Rang ahead for takeaway. Put on hold as soon as it was answered "Can you wait two minutes?" and left for the train.
It was a fifteen minute stroll, ten if you are in a hurry which I was not on this warm summer's night.
Two minutes turned into four and I was thinking to hang up and call back before getting on the train.
The silence and indecision lingered a while longer when it was broken by a voice. "What would you like to order?"
I made my order and confirmed it was ok to collect in 30 minutes.
The train was full, not to pre Covid levels but not much room, and "don't dare sit next to me" implied by all the solitary passengers lining the 2 seat rows.
The queue for takeaway pickup was led by two girls unable to decide what to order. One staff member on the floor offered them dine in and they moved to a seat. It was interesting to be asked to move back 2 steps to stand on a special square to avoid getting coronavirus. Apparently not social distancing enough. The line obeyed and waited our turns.
At the counter I gave my name to the twenty-something blonde girl and she found my order and rang it up. I tapped the card to pay and she went to get my brown paper bag of dinner.
When she came back we locked eyes briefly and I hesitated to take the bag from hers. There was something special about those eyes blue with a tint of what looked like yellow. She looked at me like she really understood me, like looking into my soul. The moment that felt like an eternity passed and I went on my way. And I'm thinking about her still.
The end.
