Tyler smiled at the manâs concern. âDonât worry about that guy, I have him under control,â she said, whipping a rag around to clean up some spots on the counter. It was trueâher relationship with Solomon was a good one, and besides, one free coffee wouldnât close the business. He was cheeky about the cookieâsheâd meant for that to be an upsale, but she was feeling generous today. She set a cookie on a napkin in front of him.
âJust pay it forward,â she said with a wink, giving the man his space as he set up his laptop. Definitely some kind of academic.
She stretched out her arms, ready for the silence to begin before the man interrupted it. Not at all unpleasantly, but a bit unexpectedly. She smiled at him, at his nervous energy, doing her best to soothe it with her own calm demeanor.
âNot creepy. Itâs a small town, itâs perfectly fine to get curious,â she said knowingly, âAnd yeah. Iâve only been here for a few months but I practically just started this job. Itâs pretty nice, much better than any barista gig in the city.â Even if Lakeham wasnât quite a small town, it was still a big difference from the other cities sheâd lived in.
âAnd what are you up to there, on your computer?â she gestured to it. She figured if he knew her job, she was allowed to know his.
The free cookie took him by surprise, but nevertheless, he was thankful for the gesture. Sometimes heâd forget that the world wasnât filled with shit people with shit intentions, and he was grateful for the kindness during such a stressful day. On another day, Will wouldâve refused profusely, but today â today, heâd accept it graciously. âThanks,â he said, biting into the sugary goodness.Â
âReally?â He asked, his voice lightly curious. âThe city as in New York?âÂ
Looking down at the sizeable stack of papers, he sighed a bit. Will loved his job, of course, but grading English 1 papers was possibly his least favorite part of it. There was something about reading unproved thesis statements and half-formed arguments and grammatical errors that irked him beyond recognition. Perhaps it was because he had to endure them one after the other. Or maybe it was because he found it utterly depressing that most of his class was taking it because it fulfilled a requirement.Â
As he straightened the papers out, he decided that heâd put them off a bit longer. Unlike his students, he could make his own deadlines â well, at least heâd have until midterm grades were due in three weeks. âWell, itâd be easier if I just told you what I do for a living.â Leaning on his hand on the counter, papers and laptop abandoned, he gave the barista an impish grin. âBut itâll be way more fun if I give you three guesses.â