May 2006

I waited in a lobby
With two men today
We didn’t talk
They didn’t look up
One sat looking intently at his phone
What was he waiting for?
The call from a friend?
A lover?
Or was it his way of avoiding any contact?

The other had just come in from the cold
He was working valet
Now he stares straight ahead
While his partner works alone

And I paced around the room
Feeling too awkward in my sweet 16 party dress
The sound of my heels going
Click, click, click against the marble floor

We all did our best to avoid the awkward situation
Of being along with strangers
With nothing to say
No comments on the weather
Or small talk to be had