Chai Tea

Kym Ladell

Meeting after meeting after meeting. Today was packed, and there was paperwork I was supposed to do as well. Maybe I should just toss the paperwork into a fireplace and pretend they got lost in the delivery or, better, never actually existed. First, I'd need to find a place with fire. It would be simple enough since the office building resided downtown.

The elevator finally reached the main floor level and I exited the stuffy building into the chilly air with its oppressive walls just to be assaulted by the chilly air. No snow was fresh downtown, every inch of it trodden by people from everywhere rushing to this errand or that errand, all exhausted by the repetitiveness of life. However, they continued on, because to acknowledge the dullness of life would be to give up. I trudged through the bustling streets in search of a place where my coworkers would not be. I did not want to fake a smile and act enthusiastic about the new expansion project or my role as heiress to the company, much less think about the exhausting pile of paperwork I was about to destroy.

It was only eleven in the morning and I was already exhausted and hungry. There was barely enough time for me to take a coffee break, but if I didn't get some caffeine or food, I would probably pass out in my next meeting. No one would dare to yell at the heir to the family business, but perhaps I would receive looks of utter disappointment or worse, someone giving me even more paperwork as punishment.

I rounded a corner before seeing a miniature brick coffee shop. It looked as if it was some hidden corner of downtown, untouched by modernization and the taint of brands and huge, flashy marketing. Perfect. Just as I approached the door, my phone rang. It took some awkward repositioning of the paperwork to be able to reach into my coat.

"Lauren! What's up?"

"Your next meeting started two minutes ago. Where are you?" Lauren Sinclair whispered anxiously into her phone.

"What's up with the quiet voice?"

"I'm covering for you, said you were finishing something else up and would be late. This is an important client, Kym!" Lauren's whispers were increasing in urgency.

"Look, Lauren, tell the client that I won't be able to join today because I am still finishing up something. By the way, I discovered a cute coffee shop. Looks very rustic. Inform the client that they are welcome to have an appointment later today, or reschedule to a later date."

"Kym, you're at a coffee shop?!"

"Well, I'm about to walk in, so technically, no. Tell them to reschedule, then ditch and join me for coffee and food. Heavens know the last time you had a proper meal, or even a snack, Lauren." There was a pause on the phone for a moment before Lauren spoke again.

"I can't. I still have a lot of paperwork and some other things I have to do today. Thank you, though. I'll deal with this client for you. Enjoy your break, Kym."

"You need to take a break sometime too! Anyways, I'll bring you back a muffin and some coffee later. Bye!" I hung up the phone and finally entered the coffee shop.

A small sound rang out and I spotted silver wind chimes at the top of the door. The shop had a quaint, cozy feel to it with beige couches along the walls and small coffee tables. Everything was either wood or brick, and the shop was rustic and homely. I spotted an open fireplace in the back corner and grinned. A man sat near it with notebooks laid out, writing away on a laptop. He must be a student at one of the universities downtown who, like me, also came to the coffee shop to get away from the monotony of life

I walked up to the counter and glanced at the menu and the many baked goods lined up behind the counter. The student must have seen me, as he entered the back of the counter.

"Good morning, sorry about the delay. Welcome to Ardhalis Coffee! What can I get for you?"