Black With a Pinch of Salt

Black with a pinch of salt

He is back again, the same guy from last week who liked his coffee black with a pinch of salt. It was the strangest order of coffee I have ever had to make since I started working as a coffee barrister. Funny enough, the order was the hardest because I had to discover where we kept the salt in the café kitchen. I obviously have a crush on him but who wouldn’t with the way God made him. Today, however, he was in with a young lady who had moons in her eyes when she looked at him.

Edu, his name was Edu. I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me he was Nigerian. It was in the way he carried himself, the way he spoke and the fact that everyone literally look up to him because he was so tall. The lady beside him look like a dog as she stared into his eyes, nodding at whatever he was saying.

As I added the pinch of salt into his coffee, I wondered how he stumbled across such a unique coffee mixture.

“That’s how my grandpa liked it,” a timber heavily accented voice said. I could feel the base wash over my body and settle in the lower region. It was Edu. He really shouldn’t be talking out of turn without warning.

“Excuse me?” I said stupidly as I stared at eyes that were as brown as they were currently amused.

“You are wondering what the coffee tastes like or how I came to like my coffee so. I can see the curiosity on your face,” he replied.

I smiled self-consciously as I handed him his coffee. He smiled back and said, “Go on. Take a sip. You might like it.”

I swear on Mother Nature, I almost dropped his coffee. How dare he say such knee-jerking thing to me with an innocent smile? If I wasn’t as big as the next neighbourhood over fed cow, I would have sworn he was flirting with me. I mean, I am not ugly but stress and nature has made sure I have all my weight and then three other peoples’ weight. No man hardly ever looks at me when they offer their coffee. Most times, they flirted with skinny waiters that actually fit into the work uniform.

I smiled nervously. This was new territory, very unchartered.

“I couldn’t never,” I replied, extending the coffee again to him.

“Oh but I insist. Don’t you want to feel what it taste like?” he asked.

No one in the universe can convince me he was talking about coffee at that point but he was. What else could he be talking about? The lady behind him might be wondering the same because her face was a study in confusion.

I made up my mind. Why the heck not? Other than potentially losing my job, I don’t see why I shouldn’t try this weird coffee mixture.

So I took a sip, from his large coffee cup. It was very hot. The café prided itself on serving piping hot coffee so when I took a nervous sip, I felt the hot burnt pain more than the yucky horrible taste of the salted coffee. I smiled anyway as I handed it to him. He maintained eye contact as he took the cup from me.

“Horrible right?” he asked as I reached for a glass of water. I nodded in agreement. Edu did the hottest and strangest thing any customer has ever done. He turn the cup around and took a sip right where my red lipstick was marked while looking me in the eyes. People, I was up in flames. I wished someone would pour a bucket of water on me before I would be reduced to cinder.

This hot delicious man was flirting with me.

“Hmmm,” he whispered and took another sip. “This tastes so much sweeter today. Thank you…” he paused to indicate he was waiting for my name. I didn’t have my name tag on.

“Kamsi,” I replied.

“Chikamsi,” he said, repeating my full name in that thick voice of his. On the inside, I heard a voice answer yes daddy.

“Thanks for the coffee. Maybe make another coffee with salt and try to sip it slowly this time. Thanks again,” he said and left, leaving a 50$ on the counter. That horrible coffee was 5$ and he left before I could call him back for his change. I was too stunned to speak.

“Is it me or was that guy flirting with you just now?” one of the cute white girls that I never retained her name asked. Amy. That was her name and I strongly believe she thinks her poop didn’t stink.

“It is you,” I replied and stood up to get ready for my break. Before I could leave, someone walked into the café. Lo and behold, it was Edu.

“I knew you will be back. You forgot your change,” I said.

“Kamsi,” he called and appeared to be collecting himself. “What are you doing this Saturday night? If you are free, would you go to a movie with me? There is this wonderful Nigeria movie…”

“Yes,” I interrupted him. He was actually nervous about asking me out. This hunk of a man was not sure of himself while asking me out? Wow.

“Really? Amazing. I will pick you up at 5. We can grab dinner before the movie,” he said and turned to leave. “Oh yes, my change. I had this whole strategy of coming back for the change and then … it doesn’t matter. You said yes. Lovely,” he turned again and started to leave without the change.

“You forgot your change again,” I called out.

“That’s your tip. Keep the change, he called back and left.

I stood there, speechless with his change in my hand but internally, I was doing different dancing styles. I think I just met my soul mate.