Miss, heres your Irish coffee. She put down my coffee on the on top of this white paper drink pad, with a green three-leaf clover print on it.

Dont stir the cream into the coffee, is best sip through the cream and careful also, is hot. She smiled and holding the tray closes to her chest.

Stun, before I have the chance to ask for the reason, she urged, You have to remember that.

Actually, she doesnt have to remind me. Theres no spoon or stir stick and Im not that dumb to use my tongue to stir it.

I do as she told me. Sipping the hot coffee through the chill fresh cream, it flows down smoothly into my throat. It doesnt take long for me to feel the warmth in my stomach as it spread to my whole body.

Thats right, is the effect of the alcohol. The combination of rich aroma from the coffee and liquor are uniquely appeasing. You can easily differentiate the two separate taste of coffee and liquor in any normal usual coffee + liquor drink but Irish coffee is different. Both are nicely blended together that you may wonder if coffee been added to the liquor or if the liquor added into coffee.

After I drink up, the chill in my body is gone, replace by the fuzzy warmth feeling well up in my heart. Is like you just taken a hot bubble bath during one of those really cold winter night. Mind I tell you, this is a luxurious feeling that I long for in this long, cold and rainy night in LA, this is what I call the best time in my life. I really have to thanks the person that invented Irish coffee and the girl that make the coffee for me.

I see the couple leaving and I guess is time for me to go even though I still dwell in this warmth feeling and there still plenty of time for me to wait for my bus ride. I walk to the bar and wanting to ask her for the bill.

You can stay for a while, is still raining outside. She turned her head as she cleaning up the glasses.

When is the closing time?

We close at 2:30am. You still have an hour here.

Alright. Thanks. I hope I dont get you into trouble for staying here too long without ordering another drink.

You pay for the coffee, but you dont have to pay for the time you spend here. Well, do you agree? she smiled as she finish up her chore behind the bar and wipe her hand clean.

Yeah, is true. I took a seat at the bar. Im Bette Porter, and you are?

Tina Kennard. She pauses for a moment and said, Youre not from around here, arent you?

How do you know? Is she a psychic?

Is been raining for few days and I notice that you dont have an umbrella with you. And from these, I know you are not from around here. She got this confident in her as she speaks.

I could have drive and parked my car at the parking lot and walked here.

It takes six minute to walk here from the nearest parking space, you still need the umbrella.

Because the rain is not that heavy and Im a lazy person.

Is possible for others but youre different. She took a seat in front of me, her chin cup in her hand, smiling while looking at me.

And how different is that?

You wont risk of being soaking wet in the rain because you have a careful and discreet personality.

Careful? Discreet? Hmm I have to admit that I was curious about the Irish coffee, but, Miss Kennard just tops the curiosity chart.

When you walked into the caf, you notice the PUSH sign above the door handle. You push the door and walked in. She was showing me the slow motion push-open-the-door movement.

But you didnt just let the door slammed back; you let it slide back slowly. And this is what I call careful.

Then? I give out a friendly smile as I asked the question. This is the first time I feel ok to smile since I wasnt able to catch my last flight.

You choose a seat that is furthest away from the bar even though youre single.

What? Hey, theres no written law that said single people has to sit at the bar. I protest.

Well, that is my boldest assumption. I guess this your first time being here, and the environment is new to you.

She pointed at the table where I sit just now. You pick the most conservative seat, the table that is furthest from the bar.

She chuckle, And this is what I call discreet.

You might want to consider that perhaps I pick that table randomly?

But that is the table that next to the door and facing the bar area. No doubt it proves that you are a very careful and discreet person.

Is there any link in logical or natural association between my personality and what you just said?

Of course there is! You be the first one to get out alive when the bar is catching on fire! We both burst into laughter.

What a delicate observation you have there. Im holding back the laughter.

Im just bluffing. She too tries to hold back the laughter. You actually give yourself out when I asked if youre from around here or not.

But you got some acting skill back there. I wink at her.

Well, this is part of my job to be attentive for my customer. By the way, I bet this is your first time having Irish coffee?

How do you know? Oh, I did it again. I give myself out for the second time tonight.

When you looking at the menu. You pick a drink that is third from the bottom, out of twenty over others drink.

Oh, ok and?

Normally, this is the spot where less attraction for human perception.

I start to imitate the way she speaks. Ok, wow! I am really a careful and discreet person as you say. This causes her to titter a bit.

At first, I just thought you know what Irish coffee is. But when I added whisky into the coffee, you had that astonish look on your face. My conclusion is

She points at me You never had an Irish coffee before.

So is whisky. Finally I catch on.

What you think about the coffee?

Is really nice, wonderful and warm. Thank you so much.

Sure, no problem. You know what? Irish coffee is my favorite.

Really? No way.

Yeap, and you are the first person to order since I opened this caf three months ago.

You own this place? Youre the owner?

Thats right. I had a part-timer working for me until twelve midnight. After that, is just me.

Ok. Any reason you serve Irish coffee only after midnight?

Things get really slow during midnight and is the only time I can focus. To make excellent Irish coffee, you have to be doing it with all ones heart.

With all ones heart? Is kind of hard for me to imagine that. Isnt the coffee machine supposed to do all that for you?

Ill show you next time.

Sure. Next time? Im not sure if theres any next time. What? Miss another last flight, again?

I take a look at my watch and realize is closing time. Thanks Tina. Thanks for the wonderful coffee. Im taking out some note from my purse.

Is on the house. Youre the first customer to order Irish coffee.

But

Is ok. Heres my card. Hope to see you again.

I look at the card. Yeats is a special name for a caf, not to mention the owner of the caf. Yeats Yeats sound familiar, now where do I learn about this name.

Oh my! Yeats! William Butler Yeats, the Irish poet, dramatist and prose writer, one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century. I let out a small cried.

Hehehe! Finally you catch on. Hes my favorite poet. She gazes at the portrait on the wall and stop at the poster on the right. Cast a cold eye. On life, on death. Horseman, pass by!

I pick up my beg, and pull open the door. Time for me to catch the bus.

The rains stop? She asks.

Yeah, it is. I answer.

How are you going back? Concern in her voice.

Ill take the bus.

You should be sleeping all the way back home after you have the Irish coffee.

I hope so. I wave at her. Goodnight. Bye.

Bye. Have a safe journey.

As she said, I slept all the way back to San Diego. Next day while working, I can still feel the warmth of the Irish coffee left on my mouth from last night. I wonder if these feeling are coming from Tina too? Im going to try if I can find the same warmth feeling in any of the caf around in San Diego.



tbc