'Hair?'
'Bad perm,' Em answers.
'I knew it!' I say, clapping my hands together. I pick up my bag and turn toward the door to leave. 'Em'–I turn back around to face her–'maybe you should think about letting me set you up with someone. I know we were kidding about it in your room the other night, but it might be good for you. You know, just to get back out in the world and all.'
'Huh? No.' She makes a face.
'Oh, come on,' I urge. 'Just one date. And only if the coffee beans speak to me.'
'I don't know ...'
'Okay, promise me you'll think about it. I'm going to grab a drink and get out there for my meeting with Cam.
Have a good shift. And don't worry. It really will get better.'
'I hope so,' she says, and follows me to the front of the store.
Cam is sitting in one of the two big blue velvet comfy chairs in the front corner of the store. The blue-and- white neon sign of the Wired Joe's logo is hanging behind his head and he's listening to something on his iPod. I plop down in the chair opposite him.
'Hey, Cam.'
'Hey, Jane.' He turns off his iPod and pulls out the ear-buds. 'How's it going?'
'Really good.' I set my iced mocha down on the small table between us. I notice that he already has a drink.
'I would have made you something for free,' I say.
'That's okay,' he says. He picks up his drink and takes a swig.
'What did you get, anyway?' I ask, curious to see what his drink is. I'm having a hard time pegging this one.
'Toffee nut latte,' he says.
'Toffee nut latte?' I repeat, almost accusingly. It's been a while since I've come across a toffee nut latte. I close my eyes and try to mentally picture the entry in my notebook.
Toffee Nut Latte
Definitely not what you expect. Very hot... very sexy
...
My eyes spring open and I can feel myself blushing fiercely. Is that what the entry really says? I wonder if I can casually peek into my notebook ...
'Yeah, what's wrong with that?' he asks.
'Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. I just didn't see it coming,' I say, still feeling flush.
'You are kind of weird sometimes, Jane.'
'So true,' I agree.
We start working on our project, and I find that I'm having a really good time with Cam. He is SO funny. He's telling me all kinds of stories about growing up and the kids he played with on his block. Like this one time, he and his friend Vinnie walked up and down the sidewalks yelling, 'Lassie! Come home!' People would stop and ask them what was wrong and they would say that they lost their collie Lassie (as in the TV dog Lassie) and people were actually helping them look. It was all good and funny until Cam's mom went to the school PTO meeting and the president asked her if they'd found their dog. Which, of course, was nonexistent. She was totally embarrassed and Cam got in mega trouble.
Em is at the espresso machines making the drinks while Wendy, one of our older baristas, is working the register. I can see Em occasionally watching us and I give her a smile.
'Who are you smiling at?'
'Oh, that's my best friend, Em,' I answer. 'She's awesome.'
'That is really cool that you guys get to work together.'
'Yeah, it totally is,' I agree.
The front door of the store opens and I feel a knot forming in my stomach. Melissa walks in, sans sidekick
Ginny this time. A look of repulsion must have come over my face because Cam says, 'What's wrong?'
'Nothing. I just suddenly don't feel so well.'
'Do you need to use the bathroom?' he inquires with concern.
'No.' Great. Now he thinks I have diarrhea or something. Melissa saunters right on over to us.
'Jane!' she sings, like she and I are the nearest and dearest. 'How are you? I'll have a small nonfat latte.'
'I'm not working, Melissa,' I say through gritted teeth.
'Oh, you are so cute, Jane. Isn't she so cute?' she asks, turning to Cam. 'Okay then, I'll have that latte.'
'Seriously ... not working,' I repeat.
'What do you mean you're not working?' Melissa asks. Is she kidding? Usually being confronted with Melissa Stillwell turns me into a meek little kitten, but I'm not feeling so meek today. She's totally embarrassing me in front of Cam.
'Take the literal translation,' I say. 'I'm not working
... not making drinks ... can't help you out. No estoy trabajando. Go up to the register and place your order there.' Wow, that felt good. Though saying it in Spanish was probably a bit much, and I might get a little sarcasm backlash.
'Oh! I'm sorry,' she says. 'Are you on a date? Are you one of Jane's relatives?' she asks Cam.
'What?' Cam turns to me with a puzzled look. I feel my face flush red. Oh, my god, I'm going to hurt this girl one of these days. I look down at my notebook and pray for her to just go away.
'Next,' Em bellows out, registering the situation.
'What do you want, Melissa? I'll take your order.' Em to the rescue again. Melissa looks reluctant to go, especially right in the middle of a dig at me. She glances at her watch.
'Well, I do have to hurry. I AM meeting a date soon.
No relation,' she adds, looking pointedly at me. She walks toward Em, sashaying her hips all the way (which I'm sure is for Cam's benefit), and places her order. If evil glares could do damage, she would be hurting right now.
'What was that all about?' Cam asks with a stunned expression. I take a deep breath and hope that my face is returning to a normal color.
'Just a nasty girl who went to my school last year,' I explain.
'She seems like a real witch,' he says.
'Oh ... she definitely is.' We both watch Melissa take her drink and then walk back toward the front door.
'Later, Jane!' she calls on her way out, but I don't respond.
'Definitely not a nice girl,' Cam says.
'Uh-uh. She made it her mission to torture me junior year. She graduated and I thought that was that, but no, she recently rediscovered me here.'
'Why don't you just punch her in the face?' he asks.
'Punch her in the face?' I repeat. 'I don't know. That is so boy. Besides, I've never really punched anyone. I don't think I would be very good at it.'
His face breaks into a grin. 'I'm kidding, Jane.'
'Oh.' I nod.
'Seriously, have you tried talking to her?'
Talk to Melissa? The words pointless and aggravating spring to mind. 'No,' I say. 'It's no use. She's like this every time I see her.'
