Tomorrow

Chapter Ten

A stern-looking man walks briskly into the coffee shop with a disheveled look on his face. His crisp black suit screams business and I was afraid to meet its gaze.

He approaches the counter as I fumble with a dozen things in my hands.
"Hello. I am here for a pickup for an order of 32 coffees. I placed the specific orders and individual preferences when I called."

I look down at the wet rag in my hand and look back up at the man.
"Uhm. Yes. Yes, sir. I have your order right here. Please give me a few minutes to get it ready for pickup."

"I can only give you 5 minutes-tops."

"O-okay. I will be ready by then."

I turn around to face the coffee creamer. I throw the rag to the side and frantically look around for the list of coffee orders that Sam had left for me to prepare. I had already prepared 23 of the black regulars- but the rest had yet to face the wrath of the coffee creamer. I grab a handful of coffee cups and place them side by side. I push the broken creamer to the side, with a feeble attempt to stop its flow to the floor, and hurriedly begin to fill the businessman's other orders (using the other creamer that magically happened to still work).

I toss cup after cup into coffee carriers and put them on to the front register. The entire counter is covered in carriers and bags. The businessman gives me an exasperated look as he shoves his debt card in my direction. I slide the card and practically throw everything at him as he looks down at me disapprovingly.

"Thank you. Sorry for making you wait, sir. Have a good day."

He grunts in reply.

I breathe in a heavy sigh of relief and pick up the rag that I had tossed to the side. A child squeals from behind.

I turn to look ahead of me.

"Jake...? Oh. The child...! The child! I am so so so sorry."

Jake looks towards me with a look of defeat as the child pulls at his hair and kicks him from side to side.

I reach out and slowly take the mischievous child from his hands. The doorbell jingles and all three of us look up in unison.

"Mama!" The child squirms in my arms frantically and reaches towards the woman who had just entered.

I looked up at her as she approached the front register and held the child out to her without saying a word. I was fuming.

"I'm sorry I took so long! I couldn't find my wallet in the car so I checked my purse again and found it there."

I looked at her with an "Are-you-kidding-me-don't-even-try-to-explain-anymore" look and she appeared to take the hint as she took out a twenty as I handed her the brown paper bag full of oranges.

"Thank you for the oranges. I'm sorry for the trouble." The woman calls out to me as she is kicked by a squirming child while making her way out the door.

I pick up the wet and now strange-smelling rag from the counter and toss it into a bucket in a corner near the cleaning supplies. I sigh a deep and heavy sigh and put my arms out onto the counter. I close my eyes.

I suddenly feel a cool breeze rushing to the side of my face. I open my eyes and I find myself face to face with Jake. He peers down at me from across the counter and lightly taps my visor.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mr. Jake Wright." I crinkle my nose at him and readjust my visor cap.

"Well you know. I was in the neighborhood and I happened to stop by...but a girl gave me a baby to hold and she didn't even say thank you. Can you believe that?"