The Lavender Sweater Set
I didn't notice her when I first sat down on the eL this morning. I cracked open my book to page 200 something and began reading. Then I felt it. That thing you feel when someone is staring at you. You know you feel it too, it's not just me. The feeling of eyes.
I look up from my book and the woman opposite me in her lavender sweater set is staring me up and down. The second I look up she's staring at my feet. I look down to my own feet and don't know what is so intriguing. They are well-kept and clad in innocuous Keen flip-flops? I look back up at the woman and she looks away.
I go back to reading. I flip the page and I feel them again. The eyes. What now? I look up at her and she averts her eyes again. Is it the way I'm dressed? I'm wearing slouchy denim capri's and a green hoody? Certainly nothing odd in any way? I pretend to look back down at my book for a second just long enough for her to begin staring again.
This time I stare back. She tries to avoid eye contact while my eyes insist upon it. I stare with reckless abandon. I take everything about her in... from the little pearl buttons on her lavender sweater set, boring black pants, systematic Franco Sarto shoes, typical black Coach leather messenger bag, Coach hobo purse, blond from a bottle and boring gold jewelry. She was everyone on the train as well as being no one. The completely typical Chicago northside 30-something commuting on the brown line in to her loop job and business casual life.
I didn't mean to be confrontational with my staring, but quite obviously she's mousing away to the corner of her mind with my blatant disregard for L train politics. Sorry lady but if yer gonna look me up and down I retaliate (well with my eyes). Frankly, staring down someone "reading" [insert most-read-on-the-train-this-month-book] got a little boring. So I picked up where I'd left off on page 200 something of my own novel and ignored the eyes. I could feel them off and on throughout the remaining 20 minutes of stop & go commuting.
As we crossed over the Chicago River and headed into the loop I knew she'd be getting off at the first stop (oh they ALL get off at Washingon & Wells). I put my book calmly on my lap and watched her depart the train. Goodbye Lavender Sweater Set.