I put down a $5 note on the table and got up from the cafe I had been sitting at for the last 30 minutes. This is how to properly start my day off.. I thought thinking of the lads, sleeping in at the hotel.
There was a street fair going on and I was right in the middle of it. It was so nice to feel invisible in a crowd after being on tour for the last 6 weeks. I walked past vendors booths, thinking about how funny it is that at nearly every street fair I've ever been to- there's always someone selling horrendous sweaters. I snapped a picture of one, and sent it to Kyle to make him see what he was missing out on. Printed on it was 3 cats, with what looked like actual cat fur coming off the fabric, singing the American National Anthem. It screamed Kyle's name.
Just as I turned to head back toward the hotel, she caught my eye. She looked at her self in a mirror, wrapped in a scarf looking dissatisfied even though it looked perfect on her. Next thing I know, I'm walking over there.
"E-excuse me?" my stupid voice screeched with doubt as I realized I looked like a bum wearing my usual T-shirt and old Connies with my Eraserehead haircut.
She turned around and politely smiled. "Hi." She said looking only slightly alarmed by the weirdo approaching her on the street.
I froze, I didn't really have a plan when I came over here "Why didn't you buy that scarf?" I asked.
She said something about not wanting it or it being too much, I don't remember... I was running through every detail of her face through my mind since I may never see her again. I couldn't tell you what it was about her, but there was something that made her stand out from any girl I had ever met.
I insisted on buying her the scarf, "Its fine, a beautiful girl like you deserves that beautiful scarf." I cringed as soon as I said it. A line that cheesy deserves an award.
But she nodded and thanked me... not knowing what else to do I grabbed her hand and bought the scarf.
This was so unlike me, I must've been in America too long because I had gained the forwardness of an American bloke. Or maybe it was just this girl, she was unlike anyone I had met and I'd only met her moments before.
She tried it on. She's perfect. I thought. "It's perfect." I said and asked her for a coffee.
Maybe she felt like she had to, since I bought the scarf, but she agreed. I led her back to the cafe I began my morning in. I held the door for her and we walked inside. The barista recognized me from before and saw my date, and gave me a nod of approval. I blushed.
She ordered a London Fog, a girl after my own heart.
"I didn't order this to impress you," she assured me with a smirk, "this is my usual."
I laughed and ordered an Americano and said I ordered it only to impress her. She laughed, she had a great laugh.
We sat down and she asked how long I had lived in the States.
"I'm here on business," as soon as I said it I realized how little I look like a business man.
She must have realized the same thing, she gave me a skewed look and asked, "What kind of business do you do?"
This is where I started to get awkward. I beat around the bush saying I work in music. She pressed further.
"I'm kind of a local music guru, what kind of work do you do?" She asked.
"Well, I'm a musician...we're just here a couple of days." I tried to be vague but this girl knew her stuff.
"That's awesome! Where are you playing?" she asked.
I told her the name of the venue and her eyes grew wide. It was all over...
"I'm an idiot." she said shaking her head "I knew you looked familiar...you even told me your name."
"I'm sorry," I begin apologizing, "I should have said something."
"Don't be sorry!" she laughed "I probably shouldn't claim to be an expert on the local music scene and not realize that I'm sitting across the table from the lead singer of one of the biggest bands on the radio."
Just like that, my brief window of normality had vanished. I am so grateful for the success of the band, but it was unexpected and is still unreal to me. Even some of my friends back home struggle to treat me normal. Now I've blindsided this girl, she probably thinks I set her up to realize that I'm a part of Bastille to show off. My mind was racing, thinking about how wrong this had gone- she interrupted my thoughts.
"Wait, aren't you a day early?" She asked "I could have sworn that show is tomorrow."
I laughed, "Yeah, it's our day off. So we'll spend our day in the city and get back to work tomorrow."
She asked what I had planned for the day.
"I dunno...any ideas?" I asked. I decided maybe it was alright that she knew who I was, she seemed pretty unphased. It was refreshing but also meant the only cool thing about me wasn't that cool to her.
She smiled and said she had a few, I asked if she'd mind showing the lads and I around and she agreed.
To be honest, I probably would've followed her anywhere.
