"What happened?"
"Nothing happened. Everything's fine. The portafilter just — do you hear that grinding? That's not normal grinding. That's terminal grinding."
I crouch down, look at the machine. The grinder's clogged, a bean stuck sideways in the burrs. I've seen it before. "Hold on." I find a toothpick in the supply drawer, work the bean loose, run the grinder empty for ten seconds. The sound smooths out.
"You're a wizard," Robin says. "An actual wizard. I'm giving you a raise."
"You already gave me a raise on Monday."
"Then I'm giving you another one. Retroactive to right now."
The lunch rush is normal. Silas comes in at 12:45, our time, the one we don't call ours but is, and settles in his booth withThe Lions of Al-Rassanand a quiet "hey" that I feel in my sternum. I make his coffee. Blue mug. Black coffee. He's almost finished the book. I can tell by where his bookmark is, my first note, still, the dragon recommendation with the smiley face. He's kept every note I've given him inside that book. I've kept every note he's given me insideThe Name of the Wind. Neither of us has acknowledged this system. It doesn't need acknowledging. It just is.
At two, during the afternoon lull, the door flies open.
"DEVIN!"
Tyler. Oh no.
He bounds in like an excited puppy, still in his warehouse uniform, grinning ear to ear. "Dude! I got off early!"
"Tyler, I'm working —"
"I know, I know, but listen. Melissa's coming tonight! And she's bringing friends!" He leans on the counter, not even trying to keep his voice down. "My boy's finally twenty-one! We're going out!"
"Tyler —"
"No arguments! You literally just turned twenty-one and we are celebrating. When's the last time you went out? Like actually out, not to the library?"
"I don't —"
"Exactly. Never. You never go out." He notices Robin. "Oh hey, you must be the boss. I'm Tyler, Devin's roommate. Thanks for hiring him, by the way. He needed this job so bad."
"Tyler, please —"
"What? It's true. Anyway, Dev. Ten o'clock tonight. Murphy's Bar. Don't make me come drag you out of the library."
"Fine," I say, just to make him leave.
"Really? You're not going to bail?"
"I said fine."
"Yes!" Tyler actually fist-pumps. "Wear the blue shirt! Ten o'clock! Don't make me hunt you down!"
He's gone as quickly as he arrived, leaving silence in his wake.
"So," Robin says after a beat. "You just turned twenty-one?"
"Yeah. Today, actually."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because it's not a big deal."
"Dev, you're twenty-one. That's definitely a big deal." He glances at Silas's booth. "You should celebrate."
"I don't really celebrate things."