'What a brat.'
'You definitely have to put her in her place,' Em says.
'I will,' I agree. 'For starters, I think someone should be on bathroom cleaning duty for at least the next month.' Em nods and gives me a thumbs-up.
By five-twenty a.m., we're ready to open up the store.
'You still haven't asked me about Cam,' Em says.
'I'm sorry, I meant to. What's going on?'
'Well,' she tells me, her eyes lighting up, 'he's taking me roller skating tonight! Can you imagine? I haven't been roller skating since I was like ten.'
I smile. 'That is so cute.'
'Then he wants to go to a fifties restaurant for cheeseburgers and milkshakes.'
'It sounds like you guys will totally have fun.'
'Seriously, Jane,' Em says, refilling the stack of cups by the register, 'I didn't think this was a good idea at all, what with the whole Jason thing, but it has really made me feel better! And Cam is awesome. You are such a great Espressologist!'
'A what?' Derek appears behind us, fastening an apron around his back, preparing to help us with the expected crowd.
'Oh, um ...' Em stammers, looking back and forth between Derek and me. 'Nothing?' I offer.
'No, I heard you guys. You said Jane is 'a great Espressologist.' What did you mean? What is an Espressologist?' I look down at the floor, shaking my head slightly, indicating to Em that I want her to keep her mouth shut. Em glances at me and then looks back at Derek.
'I'll tell you but you can't get mad at Jane. Because it's totally a cool thing.'
'Em!' I warn.
'What's the big deal, Jane? It is so cool,' she says.
'Now you are making me nervous. Start talking,' Derek says.
'Well, like I said, it's really awesome,' Em begins, and I sigh heavily, trying to prepare for another verbal lashing from Derek. 'Jane has been keeping this notebook for a really long time. She records all the drinks people order and what type of person they are. It's kind of like she's typecasting people based on their coffee preference or something.'
I inwardly recoil, closing my eyes and remembering how I had lied and told Derek my notebook was for my notes on drinks for the 'Assistant Manager's Specialty Drink of the Week.' I open one eye, turn my head, and glance at Derek. He's staring at me, obviously remembering our conversation. Crap, crap, crap.
'Now wait,' Em says, seeing Derek starting to look huffy, 'don't get mad yet. Here's the cool part. Jane calls it Espressology and she's been matchmaking people based on it!'
'Matchmaking people? Matchmaking whom?' Derek demands.
'Well, customers and staff mostly,' Em says, now slowing down the story as she realizes Derek is less than pleased with the information.
'You are matchmaking now? While you're working?'
Derek asks, looking at me.
'Well, yeah, a little,' I mumble.
'But she's amazing, Derek, I swear,' Em interrupts.
'She's dead-on each time. It's totally crazy. Simone and Gavin, Sarah and the cop, Cam and me ... it's really cool.'
Derek is still staring at me and I can't tell what he is thinking. Em knows that she is getting me in trouble and can't stop talking.
'Derek, seriously, you can't bloody well get mad at Jane. It has no negative effect on the store. I mean, if anything, it is improving business,' she continues, waving her hands in the air. 'Everyone wants to be in love and she's making it happen. She's making people totally happy and they love her for it. They are coming in even more for coffee. It's a good thing! Really ...' She trails off, and there is dead silence as we wait for Derek to say something.
Derek slumps against the sink with his arms crossed.
His face is scrunched up like he's thinking hard, and he stares straight ahead at nothing in particular. I have no idea what he's going to do next. He wouldn't fire me over this, would he? Well, he could. He's caught me lying, oh, I don't know, how many times now? Em is giving me a worried look. She mouths, 'I'm sorry.' We both wait for Derek's tirade to begin. About twenty of the longest seconds on earth pass and then the corners of Derek's lips turn up a bit.
'I'll be right back,' he says, walking away from us.
'Em!' I scream when I'm sure he is out of the room.
'How could you do that to me?'
'I know, I know, I'm so sorry. I was just happy. And talking too much. And I really didn't think he'd get mad. I mean, c'mon, what's the big deal?'
I shake my head and frown. 'What do you think he's doing back there?'
'I don't know. I'm really, really sorry, Jane.'
'Do you think he's going to fire me on the spot?
Maybe he's getting my last check?' I ask.
'No, he'd be so screwed if he fired you. It's Black Friday and we're about to open.'
'Still,' I say.
'Jane, if he fires you, then I walk, too, and he's MAJORLY screwed. Let him serve the crazed Elmo 5000 seekers all by himself,' she declares.
'Really?'
'Yeah, it's totally my fault. I'm positive he won't fire you.'
Just then Derek rejoins us up front with a piece of paper in his hands. Oh god, I think, this is it. He's giving me some kind of termination paper. He hands me the piece of paper. I take a deep breath and look down.
'What's this?' It says THE ESPRESSOLOGIST IS IN. 'I don't get it.'
'You are our holiday promotion,' he says enthusiastically. 'I don't get it,' I repeat.
'It's simple. Corporate says I need to do a promotion to bring in more customers over the holiday season, and you, my little Espressologist, are it.' I glance back and forth from Derek to Em trying to take in what he just told me.
Derek walks over to the front glass door and unlocks it, letting the ten or so waiting customers in to start screaming drink orders at us.
Hot, hot, freaking hot to me.
8
'Class, settle down, settle down,' Professor Monroe says as she stands up and walks to the front of her desk.
'I'm going to pass out your biographies from last week and then we are going to talk about your final papers.' She begins to walk around the room, returning papers, as Cam bolts through the door and slips into his seat behind me.
'Hey, Cam!' I turn around in my seat and grin at him.
