I Would Like To Get To Know You

There's this boy who works in the same mall as me. He seems really nice, smart and all. Since I returned to the bookstore in early spring, I have been bumping into him randomly. Then once he came to the bookstore looking for this very cool, artsy-deep comic book. After that, we started chatting smalltalk while we were both getting coffees at the coffeeshop in the mall. It would happen every now and again. It then culminated when he came to the bookstore again looking for Andreas Bitesnich's latest book, On Form. We didn't have the book, because it is not distributed through french canadian distribution channels. So he left the bookstore.

A month and a half, if not two, went by without bumping into him. I would see him on the street, from afar, but that would be it.

Last thursday, my mother was having her day off and wanted to go shopping with me. What was supposed to be one little store finally ended up being a couple of stores and then going to the mall. It was early in the day and I was nearly straight out of bed so I just grabbed whatever pants were available and went shopping like that, unshaven and really not looking hot. Reaching the end of my mother's shopping intention we left the mall and passed in front of the store where the guy works. He was standing in the entrance to his store. I waved to him, he waved back.

Went back home, shaved and did everything I could to look decent for work. I arrived earlier to the mall that evening, wanting to get a coffee and fill out my second application form in order to mail it before heading towards the bookstore. As I was completing the form someone waved their hand in front of my face. It was him. Asked me what I was doing, I replied. Then invited him to sit down. We talked for about 5-10 minutes, about school and our lifesituations in general. Time to go to work arrived. We left but before leaving I mentioned having made a bit of googling on the photographer whose book he came to buy the time prior. Having mentionned that I liked his work, he said: "I'll bring you magazines featuring his work then". Yeah, alright, whatever I'm sure he meant.

Next day, I go to get a coffee before work (I have mentionned being a bit of a coffee junkie before, no?) and head to work, haven't seen the guy. There were quite a lot of people in the bookstore that evening. Out of the blue, the guy walks in the bookstore, carrying a plastic bag and having a grin on his face. After I'm done with my customer I go to see him. He hands me the bag, saying those were the magazines. Tells me to give him my opinion on the stuff. I say thanks and introduce myself (I didn't know his name before and neither did he mine). After that he leaves.

Being a rather fast reader I went through the sections of the magazines on Andreas Bitesnich that same evening and so I was ready to bring back the magazines to him the next day. During my lunch time, at noon, a Saturday, I head out of the bookstore to bring him his belongings. I had three scenarios planned out. If he was working at that moment and felt there was an opening for more conversation and seeing each other outside of the mall, I would give him my phone number so we could have a chat. If he was working but I felt there was no opening, I would just hand him the bag, thank him and walk away. If it turned out he wasn't working I would slip a little note in the bag, saying: "Thanks a lot! -Oli P.S. How about a chat?". So I go to the bookstore and he's not working. As he had said to do in case he wasn't there, I went to a coworker of his and hand her the bag, saying I was bringing it back to him. Subtlely slipped the note inside the bag and gave it to her, then left.

So that's it. That's where I stand at the moment. Haven't seen him since then. The thing is, he is really the kind of person I'd like to get to know. I would definitely like having a new guy friend in this town.