The Price of Coffee and Plastic People

The_Price_of_Coffee_and_Plastic_People

She is wearing a red dress today. She tells me that it is the first time she has bought a red dress as she ‘doesn’t wear red’. I say, without any feeling, that I think she looks nice. She thinks that makes me a gentleman, which it does not but I don’t correct her, even if I should.

It started with me looking at her fingernails. The new fad of having them half covered in sparkley bits is something she had succumbed to. After all, she likes to think of herself as ‘young and hip’.

She goes on to say that she is tired of this fad now and has told her manicurist that she won’t be doing it any more. She is going back to short nails with brown. I am not impressed. Brown?, I say in that disgusted voice. Well, Bordeaux, she say. OK, so red then, I reply.

That’s why we talked about the red dress.

She then starts telling me about some film she watched last night. She can’t remember the title. But she’s going to describe it anyway. Already, I can tell that I am going to be bored and what I really want is for her to stop.

It’s the price I pay for a ‘half coffee’, which thing I’ve never actually understood but it’s a ritual for her and I benefit by getting the half coffee.

The film stars Kim Bassinger. She starts to tell me the plot from the beginning. I wonder if the price for my half coffee is actually worth it. I want to go back to my desk. I feign surprise, interest, enjoyment, etc. I briefly wonder if she can actually tell the difference. Would she know the real thing if she came upon it and, anyway, if she did ‘get it’, would it scare her? Would it make her ‘real’? Would she become less ‘plastic’?

And I wonder if, by feigning the responses that she requires, I am becoming more plastic myself?

The price of coffee is expensive, I decide.

6 thoughts on “The Price of Coffee and Plastic People

  1. Hi Andy-

    I could be wrong but I don’t think you are impressed easily. At least you weren’t indifferent. Phew.

    And when is that party?

    love you
    Gail
    peace….

  2. Oh, Gail, if only that were true!

    It’s supposed to be tonight. I am in two minds as to whether I should go or not. I have other things on my mind, right now.

  3. Hi again-

    I think you will regret it later if you don’t go. That’s just my thought though. I don’t know what has you divided but whatever it is, it will be there for you to decipher party or not!! :-) and…weren’t you going to buy some new white shoes? perfect party wear!!!

    love to you
    Gail
    peace…..

  4. Well, I did go but that’s a whole different post, I guess.

    And the shoes weren’t white Gail. They were brown – and I have to go to the market tomorrow morning to get them!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.