Controlling the Unexpected
Cappuccino and Bagel Hat Guy
I was pouring another cup of coffee when I heard a loud crash behind me. "Steph, are you okay?" I asked, without turning around. Stephanie works with me at the local coffee shop on weekday mornings, and she's a bit of a clutz.
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure about that cabinet door. It's pretty quiet in here; I'm going to go to the store and get some duct tape to try and fix it. You can handle the place by yourself for about 20 minutes, right?"
"Sure, go ahead, just try and get some in a color that will blend in with the wood well enough. That stuff comes in more colors than you could imagine..."
I don't really like working alone, but after working here for four years running, I think I can handle twenty minutes on a quiet morning. We had some regulars in this morning, but I suppose most people didn't feel like braving the rain for a cup of coffee. I've always liked quiet mornings like this. It's not so much that I'm not a morning person, my sleeping schedule can be pretty flexible actually, it just gives me time to think. And to drink my coffee.
"Hello, what can I get for you this morning?" A new customer had just walked in, startling me from my reverie. You know, I must say that same line about 100 times a day. I know I get tired of saying it, I always wonder if the customers get annoyed at hearing it. It's just such an unoriginal line. I mean, with as much as people hear it, it must sound really insincere... Oh well. Time to slap a smile on this face, no one tips a mopey barista.
"I'll have a double latte, please"
"For here or to go?"
"Here please."
"Okay, that'll be $3.15, please." This guy looked like he could use some sleep. Or, well, coffee I guess. I suppose we all have our sleepless weeks; this must have been one of his. You know, most people are rude and grumpy when they're tired like he looked, but he seemed to still have some spring in his step (and appreciation in his tip). It's people like that who give me faith in people. You know, the little things people do. Like stopping to pet the dog that's tied outside while its owner gets something to eat. Either that, or I'm thinking too much.
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The next day, the same "spring in his step tired guy" came in again. Today he looked better rested. And again, he had a double latte. I really wouldn't mind if he became a regular, he left a tip again. This time, as I handed him his change, he asked, "That guy in the corner, in the hat, does he always come in?"
"Yeah. Nonfat cappuccino and a bagel, every day. Why?"
"I don't know... he was here yesterday and it just looked like he felt... I don't know... unpleasant, like someone was forcing him to be here. I always wonder about people like that."
"Yeah. I've always wondered about that guy. I mean, is my coffee really that torturous? Maybe there's something I don't know about, like his family life, but it makes me kinda sad to see people who look so down every day. I always try and be friendly with him, for some people that's all they really need I think."
"Well, it beats me. I'll leave you to your work, then." And then he sat down, and I finished the day like any other.
*a few days later*
"You know, a curious thing happened yesterday after you left," I said as I set down my new regular's fresh latte on his table.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. You remember cappuccino and bagel guy? Well, he brought his daughter in with him, and she had an old copy of Rolling Stone, and who do you think I saw on the cover?"
"I don't know, Def Leppard?"
"Don't be a smartass." I wouldn't normally talk like this idly with a customer, but the cafe was nearly empty.
"So are you a fan?"
"I listen to you guys sometimes, but really, I would never have recognized you if she hadn't brought that magazine in yesterday. So, that answer depends on your definition of fan."
"So now that you know who I am, what's your name?"
"Lia. And Frank, wait, can I call you Frank?" He nodded, "I thought you guys were on tour, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, we're on our break, we'll be home for about a month. But how did you know we're not just here on tour?"
"If you were on tour, would you have come back to this same coffee shop for five days in a row? I doubt you spend three days in one town while you're on tour."
"You got me there. But you didn't know we weren't on tour."
"No, I didn't, just like I didn't know you were going to order a double latte today. Well, I'd better get back to work. My boss is expecting that refrigerator clean when he gets here."
"Okay, well, this is one killer latte."
"I'm more of a cappuccino person myself," I replied as I walked back over to my counter. Yes, my counter. I may not own the place, but I worked here often enough and for long enough that I can call it my own.
"Yeah, but I'm not so sure about that cabinet door. It's pretty quiet in here; I'm going to go to the store and get some duct tape to try and fix it. You can handle the place by yourself for about 20 minutes, right?"
"Sure, go ahead, just try and get some in a color that will blend in with the wood well enough. That stuff comes in more colors than you could imagine..."
I don't really like working alone, but after working here for four years running, I think I can handle twenty minutes on a quiet morning. We had some regulars in this morning, but I suppose most people didn't feel like braving the rain for a cup of coffee. I've always liked quiet mornings like this. It's not so much that I'm not a morning person, my sleeping schedule can be pretty flexible actually, it just gives me time to think. And to drink my coffee.
"Hello, what can I get for you this morning?" A new customer had just walked in, startling me from my reverie. You know, I must say that same line about 100 times a day. I know I get tired of saying it, I always wonder if the customers get annoyed at hearing it. It's just such an unoriginal line. I mean, with as much as people hear it, it must sound really insincere... Oh well. Time to slap a smile on this face, no one tips a mopey barista.
"I'll have a double latte, please"
"For here or to go?"
"Here please."
"Okay, that'll be $3.15, please." This guy looked like he could use some sleep. Or, well, coffee I guess. I suppose we all have our sleepless weeks; this must have been one of his. You know, most people are rude and grumpy when they're tired like he looked, but he seemed to still have some spring in his step (and appreciation in his tip). It's people like that who give me faith in people. You know, the little things people do. Like stopping to pet the dog that's tied outside while its owner gets something to eat. Either that, or I'm thinking too much.
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The next day, the same "spring in his step tired guy" came in again. Today he looked better rested. And again, he had a double latte. I really wouldn't mind if he became a regular, he left a tip again. This time, as I handed him his change, he asked, "That guy in the corner, in the hat, does he always come in?"
"Yeah. Nonfat cappuccino and a bagel, every day. Why?"
"I don't know... he was here yesterday and it just looked like he felt... I don't know... unpleasant, like someone was forcing him to be here. I always wonder about people like that."
"Yeah. I've always wondered about that guy. I mean, is my coffee really that torturous? Maybe there's something I don't know about, like his family life, but it makes me kinda sad to see people who look so down every day. I always try and be friendly with him, for some people that's all they really need I think."
"Well, it beats me. I'll leave you to your work, then." And then he sat down, and I finished the day like any other.
*a few days later*
"You know, a curious thing happened yesterday after you left," I said as I set down my new regular's fresh latte on his table.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah. You remember cappuccino and bagel guy? Well, he brought his daughter in with him, and she had an old copy of Rolling Stone, and who do you think I saw on the cover?"
"I don't know, Def Leppard?"
"Don't be a smartass." I wouldn't normally talk like this idly with a customer, but the cafe was nearly empty.
"So are you a fan?"
"I listen to you guys sometimes, but really, I would never have recognized you if she hadn't brought that magazine in yesterday. So, that answer depends on your definition of fan."
"So now that you know who I am, what's your name?"
"Lia. And Frank, wait, can I call you Frank?" He nodded, "I thought you guys were on tour, what are you doing here?"
"Oh, we're on our break, we'll be home for about a month. But how did you know we're not just here on tour?"
"If you were on tour, would you have come back to this same coffee shop for five days in a row? I doubt you spend three days in one town while you're on tour."
"You got me there. But you didn't know we weren't on tour."
"No, I didn't, just like I didn't know you were going to order a double latte today. Well, I'd better get back to work. My boss is expecting that refrigerator clean when he gets here."
"Okay, well, this is one killer latte."
"I'm more of a cappuccino person myself," I replied as I walked back over to my counter. Yes, my counter. I may not own the place, but I worked here often enough and for long enough that I can call it my own.