Nice Coat. Merry Christmas to you too. I love you. Marry Me.

I stood, shivering in the cold February air, waiting for the 8th East campus shuttle. I watched as the number of people increased around me. Great, I thought to myself. We're going to have to crowd in.  I hated being pressed up against a bunch of strangers. It was very uncomfortable for me. 

After a few, long minutes standing in the winter air, the 8th East shuttle pulled up next to the sidewalk. Students streamed from the shuttle as I waited for admittance onto the vehicle. As soon as the shuttle emptied the crowd that gathered around me lined up and started getting on. When I got on I saw that most of the seats near the front were taken. I walked all the way to the end of the shuttle and found the last seat at the end of the bus empty. I sat down and shrugged out of my backpack, placing it on my lap. I promptly pulled out a novel and started reading. The shuttle filled up and I watched, from the corner of my eye, as people sat down in seats near me. I was somewhat surprised when a guy in a gray hoodie sat down in the seat next to me. I glanced over to see his black and white backpack on his lap and his red and silver cellphone open as he texted. My attention returned to my book, albeit not fully. Someone sat on the other side of the guy next to me. Another guy. I guess instinctively a guy would rather be close to a girl than another guy. The guy in the gray sweatshirt leaned in closer to me.

I watched as the guy next to me closed his phone and slid it into the pocket of his jeans. His hand brushing my coat and leg. I tried to keep focused on my book. I sensed his eyes on me a couple of times but I couldn't bring myself to catch his gaze. His phone vibrated between use. His hand snaked down to retrieve his phone. He slid the phone from his pocket and I watched. I never realized how attractive it is for a guy to slid his phone slowly from his front pocket.  

You're such a dork! I scolded myself as I forced my eyes back to my book. I read, all the while I tried to watch this guy from the corner of my eye. Trying to get a glimpse of his face and his hair. I noticed his hands. 

They were lightly tan and veiny in a good way. They were attractive, if hands can be attractive. His nails were kept short and neat, just the way I like. I noticed the CTR ring on his index finger. Hmm... 

The bus turned a corner, gray hoodie guy leaned against me. He didn't even try to hold himself away. Just let his side press against mine. Weird tingles started up in my stomach as I tried to concentrate on my book. It was harder when I caught a whiff of his cologne over the dull, wet dog smell of the campus shuttle. 

Someone across the aisle spoke to him. His voice was masculine and pleasant. What does he look like?! I cried inside my head, my eyes still focused on the book. I tried to catch a glimpse of him without turning my head even as he pulled his hood up to cover his hair.

Dang it! I didn't even get to see his hair. I quickly turned my eyes to my book as the bus stopped and he made ready to leave. I watched his back as he decended the steps and walked away. As the bus pulled away I looked out to see him walking away. His black and white backpack on his back and his hood up, hiding his hair. 

I shut my book and placed it back in my backpack. I was a little more relaxed because a large number of people had gotten off at the stop with gray hoodie guy. I couldn't shake the feeling of tingles in my stomach as I exited the bus at my stop. What did he look like? I wondered, walking on the sidewalk in the still cold, February air. 

The only vision remaining of the random guy in a gray hoodie was his hands. Large, slightly tanned hands, with a CTR ring on his index finger.  The tingles in my stomach intensified as I walked home, a faceless stranger haunting my thoughts.