A spider sat on top of the muffin. I hoped the woman at the table would notice it herself, but of course she didn’t. It wasn’t a big spider, and I could tell it wasn’t a black widow or a brown recluse (the only two types of poisonous spider I can identify), so I didn’t say anything. I’m uncomfortable interrupting conversations.
The woman and her friend (also female) were discussing the television they had watched the night before. I had no idea what they were talking about.
The spider lifted one of his front legs in that oddly mechanical way spiders do and just kind of held it upright. It vibrated slightly from the wind of the woman’s breath or the air from the ventilation system, I wasn’t sure which. It almost looked like the spider was waving at something. Maybe spiders can be friendly, I thought.
I waved back, just because, and the woman noticed and glared at me. She probably thought I was trying to pick her up. She needn’t have worried; I wasn’t really attracted to her anyway, so there was no real risk. I was simply trying to be cordial to the possibly-waving spider.
Then she ate him.
