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How can someone drink 4 cups of coffee in one sitting? The man across the counter with tousled black hair and jittery hands quickly chugs another cup and then promptly gives me a knowing look.
Should I just give him decaf?
"GIMME ANOTHA' FOUR CUPS, LADY!"
My thoughts are interrupted by his booming voice, but..he's not even looking at me; one of his eyes upturned to the ceiling, while his right eye faces the wooden floorboards beneath his feet.
"Coming right up..I guess.." I try to repeat the phrase in my mind.
'The customer is always right!' My morbidly obese boss would explain as she waddled to a whiteboard- where she'd go to teach us what to do in absurd scenarios. I don't remember much about her except the way her bun was screwed up so tightly that it appeared she'd gotten a botched facelift.
Dejectedly, I pour the insane-looking-man's 5th cup of coffee.
The mugs we use are an off-white ceramic with a differing inspirational quote messily drawn on in biro on each, and smell distinctively of coffee beans and sweet cakes.
I gently tip the contents from the coffee pot into the mug- which inspirational quote reads: 'Slow and steady wins the race!'.
It's basic, but our manager was running out of ideas.
Against the window, rain plummets into the surface like an armada of ships charging into battle..or into the slushy mud outside. The droplets catch the attention of a young looking boy- blond buzz cut, looks around 8 years old.
"Mummy! Mummy, look! This one here's winning the race!"
The mother sitting across from the small child pinches her nose ,sighs sleepily and takes a large slurp from her espresso- leaving a ring on the table as she harshly slams it back down.
"Uh huh." She dryly replies as she takes her phone out of her jean pocket, fast as a cheetah running, as if it was rehearsed.
I hastily place the four cups of coffee on a tray, beside the strange man- who starts giggling and clapping loudly like a maniac when he sees his order.
"T..TANK YOU! I-" He slurs his words before hastily throwing £100 on the counter- although, his order only came to £25...
Before I could say anything, he sprints out the door.