A Dark-Roasted Secret

by Mark Wutka

"What are you saying?" she asked, terrified that the romance had suddenly become decaffeinated.

"I'm an old-fashioned guy," he said looking up at her. Then, walking slowly towards her and her mug of full-bodied TC, he continued, "and that means I believe in being exclusive. It also means that I expect my partner to be exclusive."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she said, extremely surprised at this accusation, but realizing that trouble was brewing.

"It means that..." he looked at her accusingly, "dare I say it?"

"Dare." she challenged, meeting his gaze headon.

"You been having..." he paused and looked away, wondering for the moment whether he should stop right there, or continue and possibly spoil a perfect romance.

"Having what?" she asked, knowing that this was something that would not go away.

He turned back to her, his eyes welling up with tears, his eyelids puffy from crying the night before.

"You been having other coffees!" he blurted.

"Never! I'm as loyal to TC as I ever was!" she said desperately.

"Oh yeah? Then why do you have a picture of Juan Valdez and Mrs. Olsen in your living room?" he shot back.

She opened her mouth to say something back, then shut it. She opened it and once again shut it without saying a word. Then she took a sniff of the full-bodied aroma of her TC.

"Sure," he mocked, "now you enjoy your TC. But the minute I turn my back you're grinding pure colombian coffee with Juan!"

"It's not like that at all!" she pleaded, "it's just that... oh! You'd never understand!" She turned from him, tears filling her eyes, running down her cheek and dripping off into her mug, salting the normally unsalty, but very rich-tasting TC.

"What won't I understand? That picture of Juan and Mrs. Olsen speaks for itself. You have no loyalty. I bet you didn't even use a filter!"

"That's a lie!" she sobbed.

"Then what's the truth?" he demanded.

"The truth is... the truth is..." she just couldn't say it.

"What?"

She turned to face him, tear ducts working overtime washing away her makeup, as she prepared to reveal her darkest secret.

"They're my parents! I'm their love child"

He took her in his arms and kissed her gently, as she held on to him with all she had. They stayed there, lip-locked, until their coffee was cold. Then they looked at each other with that knowing look, joined hands, and walked slowly to the kitchen to brew another pot of great-tasting TC.