The Interview

Famke felt a sense of relief as the car pulled to a stop outside the coffee shop. She reached for the handle to let herself out, but he cleared his throat.

“I clearly said something to upset you,” she met his gaze seriously. “I apologize.”

“No,” he lifted his hand up. “It’s not you. It’s me. Please let me get your door. My mother would beat my backside if I didn’t.”

“Sure,” she felt it strange to wait in the car while he walked around to get her door. She could have opened it on her own. She ignored his hand to help her out and she got out on her own accord and stepped beside him, shivering with the cold air. Winter was approaching with Christmas coming in less than six weeks. He put his hand to her low back and encouraged her to walk ahead of him. The spicy scent of his aftershave filled her nostrils and she reminded herself he was a stranger, and she was being stupid.

When he held the door open for her to the coffee shop, she almost melted into the warmth of the place. It smelled delicious of pastries and rich fresh beans.

“Royal, what did you forget?”

“To pay you back a favor,” he pushed Famke forward, “Famke this is my old college roommate Keshaun. Keshaun, this if Famke. I found her in a service station up the road quitting her job because her greasy boss cut her hours. It sounds like she needs a job with lots of hours.”

“How many hours?” The man eyed her curiously as he rounded the counter and motioned for her to go to a table.

Famke found herself wondering what college these men went to and whether it was full of gorgeous African American men and if so, was it in the area? She really wanted to see what kind of school housed men over six feet tall with drop-dead beautiful features. She shook her head as she realized Keshaun was waiting for an answer, “sorry. As many as you can give. I have a second job for an overnight diner off the interstate, but the manager works around my full-time work schedule. The job I was working was forty-hours a week. Frequently, I worked fifty or more. He hired a new guy a couple of months ago and he cut my hours to give to the new guy because the young guy wants to save for a new car.”

“Have you ever worked in a coffee shop?”

“I worked at Starbucks in high school for a year. The gas station also had an espresso machine, but most people wanted the drip coffee to go.”

“When can you start?”

“Now if you want,” she said with a shrug.

“Apart from your hours being cut, why did you quit on the spot?”

“I quit because Jack’s excuse for cutting my hours was because he was doing me a favor. Said I needed to find love and a man to take care of me and I was working so much I was going to grow old and collect cats. I asked him to repeat himself and he found no problem in telling me he thought he was doing me a solid and how I need a man to support me and working too much was ruining my love life.”

“How long were you there?”

“Four years.”

“And you just walked?”

“Last week he asked me my bra size.” She shuffled her feet under the table.

“What was your answer?”

“Hey!” she shot Royal a dirty look for the question.

He held his hands up defensively as he sat beside Keshaun, “I don’t mean for you to tell me your bra size. I mean, you really laid into him today and so I’m curious how you told him to piss off?”

She had a weird feeling she was being interviewed by both men and tucked her feet under her chair as his long legs reached under the table near hers. “I told him sexual harassment was an issue the labour board would review with him and unless he wanted me to call them, he’d take his question back. He told me it was because he wanted to order me a uniform. We’ve never had uniforms in the four years I was there.”

“He sounds like a jerk. Why stay for four years?”

Again, the question came from Royal and not Keshaun and she fought to keep from scowling at him.

“Because the hours were steady until this week. The place is walking distance to my home so even if I work the graveyard shift, I don’t have to waste money on a taxi.”

“You walk home in the middle of the night?”

“I have pepper spray.” She shrugged, “I’ve only had to use it once.”

Both men exchanged long looks and then Keshaun questioned her again.

“What are you looking for in terms of pay?”

“I’m making minimum now. I don’t have a college degree. I have my high school diploma. I know in this city you can’t typically get a job flipping burgers without some college, but I work hard, I haven’t missed a day of work in four years, and I’ve never been late in my life.”

“We pay minimum plus we split tips. You can drink all the coffee you want. Pastries are half price. I need a barista to work full time. After three months of full time, you’ll get a raise and benefits.”

“Like healthcare?” she was surprised.

“Yes. My full-time girl went into labour last night during a shift. She went early. I didn’t have time to hire a replacement. She isn’t coming back. She already told me she intends to be a stay-at-home mom.”

“Nice job if you can afford it,” she shook her head. “The economy is rough. A friend of mine has two kids, one of them three months old, and daycare costs more a month than what she would be earning if she went back to work but if she stays home, she loses her healthcare benefits and her subsidized apartment. It’s a catch twenty-two. Either way, she can’t make rent.” She shrugged, “sorry. I get worked up over things like this.”

“Hey, passionate people are hard to find. Three-month probation and if you can start now, I will pay you double time for the day because I really am short staffed.”

“Deal, where can I put my stuff?”

“I’ll take you out back and you can fill out the paperwork and we’ll get you started.” Keshaun extended his hand. “I usually ask for references but seeing as my best friend brought you in, if you turn out to be a huge failure and rob me blind, I’ll take it out on his ass.”

“Thievery isn’t my thing,” she laughed at his words. “If ever it was, it would be more the Robin Hood variety.”

She followed Keshaun through the swinging doors to the back of the shop, “Cesar,” he called to a man who appeared to be making cookies. “This is Famke. Don’t scare her off on her first day.”

“I know you,” he pointed at her, and she grinned back.

“You sure do,” she walked over and gave him a hug. “Still making cookies?”

“Until the day I die, I’m sure.” He nodded to Keshaun, “we went to high school together and we worked together.” He looked at her curiously, “you quit the job not long after your folks died. How’s your brother? He in remission now?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “Cancer free. It was a rough couple of years, but we got through it.”

“Good to hear,” he patted her back. “It’ll be like old times having you around.” He grinned at Keshaun, “you’ll have to watch and make sure she takes her breaks. She works her ass off.”

“I’m so glad you drive a monstrosity which needs to be gassed up every two hundred feet,” Keshaun grinned at Royal.

Royal laughed, “This gets me off the books, right?”

“Not until she passes probation,” he winked at her and motioned for her to enter his office. “I’m not worried but I like holding shit over his head.” He whispered loud enough for the other man to hear.

She giggled. “I’m happy to play a role.”

She was very aware of Royal hanging around during the entire process of filling out paperwork and ordering her uniforms. For a man who was supposed to have been on his way back to New York, he was sticking around and his focus on her was unnerving to say the least. He even sat with a coffee while she was being trained on the cash and payment systems and got refreshed on how to work a fancy espresso machine.

She couldn’t help but feel he was watching her with far more interest than she should be comfortable with. It didn’t feel sexual. It felt as if he were sussing out her character and doing it while he got her a job for his friend seemed suspicious to her.

As she tried to tune out his presence and focus on the instructions, she had a keen sense his behavior was off. She remembered the moment in the car when she had been certain he’d been furious with her. Whatever his problem was, she reminded herself, he was from New York, and she didn’t know anyone there. It had to be a misunderstanding, but it wasn’t one she needed to try to solve. He’d be on his way soon enough and she wouldn’t have to think on it any further.