Part Vc.
As they turned back towards the campus, Sally stumbled and fell against Donald, who automatically threw his arm about her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll get you home,” he murmured.
“Actually, I’m starting to think I could go for that coffee after all.” Across the street, the lights were still on in a late-night cafe, and a pleasant dark smell of roasting beans drifted to where they stood under a light.
“Whatever makes you feel better,” Donald smiled.
The cafe looked like every pop-up urban coffee bar, but had in fact been there for many years and was the sort of local hangout that those other coffee bars aspired to be. Nonetheless, the management had recently caved to the popularity of seasonal drinks, and when Sally and Donald reached the counter, she was able to order a pumpkin spice latte from the menu.
“My treat,” said Donald hastily before she could pay. “And I’ll have a regular coffee and a slice of pumpkin pie, please.”
“Thanks,” said Sally.
“One pumpkin spice, one regular -- if you can stop arguing with my brother for two minutes” said the cashier loudly towards the other end of the counter, where an argument was going on between the barista and a man who gloomily sipped a double espresso as he leant on the bar.
“I admit the fair trade coffee may not solve all the world’s problems,” came the barista’s voice from behind the espresso machine, “but every drop in the bucket helps. It can’t be a bad thing if the workers are at least getting paid properly.”
“We should pay a proper price for a product,” agreed the other man, “but that’s to keep us honest. Anything more is just being patronizing towards people in another part of the — I think you’ve got a customer, Pete.” He stepped aside for Sally and the barista peered around the espresso machine.
“You’re the pumpkin spice?”
He was a tall stout young man in hipster glasses, and Sally couldn’t help looking him over appreciatively, only to immediately feel a twinge of guilt — true, she wasn’t exactly dating Donald, but it bothered her to think her affections could be so changeable.
“I’m the customer who ordered the pumpkin spice,” she said, determinedly, with a glance back at the engineer. Pete blinked, embarrassed, and she felt bad again, this time for snapping at him; but the cashier’s brother smiled for the first time. “Sorry, rough night,” she said to them both. “And Donald -- my friend here -- is the regular coffee.”
They took their drinks to a wooden table in the corner, and the young woman who’d taken their order brought over Donald’s slice of pie on a plate. The engineer ate it in silence, occasionally throwing Sally a concerned glance.
“I’m all right,” she said eventually. “Just -- I’ve never fought anyone. Well, not since middle school anyway. Thanks for the backup, by the way. I don’t think I’d have done well otherwise.”
“Any time. For what it’s worth, you did good.” He looked for a moment as if he was going to add something,then looked down at his empty plate.