Coffee for Three
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 11:28 pm
Monica had had a day.
First of all, there had been the trunk they'd purchased as part of the estate sale in Brooklyn Park. She and Jet thought perhaps there'd be keepsakes or something inside it. The lot had suggested clothes, in fact. What they hadn't anticipated was discovering a batch of moths and essentially rags inside. Jet had taken it upon herself to seek out the sales agent about this little issue.
Then there was the chair that she was sure she was about to sell to that surgeon from St. Louis Park. He loved the character of the old rocker, and how it was completely original. And then his bratty kid started jumping up and down on it - and broke it. The couple paid for the chair, but now it was nothing but kindling.
On top of that, it was raining here in the 612. Late October meant rain - and usually the cold, frustrating, pelt-your-face kind of rain.
She wasn't even sure her only hope for positivity for the day would make up for it, but she trudged ahead, across the street and over to the Mexican-themed coffee shop where she'd first been christened with the nickname...
"Sunshine!" Tina smiled as she entered the coffee shop. Her face summarily dropped as she inspected Monica - both her countenance and her aura, which matched. "Oh. It's been one of those days?"
Monica only nodded.
"I'll get something together," she said quickly. "Thankfully, it won't require the IV..."
Monica sighed as the aroma of coffee finally brought her around. Jet wasn't going to be back until this evening, and she needed this time to decompress.
The bell on the shop door rang, and she involuntarily turned to see two familiar people walk in. Two people she hadn't seen in a very long time.
"Oh, hey you two! How's it going?"
"Hey Monica - didn't know it was raining here in the Twin Cities too." The short, rotund man ran his hand through what little hair he had on his forehead, a few drops of rain on his jean jacket. "Didn't expect to see you here."
The woman with him - who was about a half-foot taller, not unlike her and Jet - waved and greeted Monica as well.
"Yeah, I just needed some of Tina's finest after the day I had," she let out with a frustrated sigh. "Being the antique dealer isn't all it's cracked up to be."
Just then Tina reappeared with Monica's drink, and greeted the couple.
"Oh, hey, Fearless One! And the Dancing Lady! The usual?" Tina's smile was infectious, even as she handed Monica her drink.
"Of course, Tina," the short gentleman said in reply. "We decided to stop in for some post-dinner coffee."
"And Starbuck's wasn't good enough for him," the woman said, tugging at the end of her black hoodie sweatshirt.
"Nor you," he retorted.
Monica just rolled her eyes.
"Oooh, wait a minute - there's something about today, isn't there?" Tina looked at the two of them with a skeptical eye. "I can tell, but not sure exactly what..."
At that, he raised his left hand, and motioned to his wife to do likewise.
"OH! It's your ANNIVERSARY! Well, then, drinks are on the house!" Tina smiled and went off to make their usual concoctions.
"Gee, that might be enough impetus for me to convince Jet to get hitched," Monica said in a somewhat mocking tone.
"Hey, don't knock it - 24 years of wedded bliss," he replied. "Although it wasn't always smooth, of course..."
"Well, then, if it's your anniversary - why are you here in Minneapolis, and not home doing the horizontal mambo, like Sarge always calls it?"
"I have to work tomorrow," the wife replied. "This was our compromise for a post-dinner treat."
"Hard to believe Tina's is considered a treat," Monica commented.
"Well, she still doesn't have Mucho Mochas on every corner," the short gent commented. "And... well - you do know about our plans, right?"
"I'd heard something about retirement, finally?"
He nodded. "Yes, but it also means we're going to be moving - and it's not going to be anywhere around here."
"We're planning on moving to Arizona by February," the woman added. "We've already asked Phix about a portal, though. Doofus here," at this she playfully tapped her husband, "didn't tell me the only portal down there was at that In 'N Out Burger on Signal Butte."
"I told you I found it on accident," was his explanation. "But yeah - retiring in January, and out of Wisconsin - for good - in February."
"I'm sure Phix can set you up with something," Monica said.
Tina returned with their drinks. "You two lovebirds up to anything more tonight?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" was his reply with a wink. This earned another nudge from his wife. "Nice to see you again, Monica," he said, turning to the diminutive Latina.
"Always." She smiled back at him, watching as the two walked hand-in-hand (holding their own coffee in the other) out the door and into the Minneapolis evening.
"Hmmm, Arizona," Tina commented after a brief silence. "A bit dry for me, but it definitely beats shoveling snow."
"When you have access to portals that can take you anywhere in the world," Monica mused with a sip of her coffee, "it kinda doesn't matter where you live, really."
First of all, there had been the trunk they'd purchased as part of the estate sale in Brooklyn Park. She and Jet thought perhaps there'd be keepsakes or something inside it. The lot had suggested clothes, in fact. What they hadn't anticipated was discovering a batch of moths and essentially rags inside. Jet had taken it upon herself to seek out the sales agent about this little issue.
Then there was the chair that she was sure she was about to sell to that surgeon from St. Louis Park. He loved the character of the old rocker, and how it was completely original. And then his bratty kid started jumping up and down on it - and broke it. The couple paid for the chair, but now it was nothing but kindling.
On top of that, it was raining here in the 612. Late October meant rain - and usually the cold, frustrating, pelt-your-face kind of rain.
She wasn't even sure her only hope for positivity for the day would make up for it, but she trudged ahead, across the street and over to the Mexican-themed coffee shop where she'd first been christened with the nickname...
"Sunshine!" Tina smiled as she entered the coffee shop. Her face summarily dropped as she inspected Monica - both her countenance and her aura, which matched. "Oh. It's been one of those days?"
Monica only nodded.
"I'll get something together," she said quickly. "Thankfully, it won't require the IV..."
Monica sighed as the aroma of coffee finally brought her around. Jet wasn't going to be back until this evening, and she needed this time to decompress.
The bell on the shop door rang, and she involuntarily turned to see two familiar people walk in. Two people she hadn't seen in a very long time.
"Oh, hey you two! How's it going?"
"Hey Monica - didn't know it was raining here in the Twin Cities too." The short, rotund man ran his hand through what little hair he had on his forehead, a few drops of rain on his jean jacket. "Didn't expect to see you here."
The woman with him - who was about a half-foot taller, not unlike her and Jet - waved and greeted Monica as well.
"Yeah, I just needed some of Tina's finest after the day I had," she let out with a frustrated sigh. "Being the antique dealer isn't all it's cracked up to be."
Just then Tina reappeared with Monica's drink, and greeted the couple.
"Oh, hey, Fearless One! And the Dancing Lady! The usual?" Tina's smile was infectious, even as she handed Monica her drink.
"Of course, Tina," the short gentleman said in reply. "We decided to stop in for some post-dinner coffee."
"And Starbuck's wasn't good enough for him," the woman said, tugging at the end of her black hoodie sweatshirt.
"Nor you," he retorted.
Monica just rolled her eyes.
"Oooh, wait a minute - there's something about today, isn't there?" Tina looked at the two of them with a skeptical eye. "I can tell, but not sure exactly what..."
At that, he raised his left hand, and motioned to his wife to do likewise.
"OH! It's your ANNIVERSARY! Well, then, drinks are on the house!" Tina smiled and went off to make their usual concoctions.
"Gee, that might be enough impetus for me to convince Jet to get hitched," Monica said in a somewhat mocking tone.
"Hey, don't knock it - 24 years of wedded bliss," he replied. "Although it wasn't always smooth, of course..."
"Well, then, if it's your anniversary - why are you here in Minneapolis, and not home doing the horizontal mambo, like Sarge always calls it?"
"I have to work tomorrow," the wife replied. "This was our compromise for a post-dinner treat."
"Hard to believe Tina's is considered a treat," Monica commented.
"Well, she still doesn't have Mucho Mochas on every corner," the short gent commented. "And... well - you do know about our plans, right?"
"I'd heard something about retirement, finally?"
He nodded. "Yes, but it also means we're going to be moving - and it's not going to be anywhere around here."
"We're planning on moving to Arizona by February," the woman added. "We've already asked Phix about a portal, though. Doofus here," at this she playfully tapped her husband, "didn't tell me the only portal down there was at that In 'N Out Burger on Signal Butte."
"I told you I found it on accident," was his explanation. "But yeah - retiring in January, and out of Wisconsin - for good - in February."
"I'm sure Phix can set you up with something," Monica said.
Tina returned with their drinks. "You two lovebirds up to anything more tonight?"
"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" was his reply with a wink. This earned another nudge from his wife. "Nice to see you again, Monica," he said, turning to the diminutive Latina.
"Always." She smiled back at him, watching as the two walked hand-in-hand (holding their own coffee in the other) out the door and into the Minneapolis evening.
"Hmmm, Arizona," Tina commented after a brief silence. "A bit dry for me, but it definitely beats shoveling snow."
"When you have access to portals that can take you anywhere in the world," Monica mused with a sip of her coffee, "it kinda doesn't matter where you live, really."