Guest Blogger Week: A love story
In 2006, after my one year stint at the Savannah College of Art & Design, I moved back home to Fairhope, Alabama and resumed the job I had in high school. I was a barista at the local cafe, The Coffee Loft. I was so happy to catch up with all my old customers again!
In June, a boy I had never seen walked in carrying his iBook. He immediately caught my eye. I thought back to all the features I had always cherished (angular noses, dark curly hair, big brown eyes, full lips…), and this kid had everything. I bent over backwards to be the barista who took his order.
Nervously, I asked, “What can I get you today?”
After he ordered, I made his butterscotch latte with skim milk to the best of my ability. His shots of espresso ran for the ideal fifteen seconds and had the perfect three layers of color. His butterscotch-infused milk was frothed to the nth degree. To make it extra special, I took one of the butterscotch hard candies reserved for frozen drinks and dropped it in as a treat. Smiling, I rang him up and stamped his brand new frequent buyer card (you know, so he would keep coming back). I made sure to memorize the name on his credit card: Kyle Brady.
I sighed a big sigh, and ran to my coworker, Allyson, to dish on our new customer’s dreaminess. Right as I was swooning, he came back to the counter.
“This drink’s too sweet. I think I saw you put candy in it. Can you take it out or something?”
What the hell?! I scooped out my thoughtful detail, and gave him his drink back.
“Thanks.”
Okay, maybe this Kyle Brady was gorgeous…but what a pain in the ass! I started to distract myself with things I didn’t like about him. He popped his collar, he was making a huge mess at his table, he was a bit rude; the list was started to really compile.
Weeks passed by, and Kyle came in nearly everyday. Each day, I learned something new about him. I loved that he just graduated from Auburn University with a Fine Arts degree. However, for every good thing I found out, he would unveil a new annoyance. He left trash and crumpled newspaper trails around the shop. He brought girls in with him. He even asked me if I had taken a shower in awhile!! I loathed that beautiful man.
One day, some of my most cherished customers came in to get lunch. I always liked to chat with Erin and Karl, and that day I wanted to have a therapeutic conversation about that darn Kyle.
“There is this new customer who just lives to antagonize me,” I said. I explained his messes, his comments, his obvious attempts to upset me. Erin said to me, “Does he pop his collar?” I couldn’t believe she knew him, too!
“Yes, how did you know?!”
“He’s my little brother.”
Oof! I apologized, but she just laughed. She insinuated that she “may know a thing or two about it,” and he was doing all of this to me for a reason. I just ignored that suggestion…until one day in August, when he asked my coworker about me; I believe he referred to me as “The little art girl who always wears the cutoff jeans.” When she relayed this information me, I was floored. He really did like me!
After an extensive love-hate relationship, we began dating on Christmas Day 2007. It didn’t take long to realize that he and I were soul mates, and that all the elementary school style teasing was well worth it. He is my everything.
By Alexi V.
