People of Starbucks

Never waste a good cup of coffee...

John seemed like a regular guy. He comes to Starbucks quite often and sticks around for less than an hour each time. I never really paid much attention to him. He is always alone. Sometimes he just walks in and walks straight out like if he was looking for someone. Most times he walks right in and sits down and turns on his Ipad, puts on his earphones, and starts watching videos. He is about 5'7", white, thinning light brown hair, and probably 160 pounds. He is about 35 years old. He recently stopped riding his old bicycle and took up running (has old oil skid marks on the inside heel of his tennis shoes and fresh blisters on his Achilles area), is a moderate smoker (fidgety pen holder with light stains on the right fore and index finger of his right hand), and teaches music at a local high school (school key lanyard hanging from neck once and has drummer's syndrome, the inability not to tap out rhythms on a flat surface after a several moments of boredom). He has a lovable cat at home and comes straight from his house when he comes to Starbucks (I sneeze every time he walks by), doesn't have a girlfriend (trust me), and he hates coffee. 

That was the thing that got my attention. Yes, a lot of people don't like coffee, even those that go to Starbucks, but this was different. He always orders a regular coffee and sits there and pretends to drink it. I never knew he wasn't drinking it or had even noticed him before until he walked out one day and he threw it in the trash with a loud heavy thump only a full cup of coffee makes. I happen to look up and saw him walk out. The next time I heard that sound again (weeks later) I looked up and it was him again. 

I knew something was odd. I know there is some people who feel they have to buy something when they go in a store to make use of the WiFi. But there are so many things available that he could buy something else. Why not buy a water? It's cheaper and everybody drinks water. I made it a mental note to pay attention to him next time I saw him.  

I saw him a week or so later and watched him for a bit and didn't notice anything odd so I let it go. I was reading a book when I heard that damn loud thump again as he walked out. It bugged me. I don't always finish my coffee but I have never thrown a full cup away.

A few days later I was at home doing some writing and I couldn't get my mind off that damn loud sound of that full cup of coffee landing in the trash can as that guy walked out. What a waste of good coffee. I sat there that and thought about it. I thought back in my mind of all the times I saw him there at that Starbucks. What was he doing different? Nothing. He did the same thing every time. He always sits at the large tables where several different groups of people who aren't together can sit. Those tables are a little higher with higher chairs to sit on. I pictured his visits in my head and nothing seemed out of place. Then I realized something. He always sat across a girl, and that girl was always wearing a skirt. Son of bitch. I thought he must be taking pictures. That must be it. A high school teacher taking pictures up women's skirts. What an A-hole. I really made it a point to watch him next time.

I didn't see John until about 2 weeks later. I was sitting in Starbucks reading a book and drinking a coffee when he walked in and sat right across a young girl with a short skirt. I called a local investigator friend of mine who was on duty and he showed up 20 minutes later. He came in without his gun or badge and sat with me. We watched as the guy patiently sat at a table across a very young girl with a very short skirt . Then, as if he had done it a million times before, he smoothly moved his Ipad down to his lap for just a moment and snapped a picture under the table. If we had not been looking straight at him and expecting it we would not have noticed it. He was that good. My friend walked out and made a phone call. Another investigator showed up and they waited out in the parking lot. After a bit John walked to the door, made a loud noise with that damn full cup of coffee again, and then walked out to the parking lot to have a nice chat with the police. They confiscated his tablet and took him in for questioning. One of the investigators came in and talked to the girl he had taken the picture of. I finished my coffee and my book and left.

A week or so later my investigator friend called me and said that they had found hundreds of pictures on his tablet and not all of them had been taken at Starbucks. He also said they found some child pornography. He said John resigned from teaching the very next day after they talked to him and was pending child pornography charges. The investigation would take a while to work through the court system.

I haven't heard a full cup of coffee hit the bottom of the trash can at Starbucks since then.

Damn that's a waste of good coffee.