Cafe Decaf
by K.J. Glaves

The smell of burnt roasted Columbian filled the air of 42nd Street Cafe. The stench had a vaguely pleasant smell, but a practiced nose soon noted the acrid burnt note. Sweating from her morning run, Kathy sniffed the air of the shop, hoping the beans would not be ruined; this cafe couldn't handle any more disasters. Behind the oaken counter, Mark smiled at Kathy as she entered. "The usual?" he asked.
"Yes, please. What's that smell?"
"Lynn burned the beans last night after she was closing up. I told Don not to let a college freshman close AND do the roasting, but he wouldn't listen. Cream and sugar?"
"Soy milk and equal." She laughed lightly.
"You're too thin, you runner. You need the cream and sugar. Besides, sugar is carbs. Good for you runners."
"No thinks. Soy and equal."
Mark passed the cup of coffee over to Kathy's pale hand. "What type of bagel today?" he asked as he went over to the bakery case. He held up a hand, "Warning, it will be a new type no matter what. Spenser's went out of business."
"Spencer's! How, I mean, I thought they were doing well. Bagels are the health food these days." Kathy demanded, sipping the warm coffee in outrage, burning her tongue in the hurry.
"They just couldn't compete with the Brainiac Bro. Bagels chain. Heck, just last week Al's Burger Barn went under."
"Al's Burger Barn? Where's that?"
"On 5th and Newcastle. You're such a health food freak you wouldn't recognize the name," Mark said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Plain bagel?"
"Yes. I hope they're half as good as Spencer's." Kathy said, pulling herself some napkins from the dispenser.
"Here you go," said Mark, plopping the bagel on one of the white ceramic plates reserved for regular customers. "Cream cheese?"
"You know me better than that," Kathy laughingly protested with a wave of her hand. Taking her food, Kathy maneuvered over to the table nearest the window, watching the street. The area surrounding the cafe was undergoing a certain amount of renovation as it be came a "hip" place to live. Across the street, new town homes were being built in place of the older homes that once held the "urban pioneers," who had made the area "hip" to begin with.
As Kathy watched the builders, a tall, sharp beaked man entered the cafe. Kathy glanced at him in interest; normally the shop was dead until 7:30 at least.
Mark, working in the back, probably trying to clean the burnt coffee smell out of the roaster, heard the bell and came to the counter. "How may I help you?" he asked.
The man glanced around the shop, his eyes resting briefly on Kathy, who quickly glanced back to the street. "I'll take a decaf latte," he said to Mark. Kathy winced. He was in for a rude surprise.
"Sorry," Mark said, "We don't serve decaf."
"Why not?" demanded the man.
"Well, the owner says that the chemicals used to decaffeinate the coffee can be dangerous to humans and the environment. Besides, a jolt of caffeine never hurt anyone, did it now?"
"So the owner is socially conscious?" the man said with a faint trace of irony in his voice.
"You could say that," interrupted Kathy, saving Mark the embarrassment of explaining Don's environmental ideas. "I like this coffee shop because they serve only shade-grown, fair-trade coffees. Plus the roast their own beans."
"And that attracts you as a customer?" the man asked curiously.
"Yes," Cathy replied, surprised by the question. "It does."
"Interesting," the man said.
"If you can't have caffeine, we have herbal tea." Mark interrupted the man's thoughts.
"No, a latte with caffeine is fine."
Mark went to the back to fix the latte. The man wandered around the shop. He seemed almost too tall for the place, with its low chairs and wooden tables. Mark returned with the latte.
"1.63 is your total sir," Mark called out to the man.
"Thank you," the man said, hurrying over to the counter. He took the paper cup from Mark and handed him a two dollar bill. "Keep the change," he said pleasantly.
"Thank you sir," Mark replied, and then hurried to the back. He was definitely cleaning something, thought Kathy.
The man strolled over to Kathy. "May I join you?" He asked with a smile and a hand rested on the chair across from her.
"Certainly," she replied. "Have a seat." Kathy looked at the window as the man took his seat.
"This neighborhood is changing, isn't it?" the man asked.
"Yes, it has really changed since I moved her."
"How long ago was that?"
"5 _ years ago."
"Well, you've seen the area improve haven't you? New buildings, new shops, younger people. I heard this place was practically a ghetto a few years ago."
"Well, not all change is good. Now, it seems smaller shops are going out of business and the new houses and condos and town homes are replacing some historical architecture. It's sort of sad." Cathy concluded, with a mournful look across the street.
"I see it as positive. Do you own? If so, think of how your property values are going up!"
"Well, I just think I'll miss the character of the neighborhood. I hope it doesn't lose it completely." Kathy drained the last of her coffee. "It was nice speaking to you, but I have to run," she said, rising.
"I enjoyed talking to you too. Perhaps we'll run into each other again?"
"Maybe. I'm here every morning."
"Well, soon I will be too."
"Are you moving to the area?" Kathy enquired politely.
"Oh, yes. But I don't have to worry about property values. I own those town homes across the street." Kathy's smile froze. "I intend to help improve this area. Who, knows, maybe I can get a real coffee shop put in. At least one that serves decaf."