I fucking hate mopping. I will do anything else. Clean tables, wipe windows, scrub a bathroom from top to bottom, the toilet bowl included. But I can't stand to mop. Usually I have James do it, but he had to leave early tonight. Something about a paper he had to work on. I can't believe I let him go before making him mop the place.
James is a freshman. A fucking genius freshman. We've gotten into deep conversations and debates when the shop is dead. The kid knows what he's talking about most of the time and I can proudly say I can stand him now, when before, I could barely tolerate the kid. The shift is usually always easier with him. We are a team when it comes to the job. No matter how unimportant it is to me. Sometimes he'll work on his class work when it's dead, and I don't care. What's it to me? I may be his manager but when Starbucks is dead, it's dead.
As I slap the dampened yarn of the mop to the tiled floor, I hear a light knock on the front door. I'm concerned with that knock. Not only because it's late and we're closed, but because I think it may be someone homeless trying something with me. I debate on ignoring the knock altogether. Maybe act like I have ear buds in. The knock comes a little louder this time. By instinct from the demanding noise, I look.
It's Abby.
She has her hood up and her arms crossed as she waits for me to come to her to open the door. I walk over, wondering why she didn't just use her own key.
"Hey," she says when I open the door, I step aside and she comes in, the door locking shut behind her.
"What's up?" I ask, mop still in hand. She seems a little different. Usually she's professional, upbeat and positive. Even if she's off the lock. But now, she's not normal. "Something wrong?"
"No," she says, "Just needed to stop by."
"Forget something?" I ask, getting back to the dreadful cleaning task I've put off for last.
She looks around the shop, even glancing behind the counter. She doesn't answer me. "James' gone?"
I continue mopping near the front door, "Yeah he took off about half an hour ago."
She nods and walks behind the counter. I follow, bringing the mop with me. "What's wrong?" I try again.
"Just needed someone to talk to," she finally says. She leans her back against the counter and crosses her arms again. She says she wants to talk but her demeanor says she's closed off.
I prop the mop against the counter and lean beside her. I'm silent, waiting for her to talk, but she doesn't.
"Talk about what?" I ask.
"My relationship just ended."
I honestly didn't even know she had a boyfriend. This is news to me. I don't really keep track of any of the Starbucks employees here and their personal lives. But if I had to say who I was closest to, it would probably have to be James and Abby. James, because I work him on my shift the majority of the time. And Abby, because she's the other manager and I trained her when she came on. And then I helped her with that incident report she had to file for the store where two employees got into a fight and I guess that made her feel closer to me. She's been texting me randomly since that night.
"I'm sorry," I tell her at hearing the bad news.
"I broke up with him." She says.
"Any reason?"
"He cheated on me." Her eyes are red and her checks are a lighter shade of it. If I had to guess, I would say she just left from wherever her ex is. Why is she coming to me? We are barely friends. We are merely coworkers.
I don't know what to say to her. What does someone say in a situation like this when you're not very close with the person? "How'd you find out?" I decide to go with.
She shakes her head, "Does it matter?" I tear rolls down her cheek. Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say. Maybe if I keep saying the wrong thing she'll leave.
"Well, you have to have proof of it, don't you?" Strike two?
"I saw him with her. They were all over each other, kissing and hugging. Right out in public too. He didn't care who saw." She is full on crying now. I really said the wrong thing. Can I make it a strike three? Can I get her outta here?
I don't want to be a dick though. Maybe this is what Courtney was talking about when she attempted to insult me that night I told her Dean cheated on her. Maybe I should try to be a soothing voice for Abby right now. That's why she came here. That's what she wants.
"You did the right thing." I say. She wipes her eyes, still listening to me. "You had to end it. You got the hard part over with. That's a shitty thing to feel."
She sighs and laughs, "Yeah, Cody, it's real shitty. Has anyone ever told you that you are real shit at being comforting?"
"Hey," I bump my shoulder into hers. "All the time. Quite often actually. I don't know why people keep coming to me for comfort."
"Well you think you'd be good at it since you've had all this practice."
"You would think."
She smiles and I grab the cleaning solution because I just realized I didn't wipe the counter down earlier.