miriam

i woke up and before even getting out of bed i was checking my email via my clock radio. it displayed next to my bed, basically on my window blind. i was trying to figure out how to use my clock radio controls to scroll and click on the messages. then i got up to use the bathroom.

there was a blue plastic thing on the bottom of the bathtub and the water from m's shower couldn't drain out. i headed out of the bathroom to ask him what was up with the plastic. when i reached the door to the living room (wearing my blue shorts and a bra) matthew told me that 'miriam's' mom and dad and grandparents were there. they all exited his bedroom to greet me, and matthew was laughing (presumably at my outfit). i was embarrassed and went back in my room to put on a t-shirt. miriam's grandfather told me i was very beautiful. he seemed sincere. (i still had no idea who miriam was).

then-i met miriam! she had long brown hair. it was kind of messy and looked almost like thin dreads, but was just wavy and unbrushed. her eyes were a striking shade of blue, and her irises were a deeper shade of blue. that was a little disconcerting at first. she started telling me the story of how matthew had become her boyfriend.

they met at the grocery store where she worked--down near campus (a small market rather than whole foods or something). she talked quickly and kind of spacily (and happily) about how every night her co-worker would remind her that she'd get to see her boyfriend (m) in the morning. he'd say 'tomorrow you get to see a boyfriend's boyfriend of a girlfriend's girlfriend'. he was funny like that, miriam explained.

she talked on and on (it was dizzying) and matthew smiled away.

miriam's inspiration
after writing this out, i realized who miriam's real-life inspiration must be. the barista at fuel coffee in capitol hill. it opened two weeks ago and i've been about 3 or 4 times. always there behind the counter is the owner. blonde/brown dreadlocks and striking blue eyes. though unlike miriam, she seems very serious/sincere/earnest (take your pick).