I know Cherry Haven isn’t a very big city- more of a tourist town- but where I grew up, we didn’t even have a Starbucks, let alone a cool independent place like Plato’s Coffee.
[[Go inside]]15 minutes early. I’m supposed to report to someone named-
[[...]]“You must be the new barista! I’m Amar, your shift supervisor.”
[[Holy crap.]]Amar looks like a rock star, or an artist, or a criminal.
Like the kind of person my mom worried about me meeting when I moved to the big city.
[[“Come in the back! We’ll do your paperwork.”]]I follow Amar into the office. I hope I’m not staring.
I’m not sure if I’m attracted to him- or her, maybe? I’m not even sure if they’re [[the gender I’m attracted to!->Figure yourself out]]
[[Of course, that’s something I’ve always been unsure about…->Figure yourself out]] My first day at work!
[[I wonder what kind of people I’ll meet here]]“I wouldn’t worry. Some people need time to figure themselves out.”
Wait, was I talking? I thought I was [[thinking.]]"Nothing wrong with staring, either. I like it when you look at me. Why do you think I dress this way?”
[[....]]
[["...to express yourself?->....]]“You’re adorable. Sign here.”
The office is small. I can smell Amar’s…perfume? Or shampoo? Whatever it is, it’s fantastic.
MC :“Do you need me to use… pronouns?”
Everyone back in Short Creek was aggressively conformist, but I’ve done a lot of reading online and I know I’m supposed to ask some questions in a respectful manner.
[[I feel like I didn’t say that right though.]]“Well, pronouns would be useful if you don’t want to keep saying my name over and over and over again.”
Amar: “But if you’re asking if I’m a boy or a girl…. I like to keep that fluid.”
Ok, I’ve //definitely// read about this.
[[apologize]]
[[change the subject]]“I’m sorry, I’m from a small town.”
“Smaller than Cherry Haven?”
[[“Much.”]]"Amar- is that Arabic?”
“It’s not, actually.”
“You really like defining things, don’t you?”
Oh no, did I screw up? I can’t seem to stop offending Amar.
“Don’t worry, I’m not offended-“
“I’m just interested in how you think.”
In how I think?
Amar: “I think you’re still trying to define yourself. Let me guess- [[small town kid?"->“Much.”]]
“It’s called Short Creek. Population 655. Well, 654, since I left.”
“And…. You were lonely there. Didn’t quite fit in. Didn’t have anyone who understood you?”
I can’t really speak. These are the kinds of things I have trouble saying out loud without my voice cracking.
You need a friend?”
[[“Yes.”]]
[[Try to escape the friendzone.]]
“Well then, I’m [[yours]].”I try to put a teasing note into my voice, the kind of thing I've heard on the TV shows I watch, which are mostly about love and usually feature vampires. “What do you mean by friend?”
Amar smiles at me. “Someone who helps you out. Who has your back. Who helps you get what you want in life.”
[[What DO I want in life?->what do I want]]"......and you're [[mine]]."Amar looks at me for a moment. There’s something in their eyes that’s almost like….
[[Hunger?]]
[[I’m definitely imagining things.->Hunger?]] I’m lucky that someone like Amar even wants to be my friend.Amar laughs. “Come on, put your apron on, I’ll show you how to work the espresso machine.”
[[Follow them]]“How’s your love life?”
[[“What love life?"]]
[["I don’t really have a life, period.”->“What love life?"]]"Well, you got the right job if you want to meet people. Everyone falls in love with the barista.”
[[“When the barista looks like you, maybe. Not when they look like me.”]]
“Are you kidding? You’re adorable.”
Amar seems like a nice person, but they aren’t very honest.
No-one’s ever had a crush on me. People don’t even look at me twice.
“Trust me, once I’m done with you, everyone’s going to be looking. [[Let me show you how to make a latte.”]]
Amar has long, agile fingers. I watch them pull the espresso and whip the milk into a thick white froth. It’s hypnotic.
Amar dips one long finger into the latte and stirs.
[[That can’t be according to the health code.]]“So, which of them do you like?”
Amar is not looking at the pastry case.
“Which of who? The customers?”
“Mhhhmmm." Amar leans back and sniffs the drink they just made. "We’ve got a good crowd in right now. Lots of variety.”
“You mean *like* like?”
“Yeah. Which of them makes you tingly?”
I feel guilty thinking of strangers this way, but Amar is hard to resist.
[[Scan the crowd]]“If you don’t know, how should I?” Amar laughs. “Come on, put your apron on, I’ll show you how to work the espresso machine.”
[[Follow them]]Honestly, they’re all good looking, but three stand out.
A boy with a mop of wild hair, scribbling furiously in a notebook.
A sleek woman in a suit, speaking quietly but urgently into her cell phone.
A broad-shouldered man, hunched over a tiny little book.
Amar sighs. “Yes, I know. Lots of hotties. Pick one before this gets cold.”
[[The boy with the wild hair]]
[[The woman in the suit]]
[[The broad-shouldered man]]“The boy by the window, I guess?”
He’s handsome, but a little nerdy. Of the three, he’s the least intimidating. I’m still terrified of him.
Good thing we don’t have to actually talk!
“Give him the latte.”
[[What?]]“Uh, the lady at the corner table, I guess?”
She’s not really my type. She’s so beautiful and put together that she’s like a different species. If I do this, I might as well flame out hard.
Amar licks some foam off their finger and hands me the cup.
“Give her the latte.”
“What?”
“Give her this latte I made. She’’ll ask you out. I guarantee it.
“But you put your finger in it!”
“I don’t know how else I’m supposed to make it work. Come on- she will ask you out. I promise. Just try it.”
“What should I say?”
“It doesn’t matter! Just go!”
[[Walk up to the woman's table.]]"Uh, the one by the door, I guess?”
He’s cute and he obviously works out. He seems like the kind of guy a normal person would pick. And I don’t want Amar to think I’m weird.
“Give him the latte.”
“What?”
“Give him this latte I made. He’ll ask you out. I guarantee it.
“But… you put your finger in it!”
“I don’t know how else I’m supposed to make it work. Come on- he *will* ask you out. I promise. Just try it.”
“What should I say?”
“It doesn’t matter! Just go!”
[[Walk up to the man’s table.]] He’s completely engrossed in his book. That's fine. I just want this to be over. I put the latte on the table as quietly as I can.
“This is for you.”
[[Retreat!]]And then I can't move. His hand is on my upper arm. It's a big hand, warm and smooth, and even though it isn't gripping me very hard at all, it's obviously very strong.
I should clarify. I *could* move. He's not stopping me. But I don't want to.
"Did you just give me a latte? For no reason?"
[[Say something!]]"Not for *no* reason, no."
"Please," he says, not moving his hand. "Tell me why?"
[[Quick, lie!]]
[[Tell the truth]]"You looked like you needed it."
The hand moves off my arm. Dammit. Then I realize something.
He's crying. In my limited experience, this is not what men of his build are supposed to do in public.
[[Reach out.]]
[[Make a joke.]]"I had to give someone something and uh. I picked you."
He stares at the latte for a moment. "That's uh," he says, "That's sort of... beautiful."
I realize that he's crying.
[[Shit.->Reach out.]]"Hey, are you ok?"
I glance back at Amar, who nods at me urgently.
"Is there something I can do to help?"
He looks up at me. "I don't think I am ok. Something happened. My dad..."
[[Sit down at his table]]"You wanted biscotti too?"
He snorts. "Ok, I'm sorry. I needed that."
He's laughing through tears now, and it looks good on him. It makes me feel bold enough to follow up on my joke.
"That's we do at Plato's. Fulfill your needs.
He's laughing too hard now. "Ok," I say, I'm really not that funny."
"No," he says, "You're not. I mean. That came out wrong. Something terrible happened today and uh- I think I'm a little bit..."
I glance over my shoulder. Amar nods urgently and makes encouraging motions in the air.
[[Sit down at his table]] "Please don't..." he shakes his head. "I can't talk about it. But thank you."
"For what?"
"I just really needed someone to be kind to me for no reason."
Morally, I should correct him, but I can't explain Amar.
He holds the latte in his hands as if it's his only source of warmth. "Can I see you again?"
[[Oh god, SAY SOMETHING!]]"Well, I work here so...."
"Right," he closes his book. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate, I wasn't thinking I... shouldn't be bothering people at their jobs..." I watch him getting up and putting on his coat and opening the door as if I'm watching a movie. It has nothing to do with me. I can't even hit the pause button.
Then Amar is at my side, hissing in my ear:
[["Go, you idiot. Go now!"]]I pick up the abandoned latte and follow him out the door.
"Wait! Stop!"
He turns.
"You can't leave without your latte."
I trot up to him, trying not to spill.
"I'm here Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays from six am to two." I hold it out. "Please come back."
He takes it and opens his mouth to say something-
[[Flee]]I don't stay to hear his response. I don't feel safe until the door of Plato's has closed behind me.
What just happened?
"Congratulations!" says Amar. "That hot guy just asked you out."
[[!]]“I don’t understand. This never happens to me.”
Amar looks smug. “I told you it would work.”
“No. This *never happens*.”
“Well… do you like it?”
[[...->...yes.]]
[[...yes.]]“It can happen again. And again and again and again. As many times as you want. With as many people as you want." Amar is leaning close to me now. I can feel heat coming off their skin. "It won’t always be this easy, but it never has to stop. You never have to go back to the way things were before.”
[[There has to be a catch.]]“There’s just one thing- that I need you to do. Just one little thing so that I can help you the way you deserve to be helped.”
Amar leans in even closer, and whispers in my ear.
[[“Worship me.”]] “…what?”
“I need you... to worship me.”
Is this something kinky or….
Amar pulls back and looks me in the eye. "Don’t you want my help?”
“I do, but….”
“Then say it. Say it quietly, but say it out loud. “I worship you, Amar.”
[[Say it!]]
[[Don’t say it.]]“I… worship you… Amar.”
“I pledge myself to you.'”
[[“I pledge myself…”]]“I…I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“Of course you don’t.” Amar steps away from me, shaking their head, and starts cleaning out the espresso machine. “I’m an idiot. I rush in. I ask for too much. I always have.”
I want to apologize, but I'm not sure what I did wrong. Amar takes a deep breath, and looks at me again.
“Do you know what it’s like to want something… so much… that you can’t even say it out loud without making yourself look ugly?”
[[“I feel like that every day.”->consecrate?”]]
“as your consecrate.”
“As your… [[consecrate?”]]Amar takes in a huge gasp of air.
Are they crying?
They reach out and touch my face, pulling me forward.
I feel wet lips press against my forehead, then a whisper in my ear.
[[“This is the start of something beautiful."]]“It’s time for you to clock out.”
[[I close my eyes...]]When I open them, Amar is gone.
Time seems to have passed without me noticing.
[[My shift is over...]]..and I still don’t know how to use the espresso machine!
END TEASER
(link:"ROLL CREDITS")[(gotoURL:"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3-ZBMjTM5A")]
STAY TUNED for the continuing adventures of
COFFEE SHOP LOVE GOD“Give him this latte I made. He’ll ask you out. I guarantee it.
“But…you put your finger in it!”
“I don’t know how else I’m supposed to make it work. Come on- he will ask you out. I promise. Just try it.”
“What should I say?”
“It doesn’t matter! Just go!”
[[Walk over to the boy’s table.]]“Uh….”
He looks up at me, surprised. Annoyed?
“I brought you a latte.”
I put the drink on his table, then scuttle back behind the counter.
[[What was I thinking?]]Amar doesn’t understand. They’re beautiful. This kind of thing works for them. They don’t know what it’s like to be…. to be…
“Is someone playing a trick on me?”
The boy with the wild hair is at the counter. He looks furious. I look around for help, but Amar is nowhere to be seen.
[[“Uh…. No?”]]“Then why did you give me this?”
[[I can’t think of anything to say besides the truth.]]“Because you’re handsome but not too intimidating?”
…. that didn’t come out right.
The boy stares at me for a moment. "Oh. Ok." He nods, turns away, and almost immediately turns back, slapping one hand on the counter.
"Can I have your number?"
[[Answer him!]]“I don’t have a phone.”
I have my dad’s old smartphone, but I can only use it with wifi- I was going to get a phone plan after…
The boy is already walking away.
Amar reappears and kicks my ankle.
[[“Wait!”]]"You can message me."
I tear a receipt from the cash register and write my WhosUp ID on it.
[[Give it to him.]]“Here.” I hold out the receipt, and he takes it.
“Thanks. I’ll… uh… Yeah.” Clutching the piece of paper with my number on it, he exits the shop, looking back over his shoulder at me every few seconds.
What just happened?
“Congratulations!" says Amar. "That cute boy just asked you out.”
[[!]]“I’m sorry, someone’s-" she covers her phone with her hand and looks at me. "What do you want?”
“This is for you.”
“There must be a mistake. I didn’t order a latte.”
“I know but…"
I don't want to lie, but I can't explain Amar."
[[“I wanted you to have it?”]]I put the latte on her table. I’ve never felt like more of an idiot in my life. As I scuttle back behind the counter, I hear her talking on the phone-
“The strangest thing just happened….”
I feel like I’m about to cry. What was I thinking?
Amar doesn’t understand. They’re beautiful. They don’t know what it’s like to be… to be…
“This latte was terrible.”
[[Oh my god.]]"You need to make me another.”The woman in the suit is standing at the counter, tapping her phone with her fingernails.
[[Apologize!]]“Of course. I’m so sorry, just let me….”
“No. Not here. The espresso machine at my office is vastly superior.”
[[Uh.]] “I’ll be working late tonight. I’ll need a little… something to keep me going. 8:00 should work.”
She hands me a business card. Underneath her steely glare there’s just a hint of girlish smile.
“I’m a very busy woman. Don’t be late.”
And she’s gone.
I stare at the card. There’s a name, a phone number and an address.
[[...what just happened?]]“Congratulations! You’ve got a date.”
Amar punches me on the shoulder. “And it’s a weird one, too. I don’t know if you’re ready for this kind of thing. Maybe you should have gone for something simpler.”
[[!]]