Shane used to love his job. It wasn’t the best job, nor did it pay a lot. But the small stationary shop was perfect for him. It was located on a shopping strip that got a decent amount of foot traffic. He loved being able to meet the many different people who would come in. Some were regulars who he had gotten pretty close to over the years. Most were new to the strip in general and would stop in for souvenirs or just for curiosity’s sake. And on slow days he would just watch as people passed by, outside the shops window.

However as time went on shane started to get bored with his routine. He wanted to be one of the many people he would see pass by. He wanted to have someone to go shopping with, and to go traveling. He felt that his life had become stagnant, there was no more excitement in his everyday. His friends had families now and were too busy working to be able to go out the way they used too.

So here he was opening the shop for another day, with no idea how to make his life interesting or enjoy his job again. Halfway through his day, he was people watching as usual when he noticed a young man carrying a guitar case as well as another bag. The man looked to be the same age as Shane, but much more fashionable. The man took up residence at the bench located in the center of the strip, in a perfect spot for Shane to watch him. The guitarist pulled a mic stand and mic out of the second bag he had been carrying. After he set everything up, he finally pulled out his guitar and began performing for the other pedestrians on the street. Shane couldn’t really hear him, seeing as the door to the shop was closed. But he thought the man was attractive enough for him to get up and prop the door open, so he did.

It had been about fifteen minutes before Shane admitted to himself that the guitarist was good. He had a smooth voice that made you feel warm and content. After another ten minutes the guitarist ended his performance and began packing up. Shane found himself feeling disappointed that it was over, but also hoping he would come back. Which the guitarist did for the next month.

Shane eventually decided he would go talk to the guitarist and ask if he wanted to hang out. He thought he probably shouldn’t wait any longer, and it would be a good way to start having fun again. So on Thursday night once he got him, he planned to talk to the man during his break the next day. Hopefully the man would agree to have a drink with him and his Friday night wouldn’t go to waste. The next morning Shane woke up with excitement for the day ahead. He even made it to work earlier than normal, and still had some time to kill after setting up the store. He started thinking of ways he could approach the man, that wouldn’t scare him off.

Soon it was time to open the shop. It seemed busier than usual, but Shane had forgotten that it was a holiday weekend. So he was working nonstop from opening until halfway through his usual break time. Once it had finally slowed down, Shane got ready to approach the guitarist. But he noticed the bench he normally sat at was empty. He looked at the time and thought that the man had left to get lunch and would be back shortly. The shop got busy again after Shane had his lunch, but he made sure to look for the man every fifteen minutes. Before he knew it, it was closing time and the guitarist had never shown up. Shane couldn’t believe he missed his chance. He had finally got the courage to make a change in his life, and he missed it.

Shane decided he would still go out and drink, even if he was alone. He was hoping the alcohol would help him forget how much his life sucked at the moment. So after closing up the shop he headed to his favorite bar. When he entered the building he went straight to the bar, and ordered a drink. While he waited he scanned the room for a possibly empty table, and that’s when he saw him. The man who had been performing in front of his store. Shane thanked the universe for giving him an extra chance. Once his drink was prepared he paid for it, and headed towards the table the man was at and introduced himself.

“Hi. My name’s Shane, mind of I join you?”