The Good Wife (COMPLETE)

Three

I woke up with the start of a headache. The insistent beeping of my alarm only made the pounding worse. My fingers found the off button and I slowly sat up. I rubbed my eyes and groaned. Mark came to bed very late last night and I couldn't fall asleep for a long time after. I must have slept through his alarm and never heard him leave this morning.

I kicked the sheets off and trudged into the bathroom, looking for the Tylenol. I would never make it through the morning rush if I didn't kick this thing sooner rather than later. I popped two of them and swallowed it all down with some tap water. I opted to skip breakfast at the house today and pick up bagels for Jerry and I. There was a little place down the road from the shop that he absolutely loved. The little shop opened thirty minutes earlier than us so I had plenty of time to stop and get something and still have time to open up.

I made the drive over and park my car behind the coffee shop. It was within walking distance to the bakery so I got to enjoy the crisp morning air a little before being stuck inside all day. Luckily, I arrived just as they were opening and there was no line. Perfect timing.

"Tell Jerry we said hi," Gemma, one of the bakers there, said as she handed off my bag of goodies.

"Will do. Have a great day, girls," I said, waving to them all as I left.

The back door bell tingled as I entered our cozy little space.

"Abby?" Jerry's voice called from the back.

"Morning!" I said, following the sounds of him in his office. He was unpacking a few boxes.

"Trade ya," I said, handing off the bagel bag in exchange for my register bag.

"You're the best," he said, a smile growing on his face.

"I know," I said, winking as I headed out front and threw my bag under the counter. I got the register ready first and made sure all the tables were clean and had enough napkins. I restocked the little station where we kept extra sugar and straws for the customers. Opening up the blinds, the sun looked like it was fighting a losing battle with the dark clouds overhead. I unlocked the front door and flipped our sign to open, right on the dot, at 7:30. Most of the offices in the city didn't start the workday until at least eight or nine o'clock so we always got a rush of people on their way to work.

I took my place at the counter as the first few customers started trickling in. It would be busy like this for a little while and then things would slow down a bit as people were just out and about on a rainy Tuesday, shopping and running errands and grabbing a bite to eat nearby.

I finished up the main morning rush and wiped down the counter and restocked my cups. The bell tingled again and a large man walked up to the counter. His hair was a little wet and he seemed disgruntled by the sudden rain.

I wiped my hands on my apron. "Hi, can I help you?"

"Yes, I need a large black coffee."

I grabbed a large and filled it, then carefully maneuvered the too full cup. Firmly securing the lid, I handed it off to the customer.

He took a large sip, his nose turning up. "Ugh, this is awful."

"I'm sorry?"

"First of all, the flavor is terrible. And it's cold."

"I'm so sorry sir. I can make you another one." I knew it wasn't cold. I almost burned myself when I spilled a little over the edge. But the customer is always right.

"No, give me an large iced coffee instead with cream and sugar."

I made quick work of it and handed it off to him. He took a sip and his face scrunched in disgust.