Voyeur

As I finish ordering my bagel, I notice a man behind the farther end of the counter.  He catches my eye because I have no clue what he is trying to do, as he is working with large metal objects in his hands.  When I reach the entrance to the farther end, I realize that he is trying to assemble the coffee machine.  My friends and I take a seat close enough that I can watch him, but far enough away as to not be creepy.  The man who looks to be in his mid-thirties stands at the counter refilling containers of vegetables, wearing a baggy flannel underneath an apron, ragged jeans, and a thick pair of black boots.  Half of the mans face is covered in hair, with a light brown mustache above his upper lip, and a full beard connecting to it.  Country music and chatter fill the large open space when I begin to notice a few piercings in the mans left ear.  This detail piques my curiosity,  and I begin to search his hands for a wedding band, which I cannot manage to find.  I assume that he is not married, but he is attractive enough that he probably has a significant other, someone he lives at home with.  A person who he not only shares a home with but a dog too.  A person he needs to provide for, the reason why he works relentlessly behind the counter on the middle of a Saturday.  As I begin to look up again toward his face, his dark blue eyes quickly pierce mine, luckily just for a second or two.  When he calls out an order number from behind the counter, I can't help but think he is angry, but when he turns around to talk to a coworker, I notice his somewhat friendliness.  His coworkers have become some of his closest friends who he continues to spend time with outside of the shop, drinking beers with after their Saturday shifts have ended, most of which have met his significant other.  He begins to scribble on a paper plate and then exits the room.  A minute later he returns, his arms filled with at least fifteen containers of vegetables.  He quickly fills the countertop fridge with the containers, leading me to see that he is a sufficient and hard worker, who takes pride in what he does.  After watching him for what seems like hours, my friends and I throw our brown bags and napkins in the trash, as we leave the shop, the chilly afternoon air hitting us lightly.    

(Uncommon Grounds, Saratoga Springs, NY, 2/23/19)