by Andrew Reise
As Alan went back to the counter, chatting casually with some of the customers who sat there, the bell on the door jingled again as a familiar figure entered.
As Alan stood behind the counter, he saw a familiar figure enter the cafe.
Tom quickly strode into the cafe. Alan nodded and greeted him. “Tom, how goes it?”
Tom gave a terse response checking his watch as he did so. “Afternoon Alan. Sorry, could I trouble you to go ahead and make a cappuccino for me as fast as you can? I have a board meeting in half an hour.”
Alan nodded and went back into the kitchen to brew the cappuccino. He decided not to make any foam art as it sounded like Tom was in a hurry.
As Alan went back into the kitchen Tom took a seat at the counter. He didn’t look around as he normally would, but just pulled out his phone and began tapping away at the screen.
Across the cafe, Anaiya noted this new arrival. She felt he looked familiar and tried to place him. Then it came to her. He was Tom Sterling, the City A real estate magnate. She had interviewed him once before for a piece on changes to the real estate market after a long economic recession.
It surprised her that he got coffee here. That made two very prominent figures in business who had coffee here. She walked over to him and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Mr. Sterling?” She saw him look up at her and held out her hand. “Good to see you again, Anaiya Williams, City A Daily News.”
Tom put his phone down and shook her hand. He didn’t actually remember her, but he still treated her with courtesy as she was a reporter. If she acted like the paparazzi he wouldn’t be courteous, but if she didn’t treat him poorly he would certainly act politely to her. Otherwise, who know if he’d find himself featured in some opinion piece describing him as a sexist or whatever else. High profile figures, men and women alike, often found themselves maligned by the press.
“Ms. Williams, what can I do for you?” He asked her.
“Oh, I’m actually here on another piece I’m writing, but I saw you and thought I’d come over and talk to you.”
Tom nodded his head, but said, “Well, I’m afraid I won’t be around for long, I have a meeting to get to. However, if you can make it quick I’ll answer a couple of questions.”
Anaiya smiled. “Of course. I won’t take up too much of your time. I’m actually here because I recently heard some interesting news that Gerald Acadian frequented this cafe. I’d also heard other news that the owner was a shameless businessman and maybe even connected to Mr. Acadian somehow. Apparently there was some Twitter scandal surrounding this place as well. Not to mention the pricing does seem a little outrageous. While I’m not sure how much you know about this, would you care to comment on these rumors?”
Tom’s gaze focused a little as he looked at her. He didn’t know what had set her onto this cafe, but it made him nervous. Who knew how that crazy owner Alan would react if a negative article came out. He might just close up shop for the day claiming his feelings were hurt. What would Tom do then?
“Mr. Sterling?” Anaiya prompted him. Tom shook his head, clearing away those thoughts and responded to her. “I am very familiar with this cafe. I actually knew the owner before he opened it. He owns the cafe and the storefront himself, so it’s certainly not owned by Gerald Acadian. As for the Twitter scandal, I remember seeing it. It was just some troublemakers on the internet making much ado about nothing. There was no conspiracy or anything else. In my opinion, this cafe is as popular as it is due to the owner’s focus on quality. He goes above and beyond to deliver a high end product.”
As Anaiya listened she grew surprised at the endless praise that Tom gave to the cafe.
“Can you tell me more about the coffee? What do you mean high end?” However as she asked these questions, Alan came back from the kitchen and set a cappuccino in front of Tom.
“Here you go,” Alan said.
Tom nodded, but then paused. “No foam art today?” He asked suspiciously.
Alan shrugged. “You said you were in a hurry. I could create the art, but it’d take a couple extra minutes.”
Tom grumbled under his breath. “I could have waited a bit. Why’d you have to be considerate all of a sudden?”
Truth be told he enjoyed the foam art a great deal. It made him feel even more high class, as though he was actually consuming a piece of art.
Anaiya watched this exchange with an odd expression. This boss really did seem to have a strange personality. He actually used Tom’s own words to cut corners on the coffee he brought out. Tom was also strange, he had just finished praising this guy, yet now he was grumbling. However, seeing that Tom had his drink now she knew she probably wouldn’t be able to get anything more out of him.
Anaiya smiled and said, “Thanks for your time Mr. Sterling.”
Tom nodded as he blew on his cappuccino before taking a sip. Anaiya walked back to her seat.
Meanwhile Alan seemed disinterested in whatever exchange had just taken place. He stood behind the counter as Tom drank the cappuccino, grumbling.
Unlike his usual habit, Tom finished the cappuccino quickly and did not linger. He put the cappuccino on the counter, nodded to Alan and left. However, as he walked out of the cafe he quickly pulled out his phone and texted Alan.
Alan, back in the cafe, had just finished clearing Tom’s cup when he heard a notification from his phone. He looked at it and saw a text from Tom.
“That woman is a reporter with City A Daily News. It seems like she might be trying to stir up some trouble with the cafe. She seems like a decent sort, so try not to tick her off and make her write a scathing article in the newspaper.”
Alan read this quickly and felt some mild surprise. He hadn’t gotten the impression that that woman was a reporter. She hadn’t even asked him any questions. Also, he couldn’t be bothered to change how he acted. He put Tom’s text out his mind and went back to work.
Across the room, Anaiya was contemplating what she had learned from her conversation with Tom.
Not only did Gerald Acadian come to this cafe, but so did Tom Sterling. Two prominent businessmen who were somewhat notorious for being difficult to work with. Gerald Acadian reportedly was very cold and distant, some would even call him intolerant. There had been numerous stories when his former employees came forward saying he had fired them for the most minor of infractions.
Ironically this had only lent to his reputation in the business community, as who better to do business with than someone who wouldn’t tolerate mistakes from his own employees.
On the other hand, Tom Sterling was equally infamous, at least in City A. He ran his employees ragged, to the point that many of them burned out and quit. However, those that could survive his demands rose in the company quickly enough. Thus, despite the exposé that City A Daily News had published containing an interview with an employee who had a mental breakdown, there was no shortage of applicants for entry level positions with his company.
Two such people were full of nothing but praise for this cafe; it was surprising. Even more so given how Natasha Bianchi spoke about the cafe.
As she sat there, she felt like she’d gained everything she could from circumspect observation. It was time to interview the only neutral party that had been there that day.
Seeing that Alan did not look too busy currently she stood up and walked over to him.
Alan looked up as she approached, eyeing her curiously. Though he wasn’t too bothered about her being a reporter, he didn’t know what story she was chasing.
“Hi Alan, though I introduced myself earlier, I wasn’t fully honest. The truth is, my name is Anaiya Williams, and I am a reporter for City A Daily News. If you have a moment, I’d like to interview about the meeting that took place between Gerald Acadian and Natasha Bianchi at your cafe.” Anaiya got directly to the point, as her impression of Alan so far was that he was someone who appreciated straight forward people.
Alan listened closely and instantly noticed a trap in her words
. He smiled and said, “I don’t recall confirming that there was a meeting between those two people at this cafe.”
She gave a small, wry smile realizing that he had found her out. Still, she didn’t give up. “Very well, was there a meeting?”
Alan shook his head. “I apologize Ms. Williams, but even if there was such a meeting, I’m not in the habit of discussing any of my customers.”
Anaiya persisted. Since Alan wasn’t willing to discuss the meeting between Gerald and Natasha, she’d try a different approach. “Alan, Ms. Bianchi has already told me in an interview that she met with Mr. Acadian here for a date. Moreover, she had a lot to say about you and this cafe. Specifically, she said your cafe was run down, that you served her a poor quality cake while even advertising that the cake would help whoever ate it lose weight. Is it true that you are trying to mislead consumers in such a shameless way?”
Alan smiled. “Well there was a lot to what you just said. Let’s take it one point at a time shall we? First off, again I am not in the habit of talking about who comes to my cafe, nor what they do while they’re here. However, as Ms. Bianchi has already told you that she came to the cafe, I will discuss that with you.”
Anaiya felt a surge of excitement, realizing she’d gotten a reaction out of him. She quickly pulled a recorder out of her pocket. “I’m sorry, before we go any further, would you mind if I record this conversation? I would like to use your words later for an article.”
Alan shrugged. “That’s fine.”
Anaiya quickly checked the recorder to make sure she wouldn’t record over her previous interview with Natasha, then set it between them on the counter and pressed the record button.
“Okay, Alan, go ahead. What would you like to say regarding Ms. Bianchi’s criticism of your cafe?”
Alan looked at her calmly and cleared his throat while thinking carefully before speaking.
As she waited for his response, Anaiya felt the tension build. Faced with such criticism he would naturally defend his cafe. Once he did, she would pivot to how his other customers seemed to support him. This would allow her to naturally transition to the fact that both Tom and Gerald were patrons of this cafe.
Once she got to that point she’d be halfway home. She could directly transition into talking about Gerald’s support for the cafe. Even if Alan didn’t confirm that Gerald had met with Ms. Bianchi, she’d be able to confirm that Gerald frequently went to this cafe, which would give her ammunition in her eventual interview with Gerald.
For example, if he denied frequently going there, she could point to Alan’s interview as proof that he was lying. The more information she had, the better chance she could use it to poke holes in his story and get him to reveal more about the date with Natasha.
However, none of that could happen until she got Alan to confirm that Gerald frequently came here. She sat on the edge of her seat, the silence thick in the air.
The silence permeated the air, and the tension was almost palpable.
When it got to the point that Anaiya couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to speak, Alan finally opened his mouth.
“Lux Cafe is proud to offer high quality dishes. Not only is our coffee excellent in quality, but it is brewed from scratch ensuring the best end product. Our coffee comes from the Prosperidad coffee farm in Colombia. Grown in volcanic ash, Prosperidad coffee beans have clean notes of caramel and nut, making for a finish unlike any other. As for our cappuccino, needless to say the quality of the coffee remains. To top it off, we go above and beyond to create beautiful designs in the foam on the surface of every cup of Cappuccino.”
As Anaiya listened a strange look appeared on her face. She wanted to interrupt and get to the point, but Alan didn’t stop, continuing to spout descriptions that sounded like they belonged in an advertising campaign for his cafe.
Turning to the topic of the coffee cake, Alan went on even more about the freshness and quality of the foodstuffs he used to make it.
“Our coffee cake is made fresh daily. With it’s delicious classic taste, it’s a perfect treat to accompany your morning cup of coffee. With it’s high quality ingredients, of course the coffee cake will be more filling than other options, as well as healthier. A cup of coffee and a piece of coffee cake in the morning can last you until the afternoon. Furthermore, we make sure to provide a healthy portion of the cake, unlike many other cafes, so that you don’t have to worry that you will eat more than you should without realizing it. Do you like coffee? Cake? Want to lose weight? Lux Cafe is the cafe for you!”
Finishing his spiel, Alan fell silent, and looked at Anaiya expectantly.
Anaiya stared back at him. She couldn’t help but think to herself, “What was that? You call that an interview? Wasn’t that just an advertisement?” Her face was gloomy as she realized that Alan wasn’t treating this seriously.
It was fortunate none of his customers heard this speech. If they did, wouldn’t they want to cry? “Alan, aren’t you too considerate? Did we ever ask you to look after our health? You can serve us more than one serving of coffee, more than one serving of cake. We really won’t complain. We swear.” Of course, even if they said it, Alan wouldn’t change the rules.
A silence followed Alan’s speech, and Anaiya snapped out of her daze. Clearing her throat to break the awkward pause in the flow of conversation, she spoke. “Well, Alan, what I mean is, what do you think about Ms. Bianchi’s condemnation of your cafe?”
Alan shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that. As for Ms. Bianchi, I’m afraid I had to blacklist her from the cafe.”
Anaiya felt like strangling him. “Why didn’t he lead with such a juicy detail like that?” She thought. Feeling that the conversation might finally be flowing in the right direction, she immediately followed up with another question. “What sort of conflict did you have with her?”
“She didn’t finish her food.”
A pause followed this statement from Alan, as Anaiya waited for him to continue.
However, contrary to her expectations, Alan didn’t explain further. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she asked a follow up. “Could you give more context? For example, when was this, why would that cause her to be blacklisted, can you give more of an explanation about the conflict? Did you two argue over this?”
Alan nodded in understanding and said, “It happened recently. My cafe has a rule that you can’t leave food or drink unfinished. It’s my personal rule. There wasn’t any argument. I explained the rule, but she didn’t want to finish her food, so I blacklisted her.”
Anaiya wanted to hang her head. This sort of lackluster description was too boring. Where was the guy who just spent five minutes using flowery language to describe every detail of his dishes? Where had that guy gone?
Anaiya gave up on her subtle approach and just directly asked the questions she wanted to know answers to.
“Isn’t it true that Mr. Acadian frequents your cafe?”
Alan thought and nodded. “I think this is pretty well known. After all, he previously tweeted about the cafe.”
Thinking she might have finally caught a break, she asked a follow up question. “When was the last time he came in?” Even if Alan wasn’t willing to give up too much information about his customers, this shouldn’t be a problem right? If she could prove Gerald was here that day, it would help her in her interview with him later.
Alan pursed his lips in thought. As she waited for him to answer, Anaiya sipped on her coffee. As she did, Alan said, “It seems like...he’s been here nearly everyday lately.”
Anaiya nearly choked on her coffee. She felt like crying. With that sort of answer, it completely removed all the significance of his presence here on the day that Natasha was in the cafe. Their date could be treated as pure coincidence.
Pushing harder, she said, “Did he rent the cafe space from you today for a date with Ms. Bianchi?”
Realizing she wouldn’t give up, and that throwing her out wouldn’t be too good, Alan
could only shake his head.
“No, he didn’t.” He told her
This made Anaiya pause. She knew for a fact that he had rented the cafe this morning. She had received the tip from a member of Mr. Acadian’s staff, how could it be wrong. Moreover, Ms. Bianchi confirmed it. Wasn’t he just lying now?
Meanwhile Alan was thinking to himself. “Technically, it wasn’t a date. After all, it was related to business, and so it would be better to call it a business meeting.” After Alan had dealt with the system for so long he became much better at shamelessly twisting words.
Realizing that Alan wasn’t going to cooperate, Anaiya directly gave up. She began to grudgingly wrap up the interview, annoyed at how she had been toyed with. “That will be all then Alan. Is there anything else you want to say?”
Alan thought about it and finally nodded, smiling brilliantly at her as he opened his mouth to speak.
His sudden change in attitude caught her attention, and she put all her attention on his next words.
“To all of the readers of City A Daily News out there, Lux Cafe is open from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM. We look forward to your patronage.”
Just like that, he ended the interview the same way he started it: with a shameless promotion. Helpless, Anaiya reached out and switched the recorder off.
Nodding at her, Alan said. “When can I expect to see the interview in the newspaper?”
Anaiya looked at him incredulously. How could he even call this an interview? Wasn’t it just an advertisement for his cafe? She reported news, she didn’t publish ads. Annoyed with this man in front of her, she huffed slightly and said, “I may or may not use it. Thanks for your time, I have to go.”
Leaving her cup, emptied by her at some point during the interview, she grabbed the recorder, went over to wear she had left her bag by the chair she had sat in, and left the cafe. She had to figure out how she was going to force the interview with Gerald Acadian now that she hadn’t gotten anything out of this meeting. Thinking about it, she decided she’d use the parts of the interview where he explained how he blacklisted Natasha in the article, and ignore the rest.
