Lately I've gotten into wearing a pocket watch when I go out. I keep it in my blazer pocket, on a chain attached to one of the button holes.
The other day I was sitting in a cafe with a coffee, and I just casually took it out of my pocket to check the time. As I was putting it away, a woman on the next table leaned over and said "Excuse me - I'm sorry to disturb you. I just wanted to say I really like your pocket watch."
"Oh, thank you." I replied
"Is it an antique?"
"Actually yes. I think so anyway. It belonged to my grandmother, I found it in her things after she died a few years ago. I've never had anyone look at it properly though."
"Oh I'm sorry to hear that. I'm actually very interested in pocket watches. Would you mind if I take a look?"
"No, by all means" I said.
Now, I have to say, something felt a little strange about handing my pocket watch over to a stranger in a cafe. Not because I thought she would run off with it - she seemed genuine enough, and I doubt anyone would be so brazen as to rob me of it in broad daylight with witnesses around. No, I felt strange handing it over because for me, as a hypnosis fetishist, my pocket watch obviously is a very personal thing, and showing it to someone I had just met made me feel a little... exposed? I felt myself burning up as she looked at it.
"It's beautiful. I have to confess, I don't actually know very much about antique watches, so I can't really tell you anything about it. I just find them fascinating, you know?"
I wasn't sure what to say to that, and as a few seconds went by and the silence got to me, I replied "Me too, i suppose". A few more seconds went by, I'm not sure how many, but neither of us broke eye contact. I actually find eye contact quite uncomfortable generally (not ideal for a hypnotist), but I was just caught off guard.
"It's silly" She said handing it back to me "Not your watch! I mean... It's silly that I am fascinated by them. There's just something about them. You don't really see people use them these days. They got replaced by wrist watches. And then I guess mobile phones came along, and people mostly use those to tell the time these days, and people keep those in their pockets, so I supposed we've kind of come full circle."
"Yes! that's why I have taken to wearing it actually. To get me out of the habit of checking my phone all the time."
"Oh that's clever. Maybe I should try that. Although my apple watch kind of makes that a bit redundant"
"That's true"
"So they're still very much a novelty to see these days. Unless you're a hypnotist!"
"Ha!" (Internally "shit shit shit shit shit")
"Haha"
We both laughed awkwardly, in what I can now only describe as mutual gay panic.
"Well..." (Oh god was I really about to say it?) "funny you should say that..."
"Oh, really? That's amazing! I've always found that so interesting. I guess it goes with my fascination with pocket watches" - She said - and I swear to god, she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Just for a second, and then laughed like an adorable dork.
"That makes sense" - I laughed
There was another awkward silence. I sipped my coffee. She tucked her hair behind her ear.
"Is that what you do for a living?"
"What?"
"Hypnotherapy?"
"Oh I see! No, I don't"
"Oh, you sort of have that look about you, with the jacket and all. Stage hypnosis? Sorry, i'm asking a million question, feel free to tell me to leave you alone if I'm being nosey"
"No it's fine. No I'm not a stage hypnotist either. It's just... a hobby" (Whhhyyyyy did I say it like that?!)
"Oh, I see, sounds fun haha"
By this point you'd think I would have cottoned on to where this conversation was going, but I'm one of the most oblivious people in the world when it comes to women flirting with me. I just smiled while she waited for me to say something back.
"My names Jane by the way" She said, extending her hand.
I took her hand and told her my name. She didn't take back her hand, and neither did I. Now you've probably heard of ambiguous touch - this so was ambiguous, I didn't know know whether I was doing it to her, or she was to me. We just sat, our arms reaching between our 2 tables, our finger tips lightly touching each others palms - until we both slowly withdrew them, not before sharing one last delicate touch of our finger tips to each others.
"So how does it work then? As a hobby... Do you hypnotize friends, or...?
"Um yes, kind of" ("Kind of?!" A yes would have done!")
"Really... Is it like for relaxation, or do you have them like... do things?"
"It depends on the person, but a bit of both. Some people just want help relaxing, but some are up for having fun with it"
"Oh wow that's amazing! That sounds really fun. Do you use the watch?"
"I have done, yes. Usually with the people who are wanting to have fun. Otherwise i just use my voice, or a candle or something"
"I've always wanted to know what it's like... It's a shame it's so noisy in here. Not that you'd just hypnotize some random woman you just met in a cafe-I was just joking. I'm being silly, I should shut up and let you enjoy your coffee."
"Actually, it's gone cold, but it's ok. I come here for some social interaction more than I do the coffee really. It's nice to just be around people sometimes."
I reached over and took one of the comment cards from the cafe counter, wrote down my phone number on it. My hands shook as I wrote, and I could feel a bead of sweat running down my back. I slid the card onto her table.
"If you want to talk some more. About hypnosis, or... just about watches" I said, then I turned to leave before I could think too much about it and change my mind.
I didn't expect her to call. I assumed she would go home and either forget all about me or throw the card in the bin as soon as she left the cafe - but she didn't.












