"Ops, no coffee on this menu?" I whispered softly in disappointment as I flipped through the menu plan for the morning on the table in the room I lodged as I realized that this hotel wouldn't offer me all the comfort I needed.
I arrived in Texas last night for a business trip and lodged at the closest hotel around the airport, "LA Superb Suite," as closing a deal with Mr. Terex was a good way to end the year.
Being a coffee lover, I just couldn't imagine starting my day without a cup of coffee, even though there were teas and other nice beverages on the menu plan.
"I need to get my cup of coffee to kick-start my day." I soliloquized and hurriedly had my bath, and since I was an hour and thirty minutes early for the appointment, I decided to dash onto a local coffee shop around the hotel before heading out to meet Mr. Terex for the deal.
The local coffee shop on my Google map seems like a thirty-minute drive from LA Superb Suite, which means I could still meet up with Mr. Terex as I would still have an hour left.
I ordered a cab, and in time I was at the "Coffee 'n' Comfort" Shop. It was a very beautiful set-up with a fine aesthetic, which brought a smile to my face.
I walked into the coffee shop with hopes to have any early morning coffee and a few meditations before embarking on the business appointment, but as soon as I stepped into the coffee shop, something unusual was in the air. I noticed how strangers were having a very deep conversation on a profound level. More to that, I saw a man trying to pacify a lady who was crying, and it all seemed weird to me because a coffee shop was where people had their coffee, minding their business but the whole scenario transcended the usual boundaries of a coffee shop, people unleashed sincerity, vulnerability and compassion. "What's going on?" I whispered, as it was a very unusual sight.
At the other end of the shop, I saw strangers smiling genuinely at each other, and the whole space became a sanctuary of sincere connection, strangers were revealing their fears, dreams and aspirations to one another.
Trying to be oblivious to what was happening, I walked straight to the barista to order my cup of coffee, and as I headed back to take a seat, I ran into someone I never thought I'd see in my life again, not even in Texas away from home. Timi, my ex-boyfriend who left me two years ago, was sitting adjacent to me. As our eyes met, he immediately jolted up and walked up to me.
"Hey Amanda, what a pleasure it was to bump into you in Texas."
"Unfortunately, I can't say the same for you", I responded casually and looked away as the memory of our breakup was still fresh in my head. Two years ago, Timi left me for a foreigner who promised to give him a better life overseas. I was barely an upcoming businesswoman who had not achieved anything yet. Without giving our love a second thought after all we'd shared, he left me for a foreigner.
He didn't even apologize for his action, and that was the part that hurt me the most.
"How could he say it's a pleasure to bump into me? He must be joking!!" I whispered.
Before I knew it, Timi, who I knew to be a hard-hearted guy, was on his knees, almost tearing up. "Hey Amanda, I am so sorry for everything. I didn't mean to leave you; I just wanted a better life. I should have been patient enough."
Showing his vulnerability, I was too surprised at his new personality: "Could it be the new woman who has changed him or what really happened?" I decided to forgive him because his actions two years ago made me a better version of myself.
"That's fine. Have a seat." I reassured him of my forgiveness. Timi sat next to me, wanting to catch up with our lives.
I grabbed my cup of coffee to take a sip when my eyes caught the headlines on the television above me. The headline reads, "A crazed worker at a prominent factory has decided to spike the coffee with a serum that makes people extra empathetic." A few local coffee shops were listed, among which "Coffee n Comfort" was one.
Immediately I could understand that the unsual atmosphere I met in the local coffee shop was as a result of the spiked coffee. I stylishly dropped back the cup of coffee I was about to take on the table, as I knew that I was about to sign a deal with a client and that being extra empathetic wasn't going to be a good idea.
Talking about singing deals, I checked my time and realized I had spent thirty minutes at the cafe. In order to arrive at my location in time, I had to move. I looked in Timi's direction, "As much as I would love to sit back to discuss our lives, I have an important appointment; we could always continue this conversation later," I politely told Timi.
I stood up and walked out of coffee shop gracefully to the venue to meet up with Mr. Terex, thanking my stars I hadn't taken a sip.. Although it was one of a kind of experience in that coffee shop but no way, Mr. Terex mustn't take advantage of me on this deal.
