For The Next Thirty Seconds ✓

a distressing call

L A N E

"So, this is it, huh?"

We've stopped at another place on our tour of the city. It's called Sweet Dreams Coffee & Tea, and Jack insists that the coffee here is almost as good as it is at Sue's. I'm not so sure, considering coffee is supposed to keep you awake and the name has "Sweet Dreams" in it, but, when I aired my concerns, Jack ignored me. So, here we are.

Jack nods excitedly. "This is it," he breathes out, the air he released creating fog in front of us.

"Do the workers here know you as well as they do at Sue's?" I ask as we begin to walk up the steps that lead to the door of the building. Already I can see the differences between this place and the last one; This one is trying to have some sort of ambience, with fairy lights and throw pillows and stacked carpets. At Sue's, it didn't seem like they were trying at all, it just was cozy. Here, I can tell I'll be overwhelmed.

"Nah, I don't come here as much," Jack says as he pushes the door open. "After you."

We walk in and find it relatively empty, which isn't surprising, considering it's one in the morning. There's no one behind the counter, though, so we just stand in the doorway, waiting for someone to appear.

"It's, uh," Jack starts, lowering his voice to a whisper and dropping his mouth to my ear, "a little weird here. I don't know why, but it gives me the same vibes you get from a parent trying to use slang correctly."

I giggle, because I had been thinking the same thing, just without the metaphor, and bring my hand up to the side of my mouth before whispering, "yeah, it kind of feels like it's trying too hard, you know?"

Jack nods. "Right, like, just be yourself, man. Sure, maybe the mean girls will make fun of you, but you don't have to try to fit in—"

"Oh my god, I hate you," I interrupt with an eye roll and lightly punch Jack in the side, and his only response is to grin at me like he just told the funniest joke in the world.

"All jokes aside, though, the coffee here is good, even if the atmosphere is a bit out of place."

"Well, I'd hope so," I say, turning my nose up and feigning a british accent, "you are supposed to show me the best places in NYC, after all, and if I find out this place isn't one, I'll be livid."

"Is that so?" Jack asks with a goofy grin, poking me lightly in the side.

"Yes, it is," I respond, keeping up with my facade for about two seconds before letting out a loud bark of laughter, followed by a snort.

"God, you're so gross, Lane," Jack says and flicks me on the nose. "So unladylike. So abhorrent. I should abandon you for that."

I roll my eyes and catch the small smile on his face, when someone emerges from a door behind the counter and stops short when they see us standing here.

"Hey," Jack greets after a moment of silence where we all just stare awkwardly at each other. He gives a small wave, and I follow suit.

"Oh, hey, Jack," the woman says, furrowing her brow as she looks between the two of us. "Will you just give me one second?"

He nods, and she scurries away, back through the door she came. As soon as she's gone, I punch Jack in the arm, not so lightly this time.

"I thought you said they didn't know you as well here," I say quietly out of the side of my mouth.

"They don't," Jack responds in the same low voice that I used. "This is just, uh, where my sister works."

"You're kidding," I say, turning to face him and dropping the quietness. " 'Oh, yeah, this place kind of sucks, I don't come here too often because the vibes are just off. But, uh, did I forget to tell you that my sister, who I said I haven't seen in months, works here?' "