Burnouts

So, This Is Who You Are?

Scene 1: Sant Ambroeus

Audrey Michaels

My eyes shift from the barista to the cup in my hands.

"Is there cinnamon in this?"

"Uh— yes," she gives me a confused smile.

"I didn't ask for any cinnamon," I say in annoyance.

"Well, ma'am, it's traditional for that-"

"Forget it," I sigh and swiftly turn away from her, "I'll drink it any-" I cut myself off with a gasp when I feel the coffee spill over my hands and down the side of my jacket.

"Oh— I am so sorry..."

I scoff at the man who carelessly crashed into me and somehow didn't get a drop on himself.

"Sorry?" I scowl at him.

"Here, let me help you-" he rushes to get napkins from the counter.

"You've done enough," I snatch them from him, "thanks," I say facetiously.

"Look, man," he puts his hands up in surrender.

"Why are you still standing here?" I glare at him, "go!"

He sneers and shakes his head but walks out like I told him to.

I glance down at the mess he made of me.
This will never come out of designer.

I pout before taking off the jacket and grabbing more napkins.

I hear someone behind me say: "Dab, don't rub."

"I know what I'm doing," I say through gritted teeth.

"Really? Because it looks like you're-" I huff and turn to see who's speaking, "crying...Audrey, are you crying?" Tony tries to brush his thumb over my cheek, but I swat his hand away.

"No, I am not," I refrain from facing him and revealing the truth that yes, I am obviously crying.

"We can buy you another coat..." Tony suggests, "and another coffee."

"I don't want another one," I huff.

"...then why are you so upset?"

"Because this one is ruined like everything else," I throw it on the floor.

"Nothing's ruined," he looks at me in concern and picks up the jacket, "Why don't you sit down...you seem a little...overwhelmed," he takes my arm and leads me to a table.

"You can't even tell now that it's from Givenchy's fall collection," I continue through labored breaths, "and of course this would happen to me. I'm not allowed to have anything I want anymore."

"What?" Tony snickers, "don't you know who you are? You've got everything."

"Yeah, who am I?" I ask daringly. "I have no future, no friends who actually like me, my love life is non-existent. It all may as well be so stained with coffee to the point where you can't tell it's me anymore."

"You're Audrey Michaels," he smirks, "Though, before today, I didn't know you were an actual person with human emotions," he chuckled.

"It's nice to know this is funny to you," I narrow my eyes at him.

"It's just weird seeing you like this, you know? I think I just assumed you couldn't cry...you only made other people do that," he explains, "but here you are in a café, crying over a jacket..."

"What, are you deaf? I said I wasn't crying, and it wasn't because of the jacket," I snap at him.

"Don't worry," Tony says in amusement, "your secret is safe with me."