Coffee Wars - Free Excerpt # 3

Coffee Wars - Chapter Two, Part One

April got a job at Expresso right away, and a week later, Christina stopped in during April’s shift. It was late afternoon but still busy. Not as busy as those first few days but still busy. The line weaved through the counter area and into the seating area. Christina took her place at the end and simply observe.

April was working the equipment, racing around to fill drink orders. She had already told Christina that the baristas were allowed only three minutes per customer to complete an order, even when the order included multiple drinks. According to April, three minutes was an Expresso standard. Also, according to April, the standard was nearly impossible to meet when the line of customers never ended and there was no time for breaks. It was hard for Christina to empathize when Buddy had never applied such a standard at May’s and May’s line of customers had never extended past the pastry display at the end of the counter.

Four other baristas occupied the space behind the counter with April – one worked the register, one worked the drive-thru, one cleaned up, and one helped her make drinks. April was at the hot beverage station, and considering the slight chill in the December air, Christina figured April’s station had been the busiest of the day.

When she reached the register, she ordered a large hot chai, paid, and dropped a dollar in the tip jar. Then Christina moved to the counter where April was working and finally got her attention.

“Jesus, Christina,” she said. “Why are you here?”

Christina leaned her forearms on the countertop and gave April a cheeky grin. “I’m waiting for the chai latte you’re about to make me.”

“Don’t mess with me, Christina. I’m stressed out, and I’ve had to pee for almost four hours.”

“So go pee.”

April threw Christina some side eye. “Do I look like I can take a break right now?”

Christina straightened. She had come to poke at April for abandoning her and May’s, but April didn’t look a bit happy in this new job. “Actually, you look like you're about to cry. Can't you get someone to cover for you for five minutes?”

“No.” She waved a hot cup around, and a splash of espresso sloshed onto the floor. “Everyone else is just as busy as I am.” She set the cup down and grabbed a towel.

Another barista bumped into April from behind, and her abdomen hit the edge of the counter. Her eyes bugged out and glossed over.

“April?” 

“I just peed a little,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Good lord, April. I’ll cover for you. Just go to the bathroom.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Christina walked behind the counter and picked up the cup from the counter. “Go so you can hurry back before someone notices.”

April went, and Christina proceeded to make her own chai latte.  Then she grabbed the next cup lined up on the counter at April’s station.

“Who are you?” the guy at the cold beverage station asked her.

She glanced over. “Christina. I’m April’ sister. She had to pee, so I’m covering for her.”

The guy let out a laugh that didn’t make him sound amused at all. “Lucky April. I’ve had to pee for hours, but we’re swamped here. And the district manager just came in.” The guy, his hands busy at the second espresso machine, tilted his head toward two men out in the table area.

One was dressed in a suit. The other had a hat and apron on just like the other baristas.

“The guy in the suit is the district manager, Keith something. The other guy is Robert, our store manager. He’s bossy but lazy as fuck. We have a pool going as to how long it’ll be before we run out of supplies because Robert forgot to put in the orders. We have a second pool going as to who Robert will blame. I hope you aren’t planning on working here because you’ll be the one he blames since you’ll be the newest hire.”

Christina set a finished drink down on the pick-up counter and announced the customer’s name. Then she picked up the next cup. “No, I work at May’s across the street. I just came over to visit April. See how she’s doing over here.”

The guy almost dropped the cup he was working on. “Oh. Well, don’t let Keith and Robert know that because they’ll probably call the cops on you. The management here is of the opinion that May’s is the enemy and must be destroyed.”

“Yeah, I figured.” Christina looked over her shoulder at the district manager.  The guy dressed like a car salesman and put off an air of someone who would do just about anything, right or wrong, to succeed at his job.

“Hey, excuse me,” someone said to Christina. “I’ve been waiting for my drink for like ten minutes.”

Christina shifted her my attention away from April’s bosses and plastered a smile on her lips. “I’m sorry for the holdup. I’ll have it ready in just a moment, sir.”

© 2024 Beth Pontorno