One Ass-presso Please.
It had been a couple of weeks, we were finally getting really close to the holiday season. Work was pretty typical and the weekend traffic hadn’t changed from the last time.
I was also almost done with the semester which was beyond exciting. Once Halloween weekend passes, my courses will wrap up and then we get into exams early December. It sounds like a lot but it will be done before I even know it, that’s how it always seems to happen.
Once my exams finish up I can start working here full time until I have to go back to school. The holidays can definitely be nuts, but not around Liberty Village! Unless your store is in a mall or a busy street with a lot of shops, working at a coffee shop is not that bad at the holidays. The only really annoying part is making lots of Hot Chocolates and Moccas. I swear I don’t know what it is about Canada or Christmas or what, but it seems that all this country needs to do is drop like 5 degrees and suddenly everyone and their cousin wants chocolate and steamed milk. I don’t get it. Yes they are great, but don’t people also know we can make hot apple cider as well? I think about this to myself all the time during this time of the year.
“I know it's only October 21st but are you excited for Christmas coming up?” I asked naively.
“What? Christmas? Sarah, it’s October 21st. Halloween hasn’t even happened yet and you’re already excited about Christmas,” Jess looked down as she shook her head.
“Yes I know it’s only October 21st. I just said that-”
“Like what is there to be excited for this early? All it is is a bunch of commercialism tied in a neat package on an arbitrary day at the end of the Gregorian calendar?” Her voice shed a hint of contempt.
“Yeah…” I felt uncomfortable. I didn’t think it would go like this. “I didn’t think you would respond like this. I thought we were actually on the same page about this! I thought we were the two in sync girls who work Saturday mornings and afternoons.”
She laughed as she rolled her eyes, “Christmas isn’t really my thing. I’m more of a Halloween girl myself. Like ghouls n’ shit. Boo.”
“Oh you’re one of those people! One of my roommates is obsessed with Halloween. He has costumes ready and everything.”
“That’s awesome! I love costumes. That’s why Halloween is great. I also love to cosplay for the same reason.”
“Cosplay? That’s the thing where you dress up like anime and manga characters right?” I squinted my eyes a little as I inquired.
“Well not exactly. There is so much more to cosplay than just dressing up like characters from anime and manga. It’s all kinds of costume character play. The difference between just costumes and cosplay is pretending to be the character part. You’re pretending to be the character you’re dressed up as. When I go to Anime North I dress as a lot of different characters. Look!” She pulled her iPhone out of her back pocket and clicked straight to her most recent Facebook pictures. “See?”
I leaned closer towards her as I looked down at her phone. She smelled like rosewater and lavender essential oil. I hope no customer walks to the till right now.
“Oh,” I took a sudden breath.
My eyes stayed wide open as I looked down at the image of my coworker. She was um, very creative to say the least. I mean a lot of work must have gone into the costume she was showing me, even if she wasn’t wearing much. What she was wearing was a cropped green shirt that showed just a hint of her underboob. She paired it with a black micro pleated short skirt and matching converse. She looked amazing. I probably should not be looking at this image right now.
“This is an actual character or something?” I inquired.
“Yeah,” She perked up. “Of course.”
“Not just a character from a Hentai you saw once?” I tried to joke with her.
“”Oh my god Sarah!” She lightly held onto my shoulder before she pushed it away. “You’re so mean!”
“I don’t understand anime.”
She put her phone back in her backside pocket and walked to the other end of the bar, “Are you going to any Halloween parties this weekend?”
“Oh yeah. My friend lives in the east end and she’s having a house party. She lives in a semi near Gerrard and Pape. Our friend also has a band that he’s trying to get off the ground and he’s going to perform somewhere in the house. It’s going to be my first indie party like in the movies I’m so excited,” I boastfully replied. “What about you?”
She didn’t immediately reply so I looked over to her while I shot a confused look at her. With a pale face she gestured with her head for me to look behind. I turned my head to see what she was referring to only to find two customers waiting impatiently at the cash. I jolted towards them.
“Hey! Welcome to Adoration Cafe. What can I get you?”
“I want a wet latte and two of those chocolate biscottis.” The blonde female snapped back as she pointed at the food like I was an idiot.
“Sure,” I replied politely. I don’t have time for you today lady. “Is there anything else I can get you two?”
She looked towards her handsome brunette male friend and gestured with her hand for him to meet him at the cash. He gestured against following along and stood firm and slightly behind her in line. Hmm, he has a familiar face.
“No that will be all,” She turned back toward me with a glaring look in her eyes. Oh my god was she into him?
“Okay That’s going to be $10.73 -or sorry $10.75 cause of the penny.”
She shoved fifteen dollars into my hand, “Keep the change.”
“Thank you,” I replied with a small unconscious bow as I accepted the money.
I walked over to the bar and started to make the drink as I stared intently at her male friend being served by my coworker. Why did he look so familiar? As I concentrated on grooming the milk for her drink it clicked.
I hit the stainless steel jug on the counter one last time.
Ah hah! I thought. It was Max Kerman from the Arkells who Jess was helping.
I looked back down at the drink and finished it off for my customer, “Here you go!”
She looked at me with squinted eyes, “Thanks.”
I walked back towards the other end of the bar as Max and Jess transitioned to the espresso machine. Wonder what he’s doing in Toronto on a saturday like today?
Jess smiled and laughed as she finished off Max’s drink. He took the drink and smiled before raising it in a cheers gesture and walked towards the continent stand. Jess smiled in response as she looked down and walked towards me.
“You know he was really nice? I always thought he was going to be an asshole, but turns out he’s actually just really polite and nice,” She looked to me with surprise.
“‘Yeah he seemed pretty nice. Well they’re from Hamilton and I don’t think people from Hamilton are assholes. Man I wish I got to talk to him!” I felt a sting of missing out on the opportunity.
“Why don’t you just go speak to him at the condiment stand now before he leaves forever,” Jess looked annoyed. What was she thinking about?
“Great idea!” I lifted my heels as I pivoted towards the exit of the bar.
I stepped down one step at the bar and turned right towards the two at the stand. I kept a steady pace walking both quickly and casually.
“Excuse me. Max Kerman?” I quietly uttered as I stood just behind him.
He paused before he turned around. “Hey! What’s up?”
“I just wanted to say great work on your first album, the one you did back in 2008. My friend has dragged me to some of your shows and they were actually pretty good.” I said with confidence, before I realized what I had just said.
He scoffed before he replied, “Um okay. Well thanks.”
He looked at me with a slight furrow in his brow as he walked off with his leggy blonde female companion. What, was it something I said?
“How did it go?” Jess put her hand on my shoulder as I stared blankly at the door as they exited.
“I think I fucked up royally. Now he’ll never come back or tip well ever again!”
