A little something to whet the appetite
While I get ready to publish my forthcoming novel, SPLIT, here is a freebie to whet your appetite. One of my first ever short stories. There will be more to follow!
PASSING THROUGH
Alex Taylor hates coffee. From the charcoal whiff that is as offensive to the nostrils as walking into a public toilet at the end of the day, to the bitter taste that lingers on the tongue like an illegal traveller camp, he just can't understand what people see in the detestable liquid. Aside, of course, from the wholly invented status that it seems to have developed in recent years.
He wasn't sure when it happened - there hadn't been a public information film on the TV or an electronic clock in the town centre, counting down towards the important milestone – but somehow there had been a shift in social etiquette. Now it was an unwritten rule that to break into the exclusive 'middle class' club, one needed to be a connoisseur in all things coffee. Everyone else was just working class in disguise.
Alex took another sip of hot chocolate, wiped the cream from his stubbly upper lip and leant back into his chair. He had already surveyed the room thoroughly but couldn't help but smirk at the sight laid out before him. All the classic signs were there. Most of the customers sat at slight angles to their table, crossed legged with slender hands sitting neatly on their laps. Some propped an elbow on the back of their chair, wafting a hand gently in the air as they spoke, nonchalantly revealing jewelled rings and gold bracelets. Straight, white teeth shone out from their impossibly wide smiles and over-the-top laughs as they competed for a non-existent socialite award. Though it was a warm spring day, some wore scarves. Not the useful kind, of course, but the flimsy satin material that was designed to accentuate their slim frames. Alex wanted to tell the frump in the corner that it did nothing for her.
The only guy in the room looked like he'd come straight out of a catalogue for the over fifties, wearing a cashmere sweater draped over his shoulders, a puce polo shirt, chinos, tartan socks and brown loafers. Alex noticed he'd pulled his suede wallet out of his back pocket minutes ago, resting it casually on the table, but he appeared in no rush to pay as he indulged in an apparently gratifying conversation with his well-presented wife.
Just at that moment, the door swung open to the sound of a tinkling bell. Alex looked over expectantly but deflated when he saw a middle aged man with balding hair and pin-striped suit appear, surveying the chalkboard on the wall as he floated slowly towards the counter.
Alex checked his watch. She was late. With a sigh, he watched the man hand a twenty pound note to the barista who duly slid open the till, pausing for a moment as he invited the welcome guest into a conversation that appeared to flatter. The barista was good. Alex had seen it four times already this morning. Another part of middle class etiquette, to take your status a step above, was to become friends with the master craftsmen of the coffee trade. And this guy knew how to massage egos. His customers were so delighted to be given the opportunity to display their rise through the ranks, all conversations with him were played out at increased volume, and all body language more theatrical even than the plays at the local theatre.
The suit disappeared moments later to the sound of the same twinkling song that greeted him. It was a nice touch, Alex thought. The bell acted as maître d, announcing the arrival of the important guests, and singing a cheery farewell on their departure.
Alex stirred his drink, dislodging the melted chocolate that had settled at the bottom of the cup before downing the now lukewarm liquid. It had certainly been a good cup of hot chocolate, but he expected nothing less here.
For all of Alex's loathing of the pretentious coffee scene, he had come to realise that coffee shops were the single best place for him to conduct his business. His productivity certainly increased compared to other establishments he'd used. Alex always began by finding a quiet corner of the room where he'd open up his notepad and begin to make his plans for the day; preparation was everything. The other customers would usually leave him be, barely paying any attention to his presence while he studiously scribbled on the pad. Sometimes he would see other professionals taking advantage of the free office space that coffee shops now provided, tapping away on some fancy laptop or conducting small meetings with well-dressed clients. He often wondered what they'd make of his more modest choice of career.
Alex no longer went to coffee shop chains; he much preferred independents like this one. The clientele in chain stores were less predictable, and the chances of them interrupting him while he was in full flow were greater. And those security cameras they had in the corners of the room just made him feel uneasy. Thankfully, there were no such issues here.
Alex turned his attention back to his notebook, reviewing his scribbled words to make sure he had captured every detail. Satisfied, he slipped his silver pen into his pocket and closed the book with a slap. He had done all he could. Now he needed his partner to arrive.
Alex found his eyes wandering towards the door again, past the framed art on the walls, the neatly lined oak tables and chairs, the dozen customers who continued their self-indulgent conversations, the large table displaying cakes under cloches, the jar of daffodils that sat on the counter next to a 'tips' bowl which was filled with silver and gold coins, and out through the etched glass window which opened its arms in greeting to the warm spring sunlight. Outside, the narrow cobbled street continued to play host to the town's wealthy visitors, wandering casually by, carrying the same oversized paper bags with designer logos that the coffee shop customers had resting at their feet. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but Alex envied their lifestyle, their wealth. Maybe, when he'd made his own fortune, he'd come back here one day and drink it all in. But today he was just passing through, as he always did when he worked.
A flash of red suddenly caught his eye, appearing from out of nowhere and gliding confidently beside the window before bursting through the door. Alex rolled his eyes.
'Hi Darling,' the woman sang after placing her order with the barista and skipping in his direction. Her curly red hair bounced on her shoulders like an accordion and her athletic body was framed by a light, flowery dress that oozed springtime.
'You're late, Cass,' Alex grumbled disapprovingly, though he couldn't hide his pleasure at seeing those full red lips curled into a sweet smile. Cassidy had that effect on him. That's why he'd married her.
'Am I?' she asked innocently, causing him to crack a smile of his own.
'What's in the bags?' Alex asked with a nod.
'Hmm,' she moaned seductively, perching herself on the seat beside him and crossing her legs. He couldn't help being drawn to the split in her dress which revealed her smooth, slender thighs.
'That's for me to know and you to find out,' she said with a wink.
A few gurgles and splutters later, the barista brought over an espresso and placed it carefully on the table before retreating with a smile.
'You realise people use coffee as an enema?' Alex said, his nose crinkling in revulsion.
'Poor darling, with your child's palette,' she retorted in a patronising tone.
Alex huffed.
'So, what have we got today?' Cassidy asked, taking a sip of her drink before looking around the room as though she didn’t care for a response.
Alex slid his notebook across the table in reply. 'No thanks to you, I've done all the prep.'
'Oh darling, you know you don't need me for that. You're the organised one.'
Cassidy glanced down at the pages, her eyes fluttering over the words like a butterfly while she hummed approvingly.
'Which clients do you want me to take?' she asked a moment later, more sincerely this time. Alex reached over and closed the pad before twisting around, dropping it into the grey backpack that was
hanging over the back of his chair.
'Well, I think we should treat this like the Chester negotiations.'
'Oh, Alex, it's so funny when you call it that,' she chuckled, taking another sip of her espresso.
'Only this time,' he continued, unperturbed, 'I was thinking maybe you want to close the deal?'
'You deserve it,' he said in response to her raised eyebrows.
Cassidy placed her cup on the table and leaned forward until their faces nearly touched. The scent of roses tickled his nostrils making his hairs stand up excitedly.
'Mr Taylor,' she said naughtily. 'I do hope you're not trying to seduce me.'
Alex smirked as she winked and settled back into her chair.
'Swans?' Cassidy asked a moment later, nodding into the room.
'Yeah. Except that guy who asked for a coffee bean.'
It was a running joke between him and Cassidy. The more pretentious the coffee shop, the more shapes they offered to pour into the froth of each drink. Alex had been in enough places to learn that the choice of decoration was a great indicator for personality. Nice but dim people would usually ask for flowers, intellectuals asked for coffee beans, manic depressants wanted a clover leaf, and those with the biggest egos, without fail, went for the swan.
'I'm surprised she's not a clover,' Cassidy began, nodding her head sideways towards a middle-aged woman who kept checking her phone as though she were willing it to ring. The other lady at the table was talking theatrically, unaware of the distant expression of her friend. 'Nice phone, though,' she said with raised eyebrows.
'Ooh, that reminds me.' Cassidy placed her cup back on the table and quickly leant down, pulling a silvery phone out of her brown, leather handbag. 'Sarah wants us all to meet up this weekend. She's discovered a new restaurant on the coast that serves the most scrumptious seafood.'
Alex watched impressed as Cassidy continued to talk while tapping away at her phone, apparently searching for a social media message.
'Here,' she declared, stabbing her finger on the screen and whisking it around until Alex saw a web page begin to appear behind a swirling circle that told him it was still downloading.
'Cass.'
Cassidy whipped the phone away before the image had materialised, staring at the screen like an excited child.
'I said we'd go for the weekend-.'
'Cass.'
'Yes?' When Cassidy looked up, her face dropped with disappointment at finding Alex's eyes not glowing with equal enthusiasm.
'Let's talk about this later. We've got work to do.'
'Alright, alright,' she conceded, placing her phone back into her handbag before lifting her drink to her lips once more.
Alex looked over his shoulder; it was about time they got going.
'Okay, are we ready?' Cassidy asked seconds later, lowering her empty cup onto the table and throwing a devious smile at Alex.
'Sure. Ladies first.' Alex waved a hand nobly in her direction.
Cassidy's eyes suddenly narrowed and her smile disappeared. Alex pushed his chair back while she scooped up her handbag, reached inside and pulled out the semi-automatic handgun.
'Anyone makes a noise and I'll blow a hole in your throat,' she bellowed, rising from her seat and marching towards the counter.
A series of gasps sucked the air out of the room, holding them for a moment in a terrified vacuum.
Alex calmly stood, opened his bag and pulled out his weapon.
'Now, my business partner over here will be collecting your generous donations,' Cassidy ordered, waving her gun in Alex's direction.
Mr. coffee bean nervously reached for his wallet, groping at it with his hand.
'Thank you, kind sir,' Alex mocked, suddenly appearing at his shoulder before he could slide it away.
'You see,' Cassidy said brightly, 'this gentleman knows the score. Please don't be shy, now. Jewellery, phones, wallets, cash, sunglasses. No more, no less.'
Alex calmly moved between the customers, scooping up their belongings and occasionally, muttering commands; 'Rings. Phone. Purse.' At the counter, Cassidy grinned and turned towards the startled barista who stood frozen behind the counter.
'Now, my good man,' she declared in a mock, posh accent. 'Would you be so kind as to open that little till of yours?'
Alex smirked proudly. She had come such a long way since the hot-headed girl he'd met outside the Passion nightclub, all flustered after being thrown out for trying to con the barman out of twenty quid.
'Hurry along now,' she said more firmly this time, dropping the accent to show that she meant business.
Alex looked up curiously. The barista still hadn't moved. His soft, brown eyes were fixed on the gun as though it were a venomous snake.
Cassidy lowered her voice. 'I'll give you three seconds to get that till open or I'll make you a eunuch.'
The sight of the gun lowering was enough to break his trance. He skipped forward and tapped on the small screen with shaking fingers. Seconds later, the till slid open.
'Put it all in the bag,' she instructed calmly, lifting her handbag onto the counter.
Alex checked his watch and began to hurry between the last few customers; they had nearly reached his two minute deadline. As he hopped to the last table he spotted a swan sitting uncomfortably in her seat, head down and hands clasped.
'Show me your hands,' he croaked. Her eyes lifted to his. They were wide and full of tears.
'Please. Not my ring.'
'Show me,' he barked, catching the attention of Cassidy who craned her neck to see.
'Blimey, look at the size of that!' Alex beamed.
'What is it?' Cassidy asked excitedly.
'It's the Caribbean, baby,' he declared keenly.
'Oh how lovely, I've always wanted to go there.'
Seconds later their bags were full and Alex joined Cassidy at the counter.
'Wonderful job, dear. Time to go,' he hurried.
The warmth from the sun toasted Alex's neck as he quickly looked around at the stunned audience. Then, satisfied, he and Cassidy carefully deposited their guns into their bags and threw them over their shoulders.
'Thank you so much for your business,' Cassidy bowed. 'It has been most productive.' She leaned forward and dropped a coin into the tips bowl, giving the barista a wink. 'Excellent coffee shop. I'll be sure to tell my friends about it.'
Alex rolled his eyes, hooked his arm into Cassidy's and spun around. As the door closed softly behind, the tinkling bell wished them a fond farewell.