“Yeah, well. I been in places I didn’t like before. You’d be surprised what you can get used to, man.” He said with a very small nod. He watched as Blaine gestured around to the table, and throwing out his trash.
“If you’re really sure that it’s not out of your way.” Sam said. He was pretty sure he was over compensating in the whole polite department, manners hadn’t mattered where he was before. But he didn’t want to throw this away. “I’m Sam Temple.”
Once the trash was taken care of, Blaine turned to him with a huffing laugh. “How many places have you been exactly? Sorry. I’ve just always..lived in Ohio. Aside from vacations? This is all I’ve known and not many world travelers pick Lima as their destination to wind up in.” Looking around the sidewalk as they stepped out onto it–Blaine gestured to the people milling about and the scenery surrounding them.
Brick building facades, park benches, a bus stop. Nothing overly spectacular. Warm even homey if you looked at it with fresh eyes probably. But once you see it day or week in and out? It all sort of blends together into old mortar and the same streets going to the same places that you can see even with your eyes shut because they never change. “And, no, it’s not too much trouble. I promise–Sam Temple,” his chin tucked near his collar and a lopsided/happy smirk tugged the corner of his mouth, “A trip to the grocery store isn’t going to ruin my day.”
“Yeah, man,” Sam grinned, looking around the area. “It’s a real chill area. From what I’ve seen anyway. And so colorful.”
Even the coffee shop was super bright, it was kind of awesome. “Oh! You don’t live here, makes more sense I guess. If you’re meeting someone, I can’t drag you along for groceries. That’d just be terrible of me.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying your new home then. It’d be awful to move somewhere and hate it,” he shuddered pretending to cringe at the idea and went to motion over his shoulder in the direction of the store but stopped short, mouth hanging open about to tell him to follow.
“Nah. We’re just finishing up. Some of them have a two or three hour drive back home for the weekend. But it’s the last one before break and most of us are going out of town for that so–one final rendezvous beforehand. I’ve got the time if you want the company. Oh! Sorry I forgot,” he quickly took the last sip of his coffee and tossed the container in the trash offering the stranger his hand, “I’m Blaine.”
“Thanks. It seems like a chill place.” Sam said with a nod. He did prefer places with ocean views, but getting away seemed to do him good enough for now. “You think?“ Sam said. It was kind of weird for him to not know where the food came from, but then again, he tried to keep an open mind. “I’m sure I’ll find it, can’t be too far.’
“I guess it can be sort of chill,” Blaine smiled warmly then checked out the area around them nodding as his shoulders hitched in a shrug. “It’s Ohio after all.” Lima was chill in the aspect of being quiet. Most of Ohio was. Seeing as how nothing much happened. For that sense of the word? Sam was spot on. In other ways? Not so much. “Yeah–I think. Oh! Sorry. I don’t actually live here. I’m from Westerville. This is a meeting place for my friends and me. Sort of a midway point to hang out on the weekends. Listen? If it isn’t weird and you want company? I can try to show you where I think it’s at? Unless you’d rather explore the place yourself.”
“I’m kind of new around here.” Sam said. He didn’t want to ramble, not in first introductions. “Is there a grocers around here? I’m trying to stock up.”
Blaine leaned against the short stone wall bordering the bus stop outside the Lima Bean aimlessly watching people pass by as he wasted time after saying a weekend goodbye to the rest of the Warblers. Hearing someone speaking beside him drew his attention towards the source. A warm, welcoming smile greeted Sam from the get go. “Hey, well, welcome to Lima,” Blaine had to think about his question for a minute, “Uhm–there’s a grocery store a couple blocks down–I think?”
pianokeysandbowties back up 