Page 63 of Latte Girl
“Wanting to be better is a lot easier than actuallybeingbetter,” answers Mel. “Whatever he felt for you, it sounds like he’s been under someone else’s influence for too long to put anything elsefirst.”
“You’re right,” I groan. “I should have seen this coming. I just feel so stupid. All along I had my doubts about him, but I went with my heart instead ofmyhead.”
I cross my arms in front of me and bury my face in the crook of myelbow.
“Hey!” Mel calls. She snaps her fingers in front of me and I lift my head. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. All this proves is that you’re way better than that man is prepared to be. If someone’s not willing to step up to your level, don’t let them drag you down totheirs.”
I don’t think my hopeless stare is the kind of response she was looking for. She smacks her palms onto the countertop and then comes out to take a seat on the stool nexttome.
“Hailey, listen,” she begins. “Did Mina ever tell you the story of how she opened thisplace?”
“Not really. I thought you two opened ittogether.”
Mel shakes her head. “Mina and I always talked about opening a cafe. When we were first living together, she was managing a restaurant and I was finishing up my business school program. It was both of our dream jobscombined.”
The story is interrupted when a customer walks up and asks where the washroom is. Mel directs them and then turns backtome.
“Right, so, we found this place for rent, and everything started falling into place. We were really going to do it, and I panicked. All I could see was failure. I knew the risks of starting an independent business, and suddenly they outweighed any chance we had at success. Do you know what I asked hertodo?”
I shake my head, as captivated as a toddler duringstorytime.
“I told her we should start a Starbucks franchise. I said we’d be better off being part of achain.”
I try to picture the local artwork on the walls of Cuppa Joe replaced with giant Starbucks ads. Ican’t.
“What didshesay?”
“She said I was letting fear get the better of me, that I was giving up on building what we’d dreamed of before we even tried. I told her she was being stupid and ignoring the facts. We had a huge fight that ended in a break up. I moved out of ourapartment.”
She pauses, lost in thememory.
“So Mina, being Mina, did it all herself. She rented the building, hired a designer, a renovation team, everything she needed to get the place going. I regretted my decision the moment I left and finally got the courage to tell her about a month before the cafe was set to open. I said that she was right, that I was scared and that I hurt us both because of it. I knew that wouldn’t be enough on its own, so I drafted an entire business plan and presented it to her to show that I wasserious.”
“And she forgave you?”Iask.
Mel smiles. “I’m here, aren’t I? She said she only took me back because of my business contacts, but I think she knew she’d be too busy with the store to find someone elsetodate.”
We both laugh. Mel gets up from her stool but stays standing nexttome.
“I’m not saying you should forgive this Jordan guy,” she cautions. “To be honest, you sound better off without him. What I am saying is that you shouldn’t let someone else’s insecurities hold you back. The people who really deserve to be with you will eventually rise to the occasion. Try not to worry about the ones whodon’t.”
“Shit, Mel,” I remark. “How did you getsowise?”
“By talking to a lot of people over a lot of cups of coffee,” she laughs, heading back behind the counter. “Speaking of which, let me make you a latte. You look like you could use somecaffeine.”
I don’t argue with her as she gets to work at the espressomachine.
“I just wish I didn’t have to go back there on Monday,”Isigh.
“Sodon’t.”
I stare at Mel and sheshrugs.
“But I don’t want to seem like I’m just running away from all this,” Itellher.
“There’s a difference between running away andmovingon.”
“But what would I be moving on to?” I ask, hoping Mel will somehow hold all the answersIneed.
