Short Story: Nila's Coffee Shop, Part 2 of 4

Before reading this please go read part one here

The strong scent Joel noticed outside, coated his nostrils like a thick mist once he entered the shop. Throngs of customers still grouped about the shop, but their presence was much more orderly. He stood his place in line and looked around the room which had been significantly altered since it was passed on from its previous owner. The walls were plastered with deep metallic pink wallpaper bordered with gold moldings. Neutral stone tiles were laid on the floors which matched the table tops of the small tables that were scattered amongst the flock of people. Beyond the line of customers ahead of Joel was where the notorious coffee was prepared. Joel expected to see a fleet of baristas busy at work to meet the demands of the thousands of coffee enthusiasts who loyally frequented Nila's. Instead, all he saw was a beautiful young woman. She was wearing a white uniform which covered most of her deep tan skin. A spray of freckles was spread across her face, and her long curling hair was a shocking pink that matched the color of the walls.

With each person who came up the counter, the woman would take their money and produce their requested cups of coffee from what appeared to be thin air. Around the place that she stood, it almost seemed like there was a pale golden glow, which intensified at the height of each transaction.

Joel stared at the woman in wonderment, taken in by her stunning attractiveness. He barely noticed his slow progress up the line with her in his sights. When it was finally his turn to buy, he was at a total loss for words in her presence.

"Welcome to Nila's. What may I get for you sir?" Nila asked, her large brown eyes beaming.

"Uhhh, coffee," Joel managed to say, and he thrusted the crumpled five towards her.

She looked down at his cash quizzically, then hushed the people who screamed words of haste behind Joel. They miraculously obliged.

"What size would you like?"

"Large--two, yes. I would like two large coffees, one plain and one with sugar and cream and all of that."

NIla gave a dazzling smile then leaned to the side of her counter, out of view. In an instant she procured two tall cups of coffee.

"Enjoy."

"Thanks--very much," Joel said awkwardly, and then he backed away towards the exit, nodding and smiling. Joel's eyes and mind were still lost in the image of her and he clumsily bumped into someone, spilling one of the coffee cups all over his leg. A puddle of steaming tan liquid spread across the floor. Joel threw his arms up in defeat and began to pick up the mess

"Don’t worry about it, I'll get it!" NIla shouted from the counter. She had already begun servicing the customers behind Joel.

"It's alright, I spilled it, so I should clean it up," Joel insisted.

Nila gave Joel a shrewd smile in-between the purchases of two customers, then said, "You can leave the mess there then come back in the afternoon to get a free cup of coffee."

"But how are you gonna be able to clean it up if you're so busy?"

"I have my ways." She winked and Joel felt a pressing need to leave the Coffee Shop and return to the office as quickly as possible. The moment he squeezed his way out of the shop he heard Nila yell, "Who would like to clean that up for me?" He couldn’t see what was happening in the store through the dark windows and the thick crowd, but he heard the distinct sound of rushed clambering footsteps. Though curious, he continued to walk dutifully back to his office, steaming coffee held firmly in hand.

Joel's lunch tasted bland that day. His usual tuna on rye tasted like wet plastic and sand, making him unable to eat past the first bite. Despite his lack of appetite, he was craving something he couldn’t identify. During his one hour lunch break, he made several trips to the vending machines, looking the junk food up and down and none of it looked appealing as it had in the past. He sat in his chair, looking cross, and watched as his coworkers streamed in from outings at local restaurants, carrying their leftovers in hand. The smell of their roast beef sandwiches was nauseating, and only made Joel crave the imperceptible food item even more.

While working through the latter half of his day, Joel felt uneasy and antsy to leave the office. Every moment of concentration was a struggle to maintain and felt like torture. He needed to leave and go somewhere. It wasn’t his plan to go back to Nila's, but he felt a bizarre draw to the place on his walk back home. The agitation that filled him that day at work was slowly mitigated the closer he came to the corner of Magstrum and Avery. Anticipation filled him when he walked down the last stretch of Avery, and he saw the ever present crowd standing round Nila's Coffee Shop. His excitement collapsed when he realized that the place was closed.

©Ada Uzo-Okereke