Being an 18-year-old male had its disadvantages. As Sedgewick walked up to the bus stop, or just about anywhere for that matter, he couldn’t help but notice every semi-attractive female. With one sweep his eyes took in who was at the stop, if he knew them, if he recognized them, if they were new to the stop.

There was the college professor with his handbag. He always came to this stop or the next one, probably walking down to this one if he had the time, too impatient to wait at the farther stop. On the bus he read from a Greek book and got off at the University campus.

There was the big guy with the black gym bag. He always showed up just after the bus pulled up, and joined the tale end of the line of bus riders just as it snaked its way on to the bus. He went all the way downtown.

There were always a few other hangers-on, people who never showed up regularly, who might be there three days in a row and then never again. The semi-attractive women were always in this bunch, as if they changed their routes every day to stop strange men from stalking them. Sedgewick thought that seemed like a decent plan.

There was one girl who had been at the bus stop all week. She walked down 3rd street, just like Sedgewick, although never at the same time. She was always waiting at the bus stop when Sedgewick came strolling up. She got off at the University, a stop before the professor. On Tuesday she was reviewing flash cards, and Sedgewick guessed she was a student taking a summer class.

He noticed that she was something to look at. She wasn’t one of the girls that attracted whistles and long stares, but she was soft on the eyes, with subtle curves hidden under the blouse and pants.

Sedgewick always smiled and nodded to her, just like he did to every other stranger he met. He always felt like people needed to be more friendly, and a smile and nod was about as far as he could go without breaking the social norms that kept him from going up to total strangers and asking for their life story, which was something Sedgewick would love to do.

But when he nodded and smiled at this girl, he meant it. He so wanted to talk to her, find out her name, what class she was taking, where on 3rd street she lived. But he imagined it was a little spooky to be hit on by a total stranger at the bus stop. Sedgewick himself had heard one too many horror stories from scared mothers. He wasn’t about to become one of those stories.

And so his unrequited lust continued.