This is a coffee date with a story. Well, it all started when a friend and colleague asked me to meet up so she could vent a little about a family situation she was going through with her partner. I agreed, and she told him she was going to meet me for coffee, but things didn’t go as he expected.
It turns out she told him she was going to have coffee with me to talk, and he, without any hesitation, told her to go—saying it would take her mind off things for a bit so that, according to him, she’d stop “picking fights” and seeing things that weren’t there. Our plans changed a bit because she was originally going to come to my house, but I suggested we meet instead at a bakery I like—one that isn’t too crowded—so we could talk in peace and have a little treat while enjoying a good cup of coffee.
The change of plans was last-minute. Since I have a sore knee and haven’t been out in a while, I told her this would be a good chance for me to get out for a bit. My friend’s husband told her that he’d use the time to organize some folders on the computer and catch up on a few episodes of a show he was watching, so he asked her to take as much time as she wanted, since he’d be home all day, and to let him know when she was on her way so he could wait for her at the door.
Anyway, we went to the bakery. We sat quite a ways apart, and she started telling me that she suspected her partner was cheating on her with a coworker. He, of course, denied everything; he said they weren’t even close. With everything he claimed, I even ended up believing him.
But shortly after we settled in to talk, with our freshly served coffee in front of us—really delicious, with all the fancy designs and everything—I heard his voice ordering at the counter. I froze, peeked over, got a good look at him, and thought my friend must have invited him at the last minute or told him where we were. I asked her, and she confirmed that he’d told her he’d be home all day.
I was confused for a few seconds. I suggested she text him on WhatsApp to see what he was up to; he replied immediately that he was still at home. So I peeked out again to check if my eyes had played tricks on me, but no: it was him, and he was holding hands with a woman I didn’t recognize. I could see him perfectly, but he couldn’t see me because of the position of our table.
With the evidence in hand and having confirmed that it was him, I went and told my friend. She immediately flew off the handle. I calmed her down as best I could and said, “Let them sit down and let’s wait to see if anything suspicious happens—maybe they just came for coffee.” Not even a minute had passed when he took the girl’s hands, kissed them, caressed her face, and kissed her on the mouth. At that point, we had all the proof we needed, and my friend couldn’t take it anymore.
She sent him a message; he didn’t even reply—he just looked at it and turned his phone away. And while they were happily enjoying their coffee, my friend stormed over to their table and—boom!—she threw everything they’d ordered right at them. Even the decorative vase rolled a long way across the floor. As soon as they saw us, he came out with the classic, “It’s not what you think.” The husband’s date ran off; there was shoving, chairs on the floor, and a mess of food and coffee scattered everywhere. I tried to calm her down, but the chaos was already in full swing.
In the end, as always happens, I ended up right in the middle of the conflict: she left on her own and he followed her, while I stood there looking around, feeling embarrassed by other people’s drama. Luckily, nothing got broken in the café, because I’m sure I would’ve had to pay for it. So I ended up disappointed, worried about her, and sipping a sad cup of coffee with milk at home… thinking that would’ve been the best choice from the start.
What do you think—would it have been better if we’d just stayed home?
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
