Who Are You?
First plot point from Maya, a fiction
At 9:00 AM with the sun staring down on an overly warm May 2 Monday morning in 2022 with the fragrance of fresh flowers within the waves of heat, Anne entered the non-descript two-story tinted glass framed with a brick veneer office building that looked just like the other surrounding buildings.
“It’s the right address,” she thought to herself.
She walked to the door with “1001” on it and turned the knob.
As the door opened she saw seven desks with men, some looking like college students and two looking like they could retire any day. There were two enclosed glass offices, one at each of the two glass wall corners.
Just then a man slowly walked up from her left carrying a cup of coffee.
“Welcome. Glad you found us. We’ve been expecting you. I’m Evan.”
Evan was 32, standing in black jeans and a white Oxford button shirt, standing 5’-10” with thinning blond curly hair. Evan proceeded to slowly, methodically, introduce Anne to everyone in the office.
“And here we are at your desk. Anne, we are like a family here. My door is always open for you. If there’s anything you need or just want to talk, come on by.”
Anne replied, “Thank you, Evan. One question. Where is the best place to get a latte nearby?”
Evan replied, “Jack’s. It’s about two blocks from MIT, a short walk from here.”
After being introduced to the guys in the office, the kitchen/break area, and her desk with partitions on three sides, Anne was left to settle in. It was now 11:00 and Anne was desiring a good latte to set the mood for getting down to business for the rest of the day.
“Yes, let’s go see if Jack’s is any good,” thought Anne.
Anne popped her head into Evan's office and asked, “Where is Jack’s from here?”
Anne left the nondescript office feeling the heat of the day and hoped Jack’s was really just a short walk away.
As she walked Anne noticed the fragrance of newly bloomed flowers in the heat of the air. Anne thought, “Wow, a symphony of various greens, almost as if an elf could pop around a shrub, maybe a leprechaun,” as she looked at the different trees and shrubs along her walk.
Fifteen minutes later Anne turned the urban street corner to see the sign “Jack’s” above the glass storefront. There were eight tables with college student looking patrons sitting at each, four tables at each side of the entrance.
Anne walked into Jack’s seeing a line, a young woman and a young man both carrying laptops, a middle-aged man in black jeans, and an older white-haired woman. There were five busy people behind the counter, one taking orders, one barrister, and two others either getting food items or restocking.
Before she could realize what had happened she heard a smooth as honey voice, “Welcome to Jack’s. What’s your pleasure?”
Anne looked toward the voice to see a six-foot black curly hair, brown t-shirt showing well-chiseled muscles, and the kindest blue eyes and soft smile. Anne paused for a half-second, slightly smiled back, and replied, “A double shot coconut milk latte, please. You do have coconut milk?”
The image in front of Anne who was smiling replied, “Yes. That’s a great combination.”
Anne responded, “Thank you,” smiled, turned to the barista, and started to think about the set of tasks before her to get her office and research charter stated. She had at least twenty people to reach out to.
The next day Anne walked into Jack’s on her way to work. It was earlier in the day with fewer customers. Anne noticed the same attractive man taking orders, ever so polite to each customer. Anne smiled in the knowledge that she was just another customer to be polite to, just like everyone else. Anne ordered her double tall coconut latte, smiled back, and went on with her day.
By July Anne had settled into the office, her new research role, and daily routine of stopping into Jack’s to get her coconut latte with she and Jack exchanging a strange kind of smile that seemed to communicate something other than just pleasantry.
It was an unseasonably hot July morning as Anne walked into Jack’s to pick up her standard coconut milk latte. There weren’t as many students around in the middle of summer. Anne noticed Jack’s smile a little larger than usual.
“The same?” asked Jack from behind the counter.
Anne smiled, reminding herself he was incredibly kind to everyone and replied with a softer than usual smile, “Of course.”
It was a slow morning, as Jack pick up a cup to write the order on the cup. He thought, “I see this incredible smile, and today’s was softer, come in here almost every day, same time, and order the same thing. No wedding ring. Let’s see what I can learn.”
“I’ll bring it to you when it’s ready,” replied Jack.
Anne turned, looked around at all the empty tables and chairs, and chose a place to sit to wait for her coffee, thinking about the project she had signed up for a few days earlier.
About two minutes later Jack brought Anne her coffee, saying as he was smiling, “Service with a smile.”
Anne bantered back feeling somewhat comfortable with her now daily routine at Jack’s, “Why thank you, kind sir.”
Jack turned, grabbed the back of the other chair at the table, and as he sat down softly said, “Please, …call me Jack.”
Anne felt uncomfortable. She had not invited this person to sit at her table.
Jack saw the muscles in Anne’s face droop. He knew she was uncomfortable with his invitation to sit, so quickly said, “Apologies. Do you mind? I’m just curious about one of my most consistent customers who happens to share the same fondness as I do for coconut lattes, my favorite.”
There was a pause, then Jack softly questioned as he looked directly into Anne’s eyes, “Who are you?”
Anne, a little off-center by this stranger's unexpected yet kind aggressiveness, looked slightly down and to her right for a brief second while replying matter-of-factly, “Anne Eth Janes. I’m a research scientist.”
Then she took a breath and stared back at Jack’s eyes.
The two were caught in a longer than usual stare, each other’s eyes locked on the other.
Just as they were both recognizing that split second becoming uncomfortable Jack smiled ever so slightly and softly said, “Anne Eth Janes, what do you research?”
Anne, continuing to stare into Jack’s eyes, slowly returned the smiled back, as if playing tennis, and replied, “DNA,” as if the acronym were an anchor dropping.
Jack responded, “Nice to meet you Anne Eth Janes, research scientist of DNA.”
And as he stood, continued, “Perhaps next time you drop by we can continue. I’d love to learn more.”
And then he turned and walked back to the counter.
Anne thought, “Who is this guy. He didn’t even stick around long enough for me to return the question. Is this his game? Well, the latte is the best. Back to work.”
Anne stood and started to walk to the door, a cup of latte in hand looking over her shoulder at the counter where Jack stood taking an order, smiling at the customer, but looking directly at Anne’s eyes. Anne, feeling uncomfortable again quickly looked at the door and walked out.
As Jack smiled and wrote the customer's order on the cup, he thought, “Who is this incredible creature, this Anne Eth Janes, research scientist of DNA?”
More to come…
No part of this story may be transmitted or reproduced by any means or in any form, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the author’s written permission.
This story is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, and incidents that bear any resemblance to actual people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
