Relative Strangers

He sat staring into the swirling milk in the coffee cup. The milk
spun round in a slow anti-clockwise motion, the blackness turning brown
on each turn. He could feel someone watching him. Eyes on the back of
his neck, paranoia gripping him by the throat.

"Have you seen this man ?" he said, producing a curled photograph,
showing it to the woman in front of him.
"Let me see." she said.
"Look at the eyes."
The woman adjusted her glasses, pushing them further up her nose,
squinting through the lenses, her face screwing up slightly. She stared
at the face held in front of her.
"This is an old photograph." he explained, noticing a look of
unfamiliarity cross her features.
"Looks familiar." she murmured, reaching out to take the photo.
The man moved his hand back.
"No," he said, "don't touch it."
"Can't be sure then."
"Look at the eyes."

Someone was watching him. Watching him closely. He couldn't see them
but he was sure. It was the familiar sensation of observance. The skin
on his scalp tightening, hairs standing on head. His heart started to
beat faster. He could feel it in his chest. Feel the injection of small
amounts of adrenaline dripping into his veins. He allowed his eyes to
look at the other people in the bar with him.
A girl sat at the bar.
A couple sitting at the table in front of him.
They were all wrapped up in their own personal worlds. To busy with
themselves to even bother about him. He couldn't look behind him.
Didn't want to make eye contact with the person who was making him the
object of their concentration.
His gaze wandered back to the girl at the bar. She was alone. Blonde
hair fell over her shoulders, occasionally slipping in front of her
face. She would then push the strands back with long fingers. No nail
varnish. Clean.
He liked that. Clean. Even though he couldn't see her face he knew she
was attractive. He could sense it within her.

He had been here.
His friend.
He stood in the center of the small room. The walls were covered in a
conservative, blue square pattern. Modern. There was a single bed
against one wall. Sheets were clean, the bed was neatly made. There
were no posters on the wall. No TV. No books on the bookshelves. He
looked at the shelves. No dust. He glanced around. No dust. No clutter.
Clean.
He had been here.
As the man walked out of the room he glanced at the open door on his
right.
"Thanks for your help," he called out to the woman in the easy chair.
Sitting upright, head slumped forward.
He left the house without waiting for a reply.

The girl ordered another drink. She gazed at the barman. She was
obviously lonely. He knew what that felt like. Being lonely. He'd been
lonely for awhile. A jigsaw puzzle which wasn't complete. He felt as
though he was constantly waiting.
He should go upto her. Make her aquaintence. He knew he could talk to
her. Make her feel comfortable. Make her feel wanted. Company for the
night ahead. He should talk to her. He felt like it. She wouldn't
mind.
Something was missing.
He'd done this before. Chatted to a woman on her own. Lonely. Gone back
with her. Spent the night. Left in the morning before she awoke. Left
her there in bed, curled up under the sheets. Breathing.
It wasn't the same though.
Nothing to share.
No one to talk to.

It was the first bar he came to. A large glass front allowing him to
see in from the street. He knew he'd been in there. Drinking. Drinking
coffee. He knew he'd be alone.
He stood on the street, a step back from the window, staring in.
There.
His head was turned towards the bar.
A girl sat at the bar.
He knew he'd be watching the girl. She was his type. Slim, blonde.
Alone. Someone he could approach and talk to. Why wasn't he talking to
her ?
He stood and watched him. He had found him. They would be together
again. They would share.

The door opened.

He was still looking at the girl when he entered and walked towards
the bar. He watched him stand next to the girl. The sensation of being
observed had gone. His hair relaxed, his skin stopped prickling. His
hands started to feel slick with sweat. He watched him order a drink,
glance at the girl, a brief smile flickering across his lips. The girl
seemed to ignore him. It was always the way. They never ignored him
though. They felt at ease with him.
He turned.
He watched.
He approached him.
He started to stand.
His face......
"Hello." he said as the other stood.
He nodded. Something about him was familiar.
"The eyes."
He looked into the eyes.
The other grinned. Held out his hand.
He took it.
Hands interlocked. Complete. Together. The search was over. One had
found the other.
They had been estranged. Kept apart, not allowed to see each other.
Ordered not to see each other. One had found the other.
"Her."
He nodded.
Both men turned to look at the girl. One went to speak to her. The
other sat and waited. They would be strangers to each other.
They would share.