Sightings

I am sitting in the brand new, upscale Starbucks and no upscale people are around at this hour. The 5 o'clock get out of dodge bell rang over an hour ago.

A homeless man with a backpack came in for a sample of something. He charms the woman behind the counter into giving him a coffee. He tells her when he's a millionaire, he'll share it all with her and tries to get her to agree to this pact where she'll reciprocate. He is sweet and endearing.

He walks out into the street carrying a little sample cup in one hand and his coffee in the other. A young woman spies him from across the street. She has just exited the yuppie bar and grill where I am to meet friends in a few minutes. The place were we pretend to be a multicultural community despite the fact that no interracial groups will be in attendance.

She's carrying a little left over box. She runs across the street to hand it to the homeless man. He gently places his two cups (one very small) on the sidewalk to accept her gift. He opens the box as she runs back across the street. Whatever is inside must be good, just what he was hoping for, because he looks across the street at her adoringly. He closes the box again and places it in his backpack, picks up the cups and heads off out of my sight, talking to himself or maybe to his invisible companion.