Fiction
Talking To a Random Stranger in the Coffee Shop
Be careful who you drink with
It was a beautiful spring afternoon in Minneapolis. The bustling street crowded with shoppers and office workers on their breaks. Edward barreled through the crowded sidewalk with his cellphone at his ear.
“ I’m sorry honey, but I have to work late again,” Edward’s face reddened, and his hand tightened on the phone. “ We both want Jimmy to go to college, and college is expensive, so you better pray that I get as much work done as possible.”
Hiding behind work isn’t a good thing
Edward gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes, then he hung up on his wife. “ I can’t go back to the office now; I need to calm down.” Ed thought as he headed to the nearest coffee shop.
He walked by the window and looked inside and saw the empty tables and the counter loaded with pastries. “ I would never hear the end of it if Ruth found out I ate one of these.” Edward smiled, as he ordered two of the pastries with a large Mocha with whipped cream.
Edward took his laptop and a stack of papers from his briefcase. He sipped his Mocha and ate the pastries as he logged on and checked his emails before he got to work.
Judging people by their appearance is lame
“ What the Hell is that?” Edward stared at the young, heavy-set woman with jet-black dyed and spiked hair. she wore black lipstick and piercings covered her face.
“ I’m glad the place is empty; I would hate to share a table with that.” Edward went back to work on his laptop, “ I need to get back to the office soon.” he thought as he looked at the time on the laptop screen.
It could have been the start of a great conversation
“ When was the last time you had any fun.” Edward looked up and saw the freaky-looking young woman looking at him. “ I feel sorry for guys like you, reeking of unhappiness, do you mind if I sit down and talk to you for a minute?”
Edward took another look at the time, and then he glanced at the email icon, his mailbox was full. “ I don’t have time,” he said, as he started to put everything back in the briefcase.
The start of a wild two days
The Goth smiled as she took the pill from the pocket of her jeans and dropped it in Edward’s coffee cup. Edward turned from his briefcase and took one last gulp of his Mocha, then he glared at the woman.
That was the last thing Edward remembered when he came down two days later. He woke up in a strange bedroom straight out of a Gothic novel. He looked at the painted black walls and the Demonic artwork.
“ What happened?” He muttered; his voice thick because his mouth was so dry. He felt the tape and gauze on his chest, “ What’s up with this?” He asked as he ripped off the gauze, “ Jesus Christ,” He screamed when he saw his new tattoo.
The tattoo was vulgar and disgusting
He ran to find the bathroom and found it before he got sick on the floor. Edward cleaned himself up and washed out his mouth. He put the mouthwash back in the medicine cabinet, then he went back to the bedroom to find his clothes.
His clothes were on a chair in the bedroom, neatly folded. A note was sitting on an end table next to the chair with a CD. Edward’s heart raced as he picked up the note.
Edward was the star of the show
“ Hi Edward, you dirty old man,” I rocked your world last night. I videoed the whole thing. I know you don’t have any idea what happened after I slipped the Roofie in your coffee.
By the time you read this, the video will be all over the Internet.” Edward shook and he almost vomited again. “ Why me?” he screamed.
The letter anticipated the question
“ I love bringing out the dark side in the stuffed shirted wage-slaves I see every day. I know you feel guilty. You’re scared of Divorce and child support. Look at it this way, you have a whole new world in front of you. Watch the tape and decide who and what you want to be.”
Edward saw his briefcase by the chair where he found his clothes. He got dressed and took the laptop from the briefcase. After Edward watched the video, he screamed and cried. “ Why me?” he raged, as he left the apartment.
He found the light-rail station and headed back to the office. He tried calling his wife and his boss, but both calls went to voicemail. “ Why the stares, They’re looking at me like I’m a Leper or something.” He wondered as he walked into the office.
People soon saw all sides of Edward
“ Edward, I need to see you in my office.” Edward wanted to get to his desk, but his boss stood in the office doorway waiting.
“ You worried your wife to death,” where were you last night?” Edward stood in front of the desk, his head pounding. He struggled to come up with an excuse, but none came.
The Boss let him have it
“ We all know what you were you embarrassed the company, your friends, and your wife. The Video you starred in is trending on the Internet. You need to clear out your desk and leave.”
Edward wanted to protest, but two burly security guards walked into the office and stood over him.
Ruth wasn’t pleased
He drove home, to find the contents of his drawers and closet strewn all over the yard. When he tried to go into the house, his key wouldn’t work. Ruth had changed the locks.
Edward’s face turned red as he felt the neighbor’s eyes on him as he picked his clothes off the yard. When he finished, he got in his car, but before he drove off, his cellphone rang.
Ruth sounded so happy on the phone
“ Hi, Eddy dear, how was your little walk on the wild side?” Edward started to talk, but Ruth cut him off. “ No explanation is good enough; I saw how good of a time you had on the video. If you would have been that wild with me, you would have been happier, I know I would have been.”
“ I cleaned out our checking account. I did leave enough for you to get a room for a few days. You will be hearing from my Attorney, until then, stay away from me and James. You embarrassed your son terribly.”
Edward tried to defend himself. Ruth had hung up the phone and his other calls went to voicemail, and she had blocked his texts. Edward choked back sobs as he drove away.
The next day:
The attractive middle-aged woman sat on the park bench by a pond. She threw chunks of bread to the ducks that were congregating close by. She smiled when she saw the young Goth woman who walked up and sat next to her.
Thank you, Jessy, I appreciate your help.” Ruth opened her purse and took out an envelope stuffed with hundred-dollar bills. “ I hope you had a good time with my ex-husband, it looked like you did.”
“ I always have a good time,” Jessy said, as she took the envelope from Ruth’s outstretched hand. She put the envelope in her purse, then she looked at Ruth and asked.
Ruth was just being proactive
“ Why did you do it? didn’t you love your husband? it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t put the Roofie in his coffee.”
“ Oh, I don’t know about that,” Ruth answered. “ I know he had a roving eye; I saw how he looked at women on the rare occasions we were out together. I only made sure he cheated on my terms.”
Jessy shrugged her shoulders, “ oh well, we both got what we wanted.” Without another word, Jessy got up and went to her car. Ruth smiled as she threw another handful of bread pieces to the waiting ducks.
Five years later:
He was in his early sixties, he had lost a lot of weight, but he was still a big guy. His hair was different, longer, and styled. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.
“ Funny how life turns out, I thought my world had ended, but now I feel ten years younger. I’m not making as much money as I did, but I’m free.”
Harold looked around the crowded bar, he saw the young woman sitting by herself. “ That will work.” He smiled as he picked up his drink and made his way to that night’s conquest.
Jessy didn’t know, and she wouldn’t care if she did, but she set Ruth and Ed free when she slipped that roofie in Ed’s coffee.
Life has its funny moments.