Coffee Wars - Excerpt # 6
Coffee Wars - Chapter Three, Part One
At the end of her shift at May’s, Christina went in search of Buddy and found him smoking weed on the back patio. A guy who couldn’t have been much older than Christina’s own sixteen years sat next to him. Buddy held a lit joint to his lips, sucked hard, held the smoke in a few seconds, then blew it out on a cough.
As he passed the joint over, he told the guy, “I like to imprison the smoke in my lungs until I feel like my head’s going to explode.”
“Uh huh,” the guy said, taking a drag.
“This is the great thing about owning your own business,” Buddy said, not noticing the guy’s sarcasm. “You can smoke pot at work and never get into trouble. No worries.”
The guy snorted out some smoke. “Except you just told me that business has been slacking.”
“Which is why I should definitely open the patio to customers. If I give people a discreet place to smoke weed while enjoying their coffee, they’ll come back to May’s.”
Since they hadn’t noticed her presence when she’d opened the door, Christina stepped farther onto the patio. “I should’ve known you’d be out here.”
The new guy held the joint out to her. “You want a hit?”
“No, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.”
“You should live a little while you’re still young,” Buddy told her.
Christina rolled her eyes. “Smoking pot is not living.”
Buddy giggled, took another hit, and blew it out. “Then what is it?”
Christina sighed. “Can you come inside so I can leave?”
“What’s your hurry?” Buddy said.
“It’s the end of my shift, and I have to get home and finish my homework.”
“Just go then.” He lifted his chin toward his smoking pal. “I just hired Adam to replace April. He can cover for you. Plus, it’s not like we’ve got any customers inside.”
Adam laughed. “So true.”
“He looks like he might have homework to do, too.”
“I do,” Adam answered. “Eleventh grade Trig and some reading for English class, but I don’t sleep much. So, I’ve got plenty of time.”
Christina didn’t roll her eyes this time, but she wanted to. “You don’t sleep much even after you smoke weed?”
“Nope. I have ADHD, and my parents and doctors are still trying to find the right combination of drugs for me.”
“But-”
Buddy waved her off. “Bye-bye, Christina.”
“Fine. I’m going.”
“Don’t be late for your next shift, though,” Buddy called to her. “Once I turn May’s into a pot smoker’s sanctuary, we’ll be busier than ever. And those douchebags over at Expresso will be the ones who are going out of business.”
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