Scuttle Buttin'
Demons at bay
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Posts
- 15,882
Strangers when we meet
Strangers on the street
Lovers walk asleep
The city has a smell that no other place on earth does. The strange combination of thousands of people in only a handful of square miles and the exhaust of countless cars, infused with scented outpourings of bakeries and cafes and upscale restaurants all mixing into something indescribable, but unmistakable. It was this scent that Benjamin Franklin - his name was a cruel joke played on him by his history buff of a father upon his birth - breathed in deeply now as he stepped out of his apartment building.
He was new to the city, new to this whole region of the country in fact, brought here by a job that promised things it almost certainly wouldn't deliver. Still, the possibility that it would, combined with his recent breakup and the fact that he was still only 27, seemed like good enough reasons to take the leap, and so here he was. His apartment was still full of boxes, a maze of them leading from one room to another, his every worldly possession lost in a sea of cardboard. He'd had the foresight to hold out some clothes and necessities, but virtually everything else would have to be found though the laborious and thoroughly irritating process of unpacking and organizing it all. He hated moving.
The day after his move dawned bright and clear, however, and despite the fact that there was much unpacking to be done he couldn't resist the urge to explore the city. Thankfully, he'd been given a week in which to move, which still left him four days before he actually had to show up and be productive. He'd showered quickly and dressed simply, faded jeans and a blue-patterned button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow. He considered himself in the mirror for a moment, his blonde hair and blue eyes looking back at him as he studied his 6'1" frame. He was in shape, a frequent runner, and the clothes fit him well. Approving of his reflection in the mirror, he left the bathroom, snatched up his keys and phone, and headed out.
He was out the door by 9:30, iPod in his back pocket and The Postal Service filling his ears as he filled his lungs with the morning city air for the first time.
He had his phone with him in case he grew so lost that he needed a GPS to find his way back, but he thought he'd learn the area better if he was forced to explore it without any help. He quickly found a bakery less than a block away and knew it would become part of his morning routine the first time he tasted the coffee.
After a breakfast of a fresh croissant with whipped honey butter and a cup of excellent coffee he was off again, weaving among people heading to jobs and appointments and meetings. His pace was considerably slower, his eyes roaming freely as he took in his surroundings. A block ahead he caught sight of a bus shelter, and decided he'd hop on, ride for a bit, and then jump off somewhere that sounded interesting. If adventure in the city was what you were after, why not throw yourself headlong into it?
The bus was pulling up as he approached, a stroke of fine luck since it meant he did not have to waste an unknown amount of time waiting around. His brows rose slightly as it pulled up, and he was thankful it was only he and two others waiting to get on, since it seemed to be standing room only as it was. Waiting for a moment for the couple people to get off at their stop, he allowed the others on first, then stepped on and dropped his money in the slot. With a nod to the bus driver, he made his way slowly back through the bus, excusing himself as he brushed past person after person.
His gaze settled on a spot that seemed empty enough to squeeze into, and there was a vertical bar he'd be able to hold onto as well. It wasn't until he was nearly there that Ben noticed the woman also squeezed into the spot with one hand on the bar, and with his eyes on her he didn't realize until it was too late that his hand was partially closing around hers on the bar.