taylor the latte boy...

Last week I had a nice little treat. After being too exhausted to go out on Saturday night, but not wanting to be along (both of my roommate were gone), I called a dear friend who came over. We went to a local pub down the street for supper, grabbed a Starbucks, came home and cried over a movie. (Well... I cried...)
I will be the first to admit that I looked less than perfect. Frumpy... in my lulu lemons, sweatshirt, plaid hat to cover up my big hair that had air dried while I was talking to my fabulous best friend on the phone after my shower that afternoon and no make up... I looked pretty hot. :o)
We went to Starbucks and both my dear friend and I considered purchasing different portable vessels for our beverages. Her, a HUGE coffee made-from-recyclable-because-it's-fashionable traveling mug and me a red help-us-fight-Aids-Red-Campaign-because-all-of-the-famous-people-are-doing-it water jug. We loved both of them and at the time, bought neither. While we were looking, the guy behind the counter commented to us. When we ordered, they kept messing up our order, because we had kind of ordered at the same time. He put the drinks together, I said 'sorry, separate, is that ok? Sorry" and he said no worries and I laughed and mumbled something like 'you have the technology' and he laughed back. My friend handed me money, which I handed to him, and she went to pick up her drink. I went to pay for mine, and was mindlessly pulling out my debit card when he said 'you know, it's on me' and went to help the next customer. I stared at him from under my hat in disbelief and stuttered "but... but I have my plastic out!" he smiled sweetly and said 'it's ok. It’s on me. We have the technology' and he may have added in a wink there, or it could have just been my faulty memory, adding the wink just to make it more saucy. Either way, it made my night.
Well, last night, after an exhausting week for both of us, the tradition happened again. The pub for supper, Starbucks, and crying over a movie (Well... I cried...). We walked into Starbucks and my friend commented with glee that the guy was there. We were having trouble deciding. The guy asked me if he could help me decide. I answered that he probably couldn't. After coveting our water and coffee vessels (I love the word vessel) for a week, we decided to buy them. So we picked them up and made our way to the counter. It was busier that night. He asked me something about having a Starbucks card and yada yada... I barely heard it... apparently if you had one and registered it that day, your drink was free or... something? I'm not sure. Anyways, I said that yes I had one and that it was already registered. "Well... that's too bad..." he commented, ringing through my fabulous deep red look-at-me-I-support-the-Aids-Campaign new water bottle. Then he looks at me and says "...lets just pretend...' and doesn't charge me for the drink. My friend tries not to laugh. I, again, am looking less than beautiful, hat again, smudged make up I'm sure, lulu lemons, old faded pink shirt... and I glance at him and mumble thanks... and then say something along the lines of 'ummm... wow. Thanks. Do you realize that this is the second drink in a week you've given me for free?' "Really?" he says and shrugs. 'yeah so... thanks for making my day!' He doesn't charge my friend either, as he just rings in her new I-recycle-because-I'm-cool-and-really-enjoy-my-coffee-look-at-how-flipping-big-this-is coffee traveling mug. We go to pick up our drinks. The barista hands me my lactose-free-because-lactose-hates-me grande chocolate banana vivano (since when did Italy allow Starbucks to make up Italian sounding words?). I mumble something about having something slightly inappropriate to say to him, and he smiles and says that now I have to tell him. In my ridiculous cheesy voice, I say 'are YOU lactose free?' No clue why. Maybe I was just feeling a bit randy. Who knows. But he laughed and it was a decent moment. All in all... I got my second free drink in a week and I was honored.
I've begun referring to this as the 'nice face discount' (alla Seinfeld). But I realized today that this guy is Taylor the latte boy. Taylor the latte boy is a hilarious musical-esk song by 2 writers in New York. (whose names, unfortunately, I am unable to find and cannot remember. Evie? Help me out?) It is a hilarious song (my cat, Java, is named after this song).
I leave you with the lyrics... enjoy

There's a boy who works at Starbucks
Who is very inspirational.
He is very inspirational because of many things.

I come in at 8:11, and he smiles and says, "How are you?"
When he smiles and says, "How are you?"
I could swear my heart grows wings!

So today at 8:11
I decided I should meet him
I decided I should meet him
In a proper formal way.

So today at 8:11 when he smiled and said "How are you?"
I said "Fine, and my name’s Kristin"
And he softly answered, "Hey."
And I said "My name is Kristen, and thank you for the extra foam…"

And he said his name was Taylor,
Which provides the inspiration for this poem:

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

So I’d like to get my nerve up
To recite my poem musical.
He would like the fact it’s musical
Because he plays guitar.
So today at 8:11, Taylor told me he was playing
In a band down in the village in the basement of a bar.

And he smoothly flipped the lever to prepare my double latte,
But for me he made it triple! And he didn’t think I knew
But I saw him flip the lever, and for me he made it triple,
And I knew that triple latte meant that Taylor loved me too!
I said, "What time are you playing? And thank you for the extra skim…"
He said, "Keep the $3.55," because this triple latte was on him.

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

I used to be the kind of girl who'd run when love rushed toward her.
But finally a voice whispered "Love can be yours, if you step up to the counter, and order."

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh Taylor the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him.

So many years my heart has waited,
Who’d have thought that love could be so caffeinated?
Taylor, the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him.

Blessings and love,
Deena