Smiley stranger

“Anyone coming with me today” Lauren asked, swapping her sit-at-the-desk heels for trainers, reaching for her waterproof and checking in the left hand pocket as she put it on. She wasn’t surprised by the silence and dismissive waves in response because it was drizzling outside. That was ok. She liked to walk alone anyway. 

She wondered if she would see him today. 

“Happy walking” the receptionist, Ellen, her favourite colleague, whispered at her cheerily, hand held over the mouthpiece of the phone as Lauren walked through. She turned right, down out of the blue-painted door; the way she always went - past the other solicitors offices which were all huddled together on Square Street like a group of insecure kids relying on strength in numbers. And then turned into the High Street. 

It wasn’t a bustling town centre or even an interesting one but at lunchtime it had an uplift of life from all the office workers grabbing their lunch or out spending the wages they’d earned so far that day. 

She never saw him go in anywhere - he just went for a walk. 

She enjoyed the rhythm of seeing the same characters - and new ones - each time she bothered to take her lunch break. But if she was sent out to run an errand halfway through the afternoon she saw just how quiet the town centre could be; until the children were released and it became a playground for a few hours. She avoided running errands after schools finished. 

She often spent her lunch walks wondering how there could be enough jobs for everyone in a town like this. What did they all do? Who were their customers? Maybe each office had someone like ‘admin support’ Kerry in them - getting paid a salary but achieving nothing. 

She wondered what he did. No clues from his clothes. 

She had bought her lunch in to work with her today. And then eaten it all by 11. “What I’d give for your metabolism” her boss had said as Lauren shoved the cheese salad sandwich wrapper and empty pack of veggie crisps sheepishly to the side of her desk. She did eat a lot and get away with it. And sometimes wondered how long that would last. Her boss was slim too but spent hours in classes called things like ‘pump fit’, ‘bottoms up’ and ‘stretch more’. Lauren wasn’t sure she fancied all that effort. 

Was that him? No. Not like him at all. Too short for starters. 

She sauntered past the statue opposite the old shoe shop; 4 rugged men cast in metal commemorating some kind of tradgedy she assumed. It was one of those features you see every day but never once stop to find out about. Reading the small plaque would have told her all she needed to know presumably. Maybe she would stop another day; a dry one. 

Should she go to the bakery? Maybe a meal deal? No. Today felt like a chippy chips day. Her first lunch had been pretty healthy afterall. 

And she was more likely to see him down that way. 

Jen from the old bookclub came round the corner with the twins in their double buggy. The two women exchanged empty pleasantries around the usual beige subjects. Weather - kids - work - how tired everyone always is. Lauren didn’t like Jen. It was the garish lipstick. And the obvious white lies she always told about things that didn’t even matter anyway. Jen probably didn’t like her either. 

Lauren got away from the interaction telling her own little lie that she “Must rush - things to do” and power-walked very importantly to the Plaice Place. No queue today. Quick order but there will be a short wait. No chat. 

She played with the headphones in her jacket pocket as she waited, looking out of the window. They were cheap, worn and lost by their owner when he dropped them out of his pocket by the statue. She thought about how this scraggly mess of wires could be the chance to start a conversation with someone she had only ever exchanged eye contact and smiles with until now. Why did it seem like such a huge line to cross? Why hadn’t she done it immediately? Why did she even care?

Her chips were ready. Yes to salt and vinegar. No to a bag. Back out into the street. 

No sign of him here today either. 

She sometimes sat in the park on a chips day but the drizzle meant she chose a steady walk back as she picked from the box, using the wooden fork for the first few then giving up; choosing greasy fingers instead. 

She took a longer route so she could make the walk a loop; one of those arbitrary decisions that makes a purposeless walk seem less silly. Round the back of Wilkos and right onto the bike path. She knew she shouldn’t stare into the row of back gardens but they drew her eye. It looked like the lady she had seen lose it while building a bench last week hadn’t persuaded herself to finish the job yet. She laughed at the memory. Glanced into a few more gardens. Looked forward again. 

There he was. 

Further along the path. She’d recognise that slow but purposeful lollop anywhere. The shape of his duffel jacket and the brown satchel slung over his slightly stooped back. But he was way up ahead, walking in the same direction as her - with new headphones, she noticed. 

She picked up her pace; walked a little faster, knowing it was futile and that she didn’t really mean to catch him; she just got to the cut through back onto Square Street a bit quicker but still just before her lunch break was up. Stopping for a moment she watched the back of him walk on. She didn’t even know where he came from or went back to every day. She noticed her raised heart rate - how ridiculous. 

She slowly zig zagged through the bike barrier and walked back up the street, throwing the smelly chip box into the bin outside and taking the three stone steps back up into the office. She shook her jacket off in the porch with a sigh. “Did you see your smiley stranger today?” Ellen asked, mid phone-call as always. Lauren shrugged a disappointed non-committal gesture in response and returned to the back office for her afternoon. 

Maybe tomorrow.