Can you feel the love?

There is a couple in the corner today, both drinking coffee from Einstein Bros. Bagels. He is in a red shirt and very skinny, and she is significantly taller than him. When they kiss she has to bend down to reach his lips, even when sitting. They seem very involved in their conversation, but I am too far away to understand them. They have a biology book open and it seems like they are supposed to be studying. Most people in here today aren’t studying. The Asian male glued to his computer screen is back again, but has a friend today. They aren’t talking or acknowledging one another, but are both bobbing their heads to the same beat. There is another tall male with “poofy” hair in the middle of the room with his headphones in, typing furiously on his computer. He is replying to someone on Facebook. Red shirt gets up with the wrappers and his empty coffee cup and heads for the trash can. While red shirt is walking away, tall girl starts to fix her hair and check her make-up on her phone. She is done quickly and returns to normal before he faces the table. After he sits down, he reaches into his backpack and pulls out flashcards that they begin to study with. The Asian male and his friend laugh at something they have heard or seen on his computer, then go back to their silent head bobbing.

It’s quiet for about ten minutes until a couple comes in holding hands. They are both grinning from ear to ear, and the girl with the big diamond ring on her finger is quietly teasing the scruffy man about something. They have a Subway sandwich with them, so they sit at the table next to mine and begin eating. They are quiet, but busily and excitedly talking about school and work as if they haven’t seen one another for a long time. They are constantly touching each other- holding hands, touching legs, or rubbing one another’s backs. When they are finishing up their bag of chips they are sharing, diamond ring tells scruffy man that he forgot to lock the door this morning. I had assumed they hadn’t seen each other because of their enthusiasm to talk to one another, but they had just been together hours before now. I wonder if they are always this excited to be with one another. They begin to talk about scruffy man’s family coming into town this weekend, and she seems stressed by the upcoming visit. Scruffy man begins to rub the palm of diamond ring’s hand, soothingly telling her that they will have time to get the house cleaned and it instantly calms her. He seems to know just how to calm her down and keep her from building onto the stress.

Once diamond ring has calmed down and talked through how much time she has to get home and get their home cleaned before work, scruffy man smiles at her encouragingly and gets up to throw away their trash. Instead of fixing her hair and make-up as tall girl did, diamond ring watches scruffy man slowly and full of thought, until he returns to his seat. Scruffy man leans in to kiss diamond ring, and their kiss is much slower and longer than red shirt and tall girl’s kiss. They are kissing like they’re greeting one another after being apart for months. Perhaps that’s just how their relationship is? It’s almost like I’m watching a movie and I’m not sure if I should be intruding on their extremely romantic moment in the library. I’m beginning to wonder what their romance is like when they are alone and how long they have been dating. Instead of being loud and obnoxious like teenagers trying to get attention, they are quiet and to themselves, but still have overflowing passion for one another. They being to read their books separately, but keep holding hands. The Asian male and his friend have been laughing for a while now, and diamond ring begins to giggle at their enthusiasm. Scruffy man gives her a smile, but then tells her they’ve got to get their work done and she nods her head and goes back to work. Everyone has gone silent now so there is nothing more to observe.