Coffee Wars - Excerpt # 11
Coffee Wars - Chapter Four, Part Three
Before Buddy could get to it, though, the front door opened, and a group of businesspeople entered. Roger stayed seated, not even looking up at the customers.
“Roger,” Christina whispered. “Are you going to take care of those customers?”
Although he glanced at her, Roger still didn’t bother looking at them. He gave Christina a stiff shake of his head. His lips were equally as stiff.
“Why not?”
“Because I’m on break, and we’re having a stupid meeting.”
“But they’re customers.”
“So what?”
“Oh, my God.”
“Are you open?” one of the customers, a tall man in a nice suit, asked.
“Yeah, we’re open,” Buddy said around a bite of cookie in his mouth as he wiped his palms down the front of his shirt. “Someone will be right with you.”
“Thanks,” the man said, and the group shuffled to the counter as one.
“Christina,” Buddy said. “Can you take care of them?”
She bolted straight in her chair. “What? Why me? I’m not even on shift right now.”
“It’ll be quicker if you handle them.”
At first, Christina couldn’t get any sound to come out of her mouth even as it moved involuntarily like a guppy’s. Then she clamped her jaw tight, pushed a rough sigh through her nose, and said, “This is ridiculous. Roger is on shift. Shouldn’t he do it?”
“Roger needs a break.”
“Then why can’t someone else do it? Why does it have to be me?”
“Like I said, it’ll be quicker if you handle it.”
Christina looked around the circle. Everyone was staring at her. Buddy had essentially implied that everyone else was too slow to do a good job. Yet, somehow, she was the one whose face burned with the flames of embarrassment.
She scooted back her chair, scraping the metal feet along the tile floor. “Fine,” she said, echoing the chair’s screech.
“We’ll hold the start of the meeting for you.”
“Gee, thanks,” she said and made her way behind the counter. Before turning to face the customers, she forced her lips into a smile, but she doubted it showed in her eyes. “Sorry about the wait. What can I get for you?”
“No problem,” the leader said, still looking at the menu board. “Um, I’ll have a large latte with two stevia packets, and I need four large coffees to go.”
“Is the latte to go, also?”
“Yes, and can you give me a cup of half-and-half with that?”
“Sure.” Christina rang up the order. “Will that be all for you?”
“And whatever everyone else wants. It’s all on one bill.
The others added two more lattes, one small with almond milk, one medium; one large decaf mocha; and one medium iced chai latte. The total came to more than forty dollars, which she waited to collect until she’d prepared all the drinks. The entire order took at least fifteen minutes to complete, and all the while, Christina’s co-workers sat in their circle, chatting.
When she finally collected the money, the leader smiled at her and said, “Are you working alone today?”
“Unfortunately. The rest of the staff is in a meeting over there.”
The man glanced over. Then he handed Christina a ten-dollar bill. “This is for you.”
She tucked the bill into her pocket and, for the first time, flashed him a true smile. “Thanks. I appreciate it. Enjoy your drinks.”
Once the businesspeople were gone, Christina rejoined her co-workers. But as soon as she took her seat, the chatter ceases as if she’d hit the off switch. Skin flushed and nerves tensed, she looked around the circle. Everyone was staring at her again.
“What?” she said.
Of course, it was Roger who spoke. “We were just contemplating whether or not you’d give me half of the tip that guy gave you.”
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