I walked across the green tiled floor, feeling it's slipperiness under my shoes. It's shine from the last nights washing still shone in the dim light. The walls were old, faded red brick, and the chairs I walked past were worn, but still clean and cheerful. As I approached the coffee bar, one of the workers brushed past me, heading for the door and probably home.

There was no line, so the young man behind the counter looked up at me as I approached. His earrings dangled, swaying back and forth slightly, reflecting light. Eyes trained on mine, he awaited for the moment when he would request my order. He leaned with palms down against the counter, a friendly expression on his face.

I reached the counter and stopped, my shoes squeaking on the floor.

"What can I get for you?" His mouth formed the words automatically, repeating the gesture he had trained them to. 

"Um." While I examined the menu posted behind him, he lifted one hand to scratch the side of his head and opened his mouth to yawn. Leaning back, his eyes traced across the room and finally examined me.

"I'd just like a double espresso please." Reaching back for my wallet, I squeaked my shoes against the floor again. There was still snow in their treads. I pulled my wallet out my pocket as the man punched numbers into the cash register. It made three loud clicking sounds that rung in the hushed room, and finally a muffled ding.

Pushing a check I still hadn't cashed out of the way, I found two ruffled one dollar bills and a crisp twenty. I picked out the ones and laid them on the counter. Fishing in my pocket, I found my keys, two receipts, and finally a quarter. I pulled it out and placed it on top of my bills. "OK, uhh, here you go."

He punched the tender key and the register's drawer opened abruptly. It bumped his elbow as he slowly picked up the money and placed it in the drawer. "Thanks, you can pick it up over there, under the red light." He looked at the floor and kicked the counter as I looked for the red light. For a moment I didn't see it, and almost asked where it was. But then I saw a man pick up a drink and I realized that the red light was on the other side of a doorway.

I walked over to the counter and waited for my drink, which only took about a minute to be prepared. As I waited I read a small advertisement tacked to the wall. Its plea for a bassist to join a local rock band was wrinkled and wrought with holes from other ads that had been tacked over it. I picked at the thumb tac that was holding it up, getting my fingernail under it's flat metal.

A worker handed me my coffee and then bumped his hand on the counter as he turned around. I walked out towards the majority of the tables, changing the cup from hand to hand, trying not to burn myself.