I Was Trained To Answer Calls

Chapter 4 - Espresso Party

Shay's Point of View

"Look who's here? Can I have a seat?", my high school science professor taught us that opposite charges attract because their forces act in the same direction, and we're like magnets here and there's exactly no way I could repel my attention with this inevitable magnet force that's been automatically applied in this all-of-a-sudden event, and as I look in awe at the sheer magnitude of his admission, my jaw just dropped and I can't manage how to appropriately react. I haven't drink any coffee renditions from this shop's unconventional menu book yet, given that I'm inside for almost ten minutes already - I don't know but it's vague that I feel like I'm having episodes of palpitation setbacks already without any caffeine my body has administered yet. First of all, this is unplanned, second, I hate this person and third it's rude not to respond and the more I think how to respond, the more awkward it gets. "There's a lot of empty spaces here. Use them" I channeled my gaze somewhere else, "It's your expertise, anyway." I added with a minimized voice, not letting him hear me. He didn't react and he's just looking at me from where he was standing, and then soon after, he nodded, I thought he's leaving but he pulled a chair and he sat there, right in front of me which is - in perfect percentage, against my will. "Shay, you never changed, still the kid that I used to admire. How have you been? We never-"

"How have I been is no longer your on-going concern. I have a d-date. Please transfer seat somewhere else", I cut him and reasoned out. I was trying my best to avoid this encounter and I now understand why some people despised their fate. " A date? wait, by date you didn't mean romantically, right? " He asked. I can see transparent emotion from his eyes but there's a million tendency that he's faking it, like always. I heaved a deep sigh and I looked at him in the eye, which is hard because my emotion's a playful murderer, "Be it romantic or not, you don't have to know. So please, for the last time, transfer seat somewhere else." I respond, trying to sound fluidly firm, he looked down and he's like making unintelligible murmurs while vaguely nodding his head consecutively, and I felt guilty for that, but I'm subscribed to a belief that just because people are offended, it doesn't automatically mean they're right, because first of all, I'm saving myself, because if I didn't, no one else probably would. I took my phone from my leather sling bag and I do the usual fake tapping, I'm technically pretending to be busy. So I can avoid having eye contacts and awkward reconnections with him.

I saw that he started ordering, and I realized I haven't ordered anything yet, so I slowly get the menu, which weighs tentatively like three Android phones, - the ideal weight for a phone is between 140g and 170g, I googled that before so, I should know. I started poring over the menu and there, for the second time around, I saw the collective choices divided into categories. They have cold brews, black roasts, tea lattes, Frappuccino and all other varieties. it took me few minutes after finally jumping to a decision, I gradually raised my hand and just few moments after, a waiter came in, smiling attentively, "Yes sir?" he asked. He was wearing a black slacks, and his checkered blue and white sleeves tucked-in, a cute blue bow-tie, a name-pin on his chest, with the name Rico embossed in it, black shoes - but not leather, and his hair was groomed and perfectly uniformed, explains why the place has an overflowing formality. "Rico, right?", I asked, he nodded as response. I used to call people using their names, perhaps one of the things that I've learned as a customer associate is that it's professional when we address people properly. Calling them Ma'am or Sir will sound too transactional, and it's not good in customer service, building rapport is essential and you don't wanna get reprimanded with small rookie mistakes like that. And there, I remembered Adam, what the hell?

"Okay. So Rico, please give me an Espresso Macchiato" I ordered. He listed it in his small notepad, and then he paused, as if waiting for another word of order from me, Oh God, if only I can tell you I'm broke as a stray cat and I wouldn't be here buying your expensive cups if it's not raining outside. "That'd be all, I guess?"

"Sir, would you like to try our blueberry cheesecake? It's ten percent sale right now, limited promotion only", he rebutted, I looked again at the menu and I tried locating the blueberry cheesecake, and there I saw that it was four hundred pesos for a small slice, and accurately it will cost me three hundred and sixty pesos, given that it's sale, and on that price I can already purchase a whole roll of chocolate cake from nationally known cake makers here, so for me, it was too expensive and I don't have the courage to buy that, it's just heartbreaking because blueberry cheesecake is one of my favorite foods of all time. I took a short sigh and then I slowly shook my head, "Thanks for the offer, but I think that's all for now".

"Okay, sir. got it. May I ask for your name?"

" Oh, Shay. S as in sierra, H as in hotel, A as in alpha, and Y as in yankee"

"Okay, sir Shay, noted, I'll get your coffee roasted, then. Thank you"

And right after that, he left.