Slice of Life 2023: 15 of 31- The timing was wrong, but worked out great

 

It's March, and March is for slicing.  Anyone is welcome to join us through Two Writing Teachers, slicing, sharing, and commenting on other slices! 

  

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I arrive at the coffee shop at 9:59 for a 10:00 meet-up. A little closer than I'd like to cut it. Years ago, my daughter learned in theater than early means on time, on time means late, and late means you're out. I prefer to be a little early. I check my texts again. There's been no response to my confirmation text. We're still on for 10, right? I'd texted. We'd made this date several days earlier, and I know all too well how times and dates can slip through the scheduling sieve on calendars that have too many commitments on them. 

I'm getting in line, I text. I'm wearing a black vest. 

I only know my coffee date through twitter interactions, and I'm not sure I'd recognize her profile picture in real life. In fact, looking at it again, I'm sure I wouldn't. 

Still no response. At least the line is long (words I seldom say.)

With only a few people left in front of me, my phone buzzes. The message is that she was planning to meet at 1, and not at 10. I ask if she'd like to meet on a different day. She'd be right there. I know how far she lives from the coffee shop. She would not be right there. She doesn't know how she missed the zero in the texts. She's sorry. 

The line behind me is still long-- a good fifteen minutes. I ask her if she'd like me to get her something. 

"What would you like?" the barista asks. 

I hesitate, feeling rude as I glance at my phone even though it's so that I might know what to order. No response. I order my coffee and head to the back of the line, since, just after I completed my transaction and stepped away from the front of the line,  a request for hot chocolate buzzes through. 

The timing is pretty perfect, to be honest. She arrives just as her hot chocolate is ready and we have plenty of time to bring life to our twitter profiles.