Coffee

Got a coffee the other day with a friend of mine. Well, actually I had unsweetened iced tea, but he had a coffee.

The beverage is unimportant.

What was important was he told that he's leaving his wife of 15 years. Got himself a young girlfriend. Of course, he was all torn up about how he was hurting his family and children, but he couldn't help himself because the love was just so strong. He was so earnest when he said it that I nearly beat him with a chair.

After he finished, we sat there quietly.

He asked, "Well, what do you think?

I looked at him. "Really? You really want to know what I think? After all these years of knowing me, you want to know what I think?"

He looked at me and then looked away. "I guess not. You don't understand."

"Let's see," I said. "You're leaving your wife for a girl half your age who is your employee whom you seduced and courted even though you're married to a woman who nursed you through cancer and helped keep your business going while you were sick and who's raising your children? I think I understand that. What I don't understand is why you're attempting to justify it to me or to anyone else."

"You're right," he snapped. "I don't have to justify it to anyone."

I shrugged, feeling my face flush. "Then why do you feel like you should try?"

He muttered a swear word. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am," I said. "A good enough one that I won't let you lie to me."

After about five minutes, he nodded. "True enough. You're always been an honest bastard."

Again I considered beating him with a chair, but before I could decide, he finished his coffee, tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table, and left with a curt goodbye.

I paid the bill with his twenty, left a dollar tip, and kept the rest.

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