Cultivate

It wasn't the healthiest pastime to cultivate, but Mary developed an obsessive infatuation with the driver of the #63 she rode every day to work. The bus driver's name was Frank Reynolds, and he grew orchids in a hothouse he built in his backyard. She overheard Frank telling Mrs. Magnano all about it one morning. Mary thought Frank was very handsome with his mahogany skin and dark, deep-set eyes that crinkled at the outer corners when he smiled. Frank smiled a lot, which Mary made note of in her diary. She developed a smile ranking system that categorized and rated Frank's grin as he greeted boarding passengers. For example, when a pack of teenagers bounded up the steps to flash their passes, Frank nodded his bald pate and drew his lips together in a tight line that formed parentheses-like creases on either side of his mouth. This smile was labeled "Attentive Recognition" and earned a rating of two out of five stars. "Attentive Recognition" was not a bad, poorly executed smile. It was a perfectly acceptable facial expression. However, it was exactly the sort of benign greeting that would leave Mary feeling crestfallen for the rest of the day. She'd been on the receiving end of "Attentive Recognition" nine times already this month. Last month, it appeared a total of five times. Mary's favorite Frank smile was the five-star "Back to Base," a dazzling display of impossibly white teeth, dimpled cheeks, and plenty of eye crinkle. Mary could have sworn Frank favored her with the "Back to Base" last Tuesday, but Mary knew deep down she was simply in the right place at the right time as Mrs. Magnano wheeled her chair onto the hydraulic lift.