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You weren't picky about choosing a spot to buy lunch. It was rather what you craved to consume that dictated where you'd go and sometimes, you'd find a small hole in the wall and dine there. You enjoyed supporting small businesses and did your best to explore new spots. Most of them were hits and it encouraged you to venture more throughout the city.
Today, you were thinking about burgers.
You scrolled on your phone, looking at the restaurants listed nearby your location. You could definitely go to a chain restaurant like McDonald's and get it cheap. Or, you could check out the burger shop that was stationed at the end of the street. You've passed by it several times during the commute home and have considered stopping inside, but it never happened due to bad timing.
“Let's check it out.” You grinned, pocketing your phone as you strolled down the pavement.
Your car was safe in the confines of a free parking lot, so you weren't worried about paying a parking meter. You actually found that parking lot by chance due to your job. The office building, albeit small but cozy for you and your coworkers, was a couple streets over. The office didn't have enough parking for its employees and sometimes you'd have the short end of the stick and have to park on the street. But after driving around the area, you noticed the lot and took the risk. Since then, you haven't had any issues trying to find a place to park.
“Oh, this is cute.” You commented quietly to yourself.
Standing in front of the building, you accessed the restaurant through its large windows. It was one of those pick-up and go sorta places. But, it did have a few tables and booths for their customers if they wanted to dine inside, which was wonderful for you. You preferred to eat at the restaurant instead of hiking the food back to the office. You've done that before and your food was cold by the time you returned. Never again would you do that.
With curious intent and a rumbling belly, you pushed open the door and stepped inside, embracing the smell of deliciously cooked food.
Other than yourself and a guy waiting at the counter, no one else was in the restaurant. It must've been a slow day, but that didn't deter you. You approached the line, standing behind the gentleman who was seemingly waiting for his food. He didn't look back to see who you were, his attention fixated on his phone as he minded his business.
And because you've never come to this joint before, you decided to ask for his opinion. You weren't necessarily scared to talk to a stranger on the street. Probably because you've learned that trait from your talkative mother or perhaps you had no shame. Either way, you wanted to get an idea if this place was good and asking the singular patron who was in line would be a start.
“Hey, excuse me.” You called out to the person in front of you. “Do you know what's good on the menu?”
The patron turned, his blue eyes dotting elsewhere in the restaurant until he realized it was you talking to him. He blinked, staring momentarily at you before a cough echoed in his throat. He lowered his phone.
“Oh, uh, yeah.” His voice stabilized. “I usually come for their burgers. They're pretty good.”
“How about their fries?” You asked, glancing at the menu situated above the front counter.
Burgers, shakes, fries, salads: You name it, they had it.
“I've gotten them a few times before. I think they're alright.”
“Thanks.” You said sincerely with a small smile before looking back at the menu. “Sorry to bother you.”
You were only asking a question. Claude didn't think you were bothering him at all, and this interaction was by no means weird for him. Living in America, everyone just casually talks to one another. It was a cultural aspect. He just didn't expect someone to talk to him while he's on his lunch run. Usually he'd see a few other patrons here at noon, but today it was you and himself.
Now that he thought about it, he hasn't seen you around before. Were you new to the area?
“Alright, my man. One burger and diet coke.” Steve, the owner of the burger joint, set down his to-go order on the counter. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Nah, that's it. Thanks, man.” Claude gathered his order and stepped aside, allowing you to come to the front.
You threw a smile at him as a silent ‘thank you’ and padded forward.
“Hi! How can I help you, Miss?” Steve grinned, the aura of friendly and welcoming radiating off his person.
You smiled and recited your order. Steve listened to what you wanted on your burger and how you liked it done, pressing several times on the ordering screen. And when you finished, he read the order verbatim to ensure it was correct.
“It'll be done in a moment. Take a seat!” He insisted, pointing to the array of seating arrangements after you paid your dues.
You took his advice and found a comfy spot next to the window. You sat down, propping your arm on the table and leaned into your palm. You were glad to finally pop in here. You were craving a good burger and this place might be your next favorite spot for such a delicacy.
“Yeah, I'll hop on when I'm home. I just got my food.”
Your attention panned over to the left to see the patron you spoke to earlier had not left yet. He stood at a booth with his bagged order on the table, talking into his phone. You weren't the type to eavesdrop on conversations, but with it just being the two of you in the restaurant, it was impossible to ignore. You chose to look out the window, attempting to drown out his personal conversation by thinking about work.
Thankfully, it didn't take long before your food arrived.
“Here's your order!” Steve walked over and graciously set down your food. “I hope you enjoy it.”
You straightened your back, sending the owner a grand smile.
“Oh my goodness, thank you! And yes, I will! It looks really good!”
Steve laughed and went back to the counter, leaving you to your food. You sighed happily, looking at the presentation. The burger was half wrapped with paper, revealing the contents of your favorite toppings and sauces. Next to it was also a small tray of fries and a cup of your favorite soda. It was exactly what you ordered and my god, you were ready to eat a horse.
Wasting no time, you lifted the carefully wrapped burger to your mouth and took a bite.
Claude, who clicked off the Discord call and pocketed his phone, glanced at the entrance of the restaurant. He was supposed to be doing a stream very soon and didn't think his run to get food would take this long. He called Vanta to inform him he'd be a tad bit late, to which his friend reassured and said it was fine.
Then, he noticed the girl who spoke to him earlier. You sat at a table towards the front, eating your meal. There was no sense of distaste for the food. He was honestly glad that you were enjoying it. He didn't want to accidentally sell this restaurant as good and see you disappointed in what you ordered. He too just started coming to this spot a few weeks ago and was wary about it. But after ordering a few times, he's grown to love this restaurant. He was happy to see you were satisfied, too.
And just as he thought about looking away, your eyes met with his.
Claude froze, unsure how to react. He's been in situations before where he'd make awkward eye contact with another person and it never went down well. It also didn't help that he was caught staring at you. He wasn't trying to be a creep. But you… You wiped your mouth with a napkin and gave him a gesture of approval, your eyes shining with appreciation.
He mirrored your smile and gesture, his uneasy heart settled by your genuine reaction.
From then on, you continued to frequent the burger shop whenever you craved a hearty lunch. It was also convenient that it was located near the office. A simple walk down the street and you'd have good food in your stomach. It was a win.
Though, on several occasions, you noticed a trend whenever you stopped by the small business. You didn't think much of it until the fourth instance, but almost every time you went, you'd run into the same guy. He'd either be waiting for his food or leaving as you arrived. You would send him a friendly smile and go about your day. Maybe a short chit chat before he left for his car on the street.
From those little interactions, you eventually learned his name and aren't complete strangers anymore. You now knew each other as the regular patrons who dined at a really good hole in the wall. You also thought of him as a really nice acquaintance whom you bumped into every time you wanted a burger.
But after a while, your mind naturally anticipated seeing Claude when you hungered for the particular food item or walked by the shop. And without fail, he'd be there to say hello.
However, on Thursday when you strolled by the restaurant to grab the office order at the donut shop, you had an epiphany.
“Hey, [Y/N]!”
You recognized that voice and looked up from your phone, your chest lighting up with glee.
“You coming in? I just got here.” He said with that charming smile of his. “Maybe we can actually eat together this time. I don't need to work until this evening.”
Claude stood in front of the building, the door held open and waiting for you to join him. The sight and invitation alone excited you. So much so, that you were about ready to abandon the donut order and dine with him. But reality came crashing down and you remembered what your coworkers wanted. They'd be sad if they didn't receive the desserts they ordered.
But what about you? Why was your voice failing to tell him that you couldn't eat with him? Did you fear that he'd be upset? Or were you really that eager to be close to him?
‘ Oh ,’ you thought as your heart spiraled into the abyss. ‘ Oh . ’
It was more complex than that.
You have a crush on Claude, and you have no idea when that one-sided attraction towards him started.
A big , fat crush.
What were you, a teenager who fell in love with random strangers?
But Claude wasn't necessarily a stranger anymore. You knew a few things about him and vice-versa, though what difference does that make?
What dumb luck.
And he has a girlfriend too, doesn't he? He's attractive, so you were plenty sure he has a partner. He was just being nice to you since you had lunch around the same hour. You were nothing but a fellow patron who also enjoyed fast food.
“Actually, I'm heading to the donut shop to pick up a dozen for my coworkers.” You mustered your voice to reply, walking up to him with a sheepish tone. “Maybe next time?”
He must be good at playing things off because if you weren't looking directly at him, you wouldn't have seen the miniscule flash of disappointment on his face. He awkwardly shut the door to the restaurant, his focus veering to the side for a moment before landing back on you.
“Oh, really? Bad timing, huh.” His laugh was half-hearted. “Yeah, next time is cool.”
You couldn't deny what you saw, and your heart was taking hits. He was definitely wanting to have lunch together, and the feelings were mutual.
You wanted to pursue him, even if it didn't go well. You should shoot your shot, at least. The worst he could say is no and you'd go back to being strangers.
But that's not what either of you wanted.
“Hey, Claude?” Your heart took a leap of faith.
He tore his gaze off the pavement, fixating himself on you. “Yeah?”
Standing close to him, your fingers pinched the sleeve of his jacket. You tilted your head up, looking at him through your lashes. You waited, wondering if he'd dislike your proximity to him. But seeing that he didn't push you away nor show an expression of discomfort, it gave you the courage to continue.
In fact, you saw his eyes widen in surprise and his pallor dusted with scarlet.
And you were sure you looked the same.
“Are you… free this Saturday?”
And don't forget, this started over wanting a burger for lunch.