With one quick and definite shove, Adrian is pushed off and hits the ground. His assailant stands over him, her mocha coloured eyes searching his face.
“Who are you?” she holds the tamper against his head “Tell me how you know my name or I swear – I will beat you to grinds”.
Adrian shakes his head in disbelief. What a day it’s been so far. Is this all really happening? If he is correct, right now, ready to kill him is Arabica, the love of his life he presumed dead many cups ago.
“It’s me Arabica – It’s Adrian”. The words float to her, but make no impact. Arabica stands, glazed, like a soccer mum before her morning macchiato.
And then slowly, slowly it creeps in. She moves her face towards him and studies his features closely.
“You’re fatter”, she finally laughs, tears streaming down her face. She sits herself on a chair, tamper still aimed at Adrian who remains helpless on the floor. It’s becoming clear to him that she isn’t about to help him up.
There is a tension in the room now and their stillness is in stark contrast to the chaos shown on the CCTV monitors in the background. Both beans are searching their memories as their emotions percolate to the surface and then, in an instant they both speak at once:
“I thought you were dead” screams Adrian at the same time as Arabica shrieks “How could you leave me?”
They both stop and weigh their confusion. Just as Adrian is about to speak again, Arabica mutters “I still can’t believe you joined The International Roast”.
The look on Adrian’s face causes shockwaves across the room, but before any more can be said, the door of Centre Management flies open and in storms Bob with a slew of security guard beans dragging Hugo kicking, screaming, spluttering.
“Hugo – my darling my love” – Arabica gushes towards him, but is shoved away by Ristretto.
The guards seize Arabica, cuffing her to her chair. They restrain the pulsating Hugo in the opposite corner of the room and raise Adrian (still affixed to his chair), plonking him next to Arabica. Bob paces quietly. Backwards, forwards. Backwards, forwards. No-one says a word.
“I’m only going to ask this once”, Bob scans slowly from bean to bean. “Where is the jewel?”.
It’s then of course that Adrian realises, even though Hugo and Arabica are here with him – there has been no glint of the jewel at all.
Hugo’s laughter hits the room. Maniacal and really, to be fair a little more like a cartoon villain that a mall thief. “What jewel?” he says in between snorts “Are you talking about the one Adrian told us to steal?”.
Adrian feels as if he’s been placed in a grinder. Why is this happening to him?
Where is the jewel?
Why is Arabica with Hugo?
Who will Bob believe?