“Well, I can’t chicken out now. I can’t use an easy excuse. “You must do the things in life you think you cannot do“. Eleanor Roosevelt. That quote. That quote stayed with you all the way through Tripio. You had so many chances to quit. Why didn’t you? Honestly, because you couldn’t. What the hell else were you going to do between 4- 7 in the mornings? You can’t sleep in. Your clear head and energized mind won’t let you. Same now with writing Back outta the World.
OK. He’s first in line. All the baristas are smiling at him of course. They have no idea. They wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. I built this company a latte at a time. I’ve never seen a Starbucks since as busy as they were in the early 90’s. Kevin said so in his blurb didn’t he? A barista in the trenches, that was me. And Mark, and Denis, and Monica. He’s there just like he was visiting my store that time when I was in back counting down a drawer at #204. He just stepped in back to see what was going on. It’s so personal, so honest. The book. Tripio. I ain’t ripping off Starbucks, that’s for sure. It’s my guts in there, not Schultz’s or even Behar’s. Mine. If anything, I owe it to Tripio to go up to him. Like he did when I was counting the drawer down that day I just remembered. Yea, he owes me one. He has his drink. Ha, they were a little slow. Anyway….here goes.“
“Excuse me, Mr. Behar…Do you have a minute. I’m Jerry. I wrote Tripio. We worked together in Chicago. No sweater today I see.”
“Sweater?”
‘ You always had one on then.”
“Chicago? Tripio?” Howard paused a second. He must have been somewhat practiced at encounters like this. Maybe even at this Starbucks. It seemed to me that being stopped like this was just part of his routine these days. If it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. He gave me the blurb for the cover so quickly and easily. So why wouldn’t he give me as few minutes of his time?
“Oh sure, Let’s sit outside so we talk without these masks. My wife is walking the dogs, I have a few minutes. She always meets me here.”
“Really? Perfect, Thanks. I’ll be right out…they were ready to take my order…thanks!
I COULD ACTUALLY MAKE MORE THAN ONE LATTE AT A TIME
” May I help who’s next?”