his other guy friends. Course, as he thought about it, that kind of openness could backfire. He remembered his mom or Jamie making a new friend and for days being inseparable, sharing every secret....only to realize that they didn't really like each other or fit. And now there was someone walking about with all their secrets. Heh, that thought terrified him.
Course, what did he know? He was a pretty solitary and private person, over all. He didn't share much with people in general. He kept people at a distance. Ayden had broken through that wall. Just thinking about her made him smile, made his heart feel....something. Somehow, he'd been given a second chance, a new opportunity at life. He looked over at Calvin. The man needed something.
As if he'd realized it himself, Calvin spoke up. "Hey Connor, I passed a nice looking bar on the way here...place called Chesterfield's. Do you want to get a beer?"
Connor smiled at the man's choice. Ayden was working this afternoon and he was going to be stopping in to see her.
"Man, that sounds awesome."
A mischievous grin came over him. "I love that place. Actually, there's one waitress there I'd love to see again."
The grin widened as he laughed at his own joke.
When the metro stopped, they both got off and made their way to the bar, chitchatting about nothing important. Rapport was important. He learned a little about farm life. It was interesting.
They entered the restaurant and Sasha looked him up and down. "At least you're dressed this time Connor,"
she said with a smirk.
"Hey, you almost threw me out last time, Sasha. I'm a slow learner, but I do learn."
Her smirk became a smile and she led them to a table. With a glint in her eye, she said, "I'll get Ayden."
Connor laughed at the exchange.
He figured he'd let Calvin in on the joke. "Ayden's my girlfriend. She works here."
He looked at the man. "I kinda had a bad spell with the drink recently so I'm gonna drink water for now. But get what you want man."
He smiled at the man reassuringly. "Yeah, Moscow's a pretty cool place. It's funny, from hearing stories about Russia from my dad who grew up in the cold war, you get this image of what a place is like. It's nice to see that people aren't that much different wherever you go."
"So what about you? Meet any cool people?"