Repeated Encounters

Chapter 3: Just Trying To Get Coffee

"I swear the whole world is against me!"

The one day when he really needed a good cup of coffee, the Starbucks across the street is 'closed for maintenance'. Why? That meant he had to go all the way to Beanie's which is a whole block down and, on top of everything, from what he had heard, it has the shittiest coffee ever. Brilliant. As he trekked down to the dreaded coffee shop, he tried to not look longingly at his beloved Starbucks. He finally got to Beanie's and opened the door. From a glance around, he could tell that whoever had said it was crap, was entirely correct. He quickly went up to the counter, asked for a black coffee, paid, and tried with all of his might to will the barista to hurry up with his coffee so that he could get out of this place as fast as possible. Then, the worst thought ever crossed his mind. He'd probably have to come back here tomorrow, and for the rest of the week, if not more. Why was he cursed this way?

It was the next day, and he was getting emotionally ready to go get the coffee that he almost spat out yesterday. It was a traumatic experience. Also, the barista was just so annoying! Let's hope there is a different one today. As he entered the dreaded coffee shop, approached the counter, and placed his order, the (thankfully) new barista turned around, and immediately he felt a sense of familiarity. She quickly made his coffee, gave it to him, he paid, and he left. As soon as he got out of that door it hit him. It was Brigadoon girl from high school. Small world. Well, not really, seeing as it is Hatchetfield.

He had gotten used to going a different way down to Beanie's for his morning (and sometimes afternoon) dose so that he wouldn't have to face his beloved Starbucks. Throughout the week, he, for some unknown reason, started to antagonise Beanie's less and less. One day, after he was sat back down at my desk after his daily trip for coffee, Ted approached him.

"Hello, Paul."

"Yes?"

"So, I see you've been getting your coffee from a different place lately."

"I have, why do you care?"

"Well, Starbucks has opened again."

"Has it?"

"It's been open for weeks." Ah, shit.

"I just don't like giving my money away to some corporate chain."

"Really. Huh. Cause I could swear you spent every waking moment there before it shut for maintenance." Double shit.

"I, uh, I saw a ... a documentary on it."

"Really? Which one? Cause I didn't see anything about a documentary." Whyyyyyy.

"It's an old one. So what? Why all the questions? Why do you care so much? Where I go to get my coffee is none of your business."

"No reason."

After that Ted slowly walked away, and for some reason, every few steps, he turned around and wiggled his eyebrows at him. He's a weird one.