The Barista
02- Scruffy no more.
It was nearly a month later when I saw him again. Scruffy I mean. He came in
alone without tall cute guy, but that was all right. Scruffy wasn't nearly so scruffy in
clothes that actually fit. Plus he had lost that vulnerable, just-been-mugged look to
him.
It was barely 6 am and I had the shop to myself for another hour. I actually like
working the morning shift. Ok, maybe like is too strong a word, but it really wasn't
so bad. Lots of regulars who tip nicely. Best of all, I didn't have to share it with
anyone. What can I say? College textbooks don't grow on trees.
"Good morning." I pride myself on not being one of those saccharine happy people
at the crack of dawn. Sure, some folks might find that refreshing, but it's my shop
(at least for the next 65 minutes) and I'll be damned if I'm Miss Cheerful.
"Good morning." He says pushing up his glasses. I get the feeling he does that
quite a bit. He was dressed in non-descript khaki pants and a button-down
chambray shirt. I think I'll change his nickname to professor. He has that
professory look to him.
"Double short Americano?" I ask.
"How'd you guess?!" He answered utterly surprised. I love it when I catch them off
guard. I gave him a big smile.
"You were in once before."
"I was?" Uh oh. Head case?
"Uh huh. Last month. You came in with a tall, cu.." (oops, nearly gave tall cute
guy's alias away) I closed my mouth, smiled and tried again. "You came in with
another tall customer." Ha! That sounded quite convincing.
"Jack!"
"Yeah, that was his name." Phew- the guy wasn't mental. I hate it when the cute
ones are freaks. And he WAS cute. Actually, if ever got around to getting a haircut,
I am pretty certain he would usurp tall cute guy on his nickname. Besides, tall cute
guy (Jack) was old enough to be my father. Professor here was not.
"So this is where we came huh?" He asks almost to himself looking around the shop.
He notices me looking at him strangely and pushing up his glasses again as he offers
an explanation.
"I was extremely jet-lagged when I was in here last." Hey! That actually explains
quite a few things. Rumpled clothes, no money—doesn't help fill in the blanks on the
sad look though.
"Where'd you fly in from?" I ask conversationally. Bigger tip if they think you're
interested in them. And hell, I WAS curious.
The guy swallowed once and licked his lips. Was it just me or did he look slightly
pale?
"Egypt."
"Really?" I asked way too energetically. "God, I LOVED Egypt!" This was true
actually, but did I have to be so cheerleaderish about it? Geeze.
"You're been to Egypt?" He asked with a big smile. Ooo. Like that smile professor.
"Yep. After graduating high school I lived in Israel for a year and spent nearly a
month in Egypt. I'm a big ancient history buff I'm afraid."
"Me too actually." Professor answered rather shyly. Suddenly I hit my forehead with
my hand- his coffee you dufus!
"Let me get your coffee for you."
"Thanks." Professor walks around the small shop as I pull two perfect 22 second
shots of espresso and add some hot water.
"Can I ask what you did in Egypt?" This could backfire on me, but I really was
curious. Some folks don't mind being friendly but they don't want you to be too
friendly if you know what I mean.
"I'm an archaeologist." He said coming back to the drink counter.
"No shit?" Ah man! I can't believe I just said that. God, Kira- have you no sense of
decorum?
"I'm so sorry!" I gushed apologetically. Swearing on the job was definitely frowned
upon.
"No shit." Professor said giving me a huge smile. I laughed and handed him his
coffee.
"I worked on a dig in Israel actually." Now it was my turn to sound shy.
"Really? Where?" He actually sounds interested!
"Up in the Golan heights area. It was a late Hellenistic tel." I couldn't help it. I was
trying to impress him. Only real nerdy folks and archaeologists know that 'tel'
means mound.
"Find anything good?" He asks taking a sip of coffee. He lets out a small sigh as he
swallows the warm liquid. I smile smugly; I make a damn good cup of coffee.
"The usual pottery shards and unexploded bomb shells." I answer. He laughs. AND
doesn't ask for an explanation. I guess if he worked at all in the Middle East he'd
know that finding bombs in the middle of digs were somewhat normal.
"Been there, done that." He chuckles. Suddenly the faint beeping sound of a pager
could be heard.
"Darn it guys!" Professor mutters as he pulls the offensive object out of his pants.
He checks the message and rolls his eyes.
"Gotta go?" I ask.
"Yep." He answers attaching a plastic lid to his drink. "Although they can't really
start the meeting without me!"
"Ah power." I smile leaning down onto the counter with my elbows. He flashes me a
smile as he starts walking out the door.
"See you later." He calls giving me a small wave. It was only a few minutes later
that I realized he hadn't paid for his drink. Ah well, he'd be back.
02- Scruffy no more.
It was nearly a month later when I saw him again. Scruffy I mean. He came in
alone without tall cute guy, but that was all right. Scruffy wasn't nearly so scruffy in
clothes that actually fit. Plus he had lost that vulnerable, just-been-mugged look to
him.
It was barely 6 am and I had the shop to myself for another hour. I actually like
working the morning shift. Ok, maybe like is too strong a word, but it really wasn't
so bad. Lots of regulars who tip nicely. Best of all, I didn't have to share it with
anyone. What can I say? College textbooks don't grow on trees.
"Good morning." I pride myself on not being one of those saccharine happy people
at the crack of dawn. Sure, some folks might find that refreshing, but it's my shop
(at least for the next 65 minutes) and I'll be damned if I'm Miss Cheerful.
"Good morning." He says pushing up his glasses. I get the feeling he does that
quite a bit. He was dressed in non-descript khaki pants and a button-down
chambray shirt. I think I'll change his nickname to professor. He has that
professory look to him.
"Double short Americano?" I ask.
"How'd you guess?!" He answered utterly surprised. I love it when I catch them off
guard. I gave him a big smile.
"You were in once before."
"I was?" Uh oh. Head case?
"Uh huh. Last month. You came in with a tall, cu.." (oops, nearly gave tall cute
guy's alias away) I closed my mouth, smiled and tried again. "You came in with
another tall customer." Ha! That sounded quite convincing.
"Jack!"
"Yeah, that was his name." Phew- the guy wasn't mental. I hate it when the cute
ones are freaks. And he WAS cute. Actually, if ever got around to getting a haircut,
I am pretty certain he would usurp tall cute guy on his nickname. Besides, tall cute
guy (Jack) was old enough to be my father. Professor here was not.
"So this is where we came huh?" He asks almost to himself looking around the shop.
He notices me looking at him strangely and pushing up his glasses again as he offers
an explanation.
"I was extremely jet-lagged when I was in here last." Hey! That actually explains
quite a few things. Rumpled clothes, no money—doesn't help fill in the blanks on the
sad look though.
"Where'd you fly in from?" I ask conversationally. Bigger tip if they think you're
interested in them. And hell, I WAS curious.
The guy swallowed once and licked his lips. Was it just me or did he look slightly
pale?
"Egypt."
"Really?" I asked way too energetically. "God, I LOVED Egypt!" This was true
actually, but did I have to be so cheerleaderish about it? Geeze.
"You're been to Egypt?" He asked with a big smile. Ooo. Like that smile professor.
"Yep. After graduating high school I lived in Israel for a year and spent nearly a
month in Egypt. I'm a big ancient history buff I'm afraid."
"Me too actually." Professor answered rather shyly. Suddenly I hit my forehead with
my hand- his coffee you dufus!
"Let me get your coffee for you."
"Thanks." Professor walks around the small shop as I pull two perfect 22 second
shots of espresso and add some hot water.
"Can I ask what you did in Egypt?" This could backfire on me, but I really was
curious. Some folks don't mind being friendly but they don't want you to be too
friendly if you know what I mean.
"I'm an archaeologist." He said coming back to the drink counter.
"No shit?" Ah man! I can't believe I just said that. God, Kira- have you no sense of
decorum?
"I'm so sorry!" I gushed apologetically. Swearing on the job was definitely frowned
upon.
"No shit." Professor said giving me a huge smile. I laughed and handed him his
coffee.
"I worked on a dig in Israel actually." Now it was my turn to sound shy.
"Really? Where?" He actually sounds interested!
"Up in the Golan heights area. It was a late Hellenistic tel." I couldn't help it. I was
trying to impress him. Only real nerdy folks and archaeologists know that 'tel'
means mound.
"Find anything good?" He asks taking a sip of coffee. He lets out a small sigh as he
swallows the warm liquid. I smile smugly; I make a damn good cup of coffee.
"The usual pottery shards and unexploded bomb shells." I answer. He laughs. AND
doesn't ask for an explanation. I guess if he worked at all in the Middle East he'd
know that finding bombs in the middle of digs were somewhat normal.
"Been there, done that." He chuckles. Suddenly the faint beeping sound of a pager
could be heard.
"Darn it guys!" Professor mutters as he pulls the offensive object out of his pants.
He checks the message and rolls his eyes.
"Gotta go?" I ask.
"Yep." He answers attaching a plastic lid to his drink. "Although they can't really
start the meeting without me!"
"Ah power." I smile leaning down onto the counter with my elbows. He flashes me a
smile as he starts walking out the door.
"See you later." He calls giving me a small wave. It was only a few minutes later
that I realized he hadn't paid for his drink. Ah well, he'd be back.