People have less privacy and are crammed together in cities, but in the wide open spaces they secretly keep tabs on each other a lot more. ~Sara Paretsky

The blonde guy who resembles the wacky roommate from the movie with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in London (you know the one) just arrived. We're still waiting on the thin, shaved headed athlete-looking fellow who reminds me a bit of the thin Buddha to take his place for lunch.

Every weekday, we have lunch together. We do not speak and we do not know each other's names. But we all recognize the others and likely appreciate the quiet company.

There is a beautiful, peaceful little park across the street from the office where I report to work in San Francisco. A two foot wide man-made babbling brook is visited by dragon flies and the occasional bulldog. The waterfall on the edge of the park nearly takes my mind off the sounds of passing traffic on Embarcadero.

If it's a sunny day, my usual spot on the perfectly manicured lawn allows me to block out all sight of tall buildings and streets- so long as I don't tilt my head too far in any direction but forward.

The blonde fellow works in the same building as me-on the same floor, even. We have never spoken. He likes the spot right in the middle of the park-sitting on the grass. He is almost always on time, but doesn't stay long.

The athletic Buddha man sometimes worries me with his tardiness. Where is he? I’ll look up from my view of the ferns and succulents and concrete miniature river for him a few times until he finally arrives.

His spot is on a short concrete pillar, right in the middle of the river. He turns his head to the sun on the infrequent occasions it chooses to show itself here. And he basks in it. Oh! There he is. Taking his seat. Closing his eyes to soak in the rays.

I wonder if they'll notice my departure in a few months when I've moved on to another office somewhere. I'd like to think they'll raise their eyes to look for me at least a few times just after I'm gone. Perhaps wonder briefly where I'm having lunch now.