I will eventually graduate.
I will eventually graduate.
I will eventually graduate...
- The logo on a San Jose State t-shirt hanging in one of the university cafes.
- They make a better than average au lait (especially when they use Tully's Baseball Blend).
- They're the only cafe within easy walking distance from the office that makes cafe au laits.
During the summer, with the exception of the lunch rush, there is rarely a line at the cafe. But now, with the university's fall semester underway, there is always a line. I conveniently forgot that little detail when I felt a cafe au lait craving coming on this afternoon.
When I arrived, there were at least ten people waiting to order. I was tempted to turn around, but the craving was too strong to deny, so I planted myself at the end of the queue.
Thankfully, the line moved with some regularity. Every twenty seconds or so, everybody would shuffle forward a few steps. I was maybe four people away from the register when I noticed a nicely dressed guy, sporting sunglasses and a canvas book bag, enter the cafe.
He stood off to one side, propped his sunglasses on his forehead and perused the menu. Two shuffles of the line later, the guy said to the girl in front of me, "Hi. Could you do me a favor and order a small hot tea for me?"
She gave him a confused look, so he asked her again, but this time, added a smile and ran his hand through his hair. Like that, she agreed. It was like watching The Fonz at work (minus the finger snap). He pulled two dollars from his wallet and handed her the money as the woman behind the counter said, "Next!"
I was tempted to ask her to order my drink, too, but it just didn't feel right. Instead, I waited my turn and ordered my cafe au lait while The Fonz let his tea steep.
