Coffee Corner

We are creatures of habit, addicted to coffee. That is my excuse. I went to The Coffee Corner, a coffee shop, merely because it was on my way to work, recommended by Google, and you know... coffee. So it became part of my routine walking from my apartment to this hidden gem. It has been buried amongst the city grime so it's not busy when I walk in and  I order the same drink; a flat white. It’s plain, efficient, and most importantly it comes from the same barista every day, You. 

 You are a goddess, a modern-day Cleopatra, a beauty so bubbly, calm, and bright. You are full of mystery and so stunning  I can't help but stare. So for You, I pretend to be a man. A smooth debonair fully functioning adult,  ordering coffee to go as time is money. when in reality, I can't afford anything else and have to take a 30-minute train to a desk where I sell pills to the insane. You see  I'm barely an adult who hasn't made a dentist appointment in years and I  spend more money on coffee than I earn in a day of work. But You can't know that for you I have to be perfect. 

It's really because of You that I keep coming back every day there's cheaper coffee available that's close by, but You are worth it. The coffee is good if not a bit overpriced, and the rest of the place, well i don't know. It's hard to see stuff next to the sun so I don't know anything about the rest of the store. All I know is that before I could take any of it in, l instantly fell in love with you. You are perfect. Your entire being is a work of art and the brightness you bring to every little word you say is heavenly. Every line you perform is a masterpiece and when you serve me,  just for a moment, I can pretend that you are mine.  But I am a wimp, I could never measure up to You so I shy away, mumble and point order and I am cursed to repeat this struggle day after day, I'm obsessed. 

 Today as I drink my coffee on the train to work, I have to bring myself back to reality. So to calm down from seeing you, I do my usual Facebook stalking, “harmless”. That's when I see a new link on your page,  apparently, The Coffee Corner is going out of business. This is a shame because I always enjoy the secluded nature of that place, just you and me. On your page, there's a photo of a donation drive table that is in the store. A place with banners and gifts offering rewards for generous patrons. I didn't see it this morning, but then that's because all I see is You. 

I want to save you, I want to be your hero, that overly rich businessman that saves the little local coffee shop,  taking on a failing enterprise just so you can have a job that you like. I wish I could be your knight in shining armor, it would bring us closer together. You would be grateful and run to my arms. But I can't because I am a miserable piece of dirt with no money.

As I sadly go about my boring workday I can't stop thinking about losing You. There's this one idea I have, and it won't go away. You see I do or at least I could have access to some savings. It would be difficult and to do it I would need to lie. And you believe in honor. So I should leave the savings alone.  But then how can I live without my morning sunshine?

The "Savings"  is a little 24-hour convenience store that I know off. A Low-level security store with a teen cashier and no working cameras.  A simple rebalancing of cash from one small business to another would save you. The lie would be easy and no one would ever have to know. Because how would you view me knowing that I did this in your name?  It wouldn't go well. You may resent me and disapprove. Realizing that I am obsessed with you and willing to do anything for you might come off as creepy. I should find another way. 

 During my lunch break, I check your Facebook page for a midday pick me up  “two days left until I'm out of a job Guys”, what so soon? And what of the coffee corner and your coworkers? I suppose that they matter to you. I would just forget about them, and go down a block to the next coffee stop instead, but for you to never see them again? No that won't do  . so I check on the store's page and there not even close to their goal, I can't handle not seeing those eyes again. I have to act. I have to be your knight in shining armor. But the girl never goes for him especially if he did something underhanded. Knights don't think they act.  I have to save you. It's just can't know it was me. maybe one day I can tell you about it, how it was me that saved the coffee corner. That would solidify our love. Mabby, a story we could tell the grandkids. But for now, you can not find out about my plan. I'll go “shopping” tonight when it's quietest. 

I'm impatient and I went straight after work. I've never done anything like this before. I was expecting it to be difficult and It wasn't. It went exactly as planned, and I didn't have to put much thought into it either. I know  I should have waited but I couldn't. I knew how much you need this and I got so excited at the thought of saving you  I just went ahead and did it. see how you make me a better person, a man of action all for you. I didn't even have a gun, that was the lie, I just pretended I did so no crime was committed. All I did was ask for some money forcefully and she gave it to me. The cashier is really to blame here. She made some very foolish assumptions.

 What a rush! I'm so excited to save you, I'm going to head to the coffee corner right now and then maybe get you some flowers, you'd like that right?  Heck, I can get you other gifts as well depends on how much I've got.

Fuck.

It's not enough that goddamn cashier, she knew I was panicking and wanted me to leave. So she just handed over some money along with a stack of garbage, and just let me leave. No wonder it was so easy. Fuck, fuck fuck fuck.  ok breathe, there is some money here, a start not much but a start. I can't go back that would be foolish, they would be waiting for me right? maybe if I added my own actual savings it could work I'd be broke for a while but if I pulled out a small loan, and some of my own money. I could still save you. Ok, I can do this, the flowers will have to wait.

With what I stole, and what I had already saved,  and what I borrowed I can keep you. So you will still be able to work the job you're comfortable with, isn't that great? . You will still be able to serve me every day. And because I risked so much for this, I have to do it. I just won't be able to afford Your coffees for a while,  not until next payday at least. wait patiently for me my love, I will return to you. 

Forchantly You don't work the close shift. I know you're a morning girl so I'll go tomorrow night, once I have everything ready I'll drop it all off and hope not to be recognized by one of your coworkers.

 And so as I walk in I can finally take a look around. This place is awful, it's nothing without you. No wonder the Coffee Corner is falling. I mean are they putting on an act to get more donations or is it genuinely this terrible? Either way, I must keep this coffee shop alive for you. Glancing over the donation drive table I see your face smiling back at me, what is this a free barista calendar? It's shameless I know but you're in it and I have to have it. I do hate how easily they control me forcing me to sign up for a newsletter to get it but your face is right there smiling back at me. They have you as Miss June, to me you're more of an Autumn girl but still, I have to have it so I sign up. I mean really there's no harm it's not like that you'll even see that I've signed up. Honestly, It’s a good memento to the day I saved you and your coworkers, a treasure. So dropping off the small fortune, more money than I ever had, I leave with something better, your smile. 

It's a grim morning, no money means no coffee and no you. So I head out not sure what to do with myself. Out of habit I am drawn past the coffee corner and was surprised to see the celebration. That's right they reached the goal thanks to receiving an anonymous last-minute donation. Of course, I can't help but stare because you are dancing to the music. Have I died and gone to heaven?

You make eye contact with me and instantly I fill with shame and guilt. I try to back away But you wave me in. That's odd, you've never gone off-script before. But here we are. smiling an impossibly wide and bright smile, you're beckoning me in. I don't understand, is there someone else behind me? I look around, only me so I enter tentatively. You relax me, you do this shoulder shimmy thing and then, with the face of a mother praising her child, you say “thank you” my heart stops. You wink effortlessly at me and as I try to stay alive and not screw up this moment by dieing you hand me a flat wite you say  “ on the house”. as I turn to leave, you check Me out. I can't believe it and then you give me this knowing smile that makes me feel so light I forget all my problems and I am stunned, walking on air as I head to work. It is not until I make it all the way to work and throw out my coffee cup that I see the note you left for me  “ thanks for saving my butt Mr. Joe Simmins@gmail.com” and a  smiley cartoon face winking back at me. I know I should be worried you weren't supposed to know it was me but it makes me so unbelievably happy just to see this note and all that it could lead to, I forget why I should be worried and I honestly don't care. there's no way you would find out how I got that money. 

but then a teen girl picks the cup out of the trash. What? oh shit, that's the cashier from saving. Has she been following me? and now she is running Fuck. and she's gone. I can't believe it. Why did I freeze? Must still be stunned by your smile. I was too slow to act. what just happened?  I'm sorry my queen I have failed you.