The Regular

I don't know what we looked like when we walked into the coffee shop that morning, but I know that we looked different than I normally look because normally it's Just Me and Just Me ain't "we" and Chris and Mo, the folks at the Fall Cafe, are used to serving Just Me. They've been making Just Me coffee and tea and oatmeal in the morning for the last several years. I'm what you might call a regular.

I introduced her and we decided to split a bagel. Well, she wasn't really hungry, just wanted a bit. The only jam they had was apricot and I don't like apricot, but she said she wanted some, so I ordered it on the side.

We sat, sipped our coffees and tried to figure out how to share The Onion while they toasted the bagel. When Chris announced the bagel was ready, I left her at the table and went to pick it up.

"Hey," Chris said, gesturing for me to lean in and listen up. "A few years ago, we made an institutional decision that jelly served on the side would not be served in a cute little espresso cup." I looked down at the plate he had prepared for us and found a perfectly toasted bagel with a demi-tasse loaded with jelly sitting next to it. "We're only doing this to make you look good."

When I brought it to her, I told her what Chris had said; it seemed the thing to do--exceptions were being made and it felt important that she should know.

I believe she was suitably impressed. I even tried a little of the apricot jam.

I still don't like it, but I like it more than I used to.