November Days

Coffee Shop - Revisited Part 13

            Reset

     As he stepped into the coffee shop...Starbucks...what else?  He knew that today was to be just like all the previous days...he would go up to the counter, place his order under the name Balthazar and then once he had his drink, he would find an empty chair and sit down.  It's always the same one by the way...there he would sit and read a book from his phone. What book today? He only went to the coffee shop when it was time to begin a new read...it had started by accident...in that he realized the last three books he had started reading he had picked them out after just getting his drink at the coffee shop. So, he decided that he would make it a tradition and only go for his coffee when it was time to start a new book to read... he liked making things like this in his life...certain specific things at certain specific places.

And so today was get a coffee and start a book day. When all of ones days are the same, it's the little things like this that bring pleasure to the day.

He opened his reading app and scrolled through his library of books trying to see what he was in the mood for reading...fantasy, science fiction, romance, YA reads, mystery.

Nothing really jumped out at him, so he loaded up another app and looked to just buy a book and read something new ....after about 20 minutes of scrolling he stopped on Kaleidoscope by Brian Selnick. It had such an interesting cover. It reminded him of an eye...maybe a dragons eye or the reflection of a bright full moon...reflected in a dark pool of water surrounded by a dark brown beach maybe? He didn't read what the book was about at all. He felt in the mood for what he had taken to calling to himself, since he didn't talk to anyone...  he had taken to calling it a cold read. That was starting to read a book with no idea at all what it was about...just the cover would grab his attention and then into the book he would jump.

And so, it began...he discovered that it was a rather short book...only about 150 pages and that fit it his mood for the day. He also wondered if the book was part of a series. He did not think so from the small quick look he had made...the book purchase page always referenced any connecting books, and none were listed for this one so he thought not a series.

As he got into reading it, he discovered that it was a collection of really short stories that might or might not be connected. Some of the stories had the same character names but he wasn't sure if they were supposed to be the same character. Still, it was an interesting book, and he was glad that it had jumped out to him.

By this time, he had finished drinking his coffee he decided it was time to walk back home and so he shut down the app and picked up his empty cup to throw it away on his way out. He got up and proceeded to the door, tossing his cup away as he passed the trash can.

At that point he decided he would actually like another coffee to sip on the walk back home and so, without thinking, he just suddenly turned around and bumped into a beautiful young woman that had been heading to the door herself, following directly behind him.

Of course, he bumped into her and she dropped her drink.

"Oh dear" he exclaimed "I am dreadfully sorry, so clumsy of me. I wasn't paying attention at all...please forgive and let me clean this up. I'm so sorry." he face was red and he was completely embarrassed and felt like such a klutz for doing this.