Philip nodded, feeling slightly less nervous now that it seemed like Blaine was a very calm person. When he had pointed out the name on the cup, he couldn’t help the sheepish grin on his face. Maybe if his mind wasn’t elsewhere, he could have noticed it. Letting out a short laugh when he finished, he shook his head. “It’s uh – i-it’s Philip. I do agree with you that that would have been a very creepy.” Looking down at the book in his hand, he held it up. “The Universe and How we learn from it.” There was a small pause. “It was written by a colleague.”
The grin replaced by a bright smile as the cup was handed to him, he gratefully accepted it. “Thank you. I’m not too used to coffee shops just yet.”
His lips pressed together in an amused smile. Blaine wasn’t going to point out that he knew his name wasn’t Blaine because the cup he held onto had Philip written on the side. The joke served it’s purpose in getting the older gentleman to relax and not look like he was about to crawl under the table if he got any more anxious. “Very creepy,” he reiterated with a widening of his eyes. “Colleague? What do you do?” Daydreaming up a job that would fit this guy was easy. Professor? Librarian? Engineer with a panache for figuring out the universe? Stereotyping wasn’t his thing but Philip practically screamed any of the three.
Not a Warbler in sight. How early was he? “I think it is it’s own etiquette that you pick up without realizing there was one. Keep coming here and you’ll get it in no time.”
pianokeysandbowties 