The last few hours of his shift drag on unbearably slowly.
He shouldn't have told Lupe he'd be off at 7. Mamí will give him hell if he's late now. There might just barely be time to stop by the pawn shop first. He can claim it took extra time to close up. A slow customer who wouldn't leave.
It's as if the thought cursed him though. The coffeemaker—the new fancy one with all the buttons and lights—stops working and he has to make all the coffee with the old French press. He secretly thinks it's better that way, but it's slower and everyone is as impatient as he is tonight. Some evenings, he doesn't sell a single cup of coffee in the last hour before closing, but today everyone and their brother wants coffee.
Five minutes to close and he still has two people in line.
"That isn't enough change!" the old woman snaps at him. "You're cheating me."
The man in line behind her rolls his eyes and glares at José as if it's his fault the old woman can't count. He gave her the exact change, but she still holds out her hand insisting she is two coins short. He already rang her up and if the register doesn't match there will be a fight with the boss in the morning, but he doesn't have time to argue with the old woman now. If she is anything like his own grandmother, they would still be arguing at midnight. He pats his own pocket absently remembering the pocket of change. Maybe she'd be happy with a nickel and two shilling?
He randomly pulls coins out of his pocket, expecting a fresh argument about foreign currency, but is surprised to see that the first two coins are exactly what she'd been asking for. How did he not notice those?
Four minutes to close and one customer remaining. José has a brief moment of optimism and then the bastard smiles as he places a to-go order for seven cups of coffee, each with a full list of custom modifications.
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timeasmymeasure
grandmother
Date: 2019-02-16 05:53 pm (UTC)He shouldn't have told Lupe he'd be off at 7. Mamí will give him hell if he's late now. There might just barely be time to stop by the pawn shop first. He can claim it took extra time to close up. A slow customer who wouldn't leave.
It's as if the thought cursed him though. The coffeemaker—the new fancy one with all the buttons and lights—stops working and he has to make all the coffee with the old French press. He secretly thinks it's better that way, but it's slower and everyone is as impatient as he is tonight. Some evenings, he doesn't sell a single cup of coffee in the last hour before closing, but today everyone and their brother wants coffee.
Five minutes to close and he still has two people in line.
"That isn't enough change!" the old woman snaps at him. "You're cheating me."
The man in line behind her rolls his eyes and glares at José as if it's his fault the old woman can't count. He gave her the exact change, but she still holds out her hand insisting she is two coins short. He already rang her up and if the register doesn't match there will be a fight with the boss in the morning, but he doesn't have time to argue with the old woman now. If she is anything like his own grandmother, they would still be arguing at midnight. He pats his own pocket absently remembering the pocket of change. Maybe she'd be happy with a nickel and two shilling?
He randomly pulls coins out of his pocket, expecting a fresh argument about foreign currency, but is surprised to see that the first two coins are exactly what she'd been asking for. How did he not notice those?
Four minutes to close and one customer remaining. José has a brief moment of optimism and then the bastard smiles as he places a to-go order for seven cups of coffee, each with a full list of custom modifications.