“Next!” the guy yells from behind the counter.
A slight older woman with a messy crop of silver hair waddles forward.
“Hello, may I have an everything bagel—toasted, with smoked salmon, and…” she stops to think, “scallion tofu cream cheese?”
“Capers and red onions on that sweet heart?”
“Oh, no, just the lox and the cream cheese. Did I say scallion tofu cream cheese? My stomach hasn’t agreed with dairy since Nixon.”
“Got it, doll — scallion tofu cream cheese with that lox and bagel. And you don’t need to tell me, miss. Every morning I make my blueberry smoothie with almond milk and a scoop of that vegan protein powder. Can’t even tell the difference; I actually think it tastes better, and it’s easier on the stomach, if you know what I’m saying.”
She smiles back at him and fixes her glasses so that they're sitting comfortably on the bridge of her nose. “In that case, can I also have a coffee with a big splash of almond milk and one stevia please?”
“Of course, sweet heart. Just step down a bit. My buddy right here is going to help the next customer while I work on your bagel.”
He picks an everything bagel out of the wire basket, slices it cleanly down the middle, and throws it on a short conveyer belt beneath the broiler. As it’s toasting, he sticks his arm into the display case, takes a scoop of scallion tofu cream cheese, and spreads it on the bagel. He layers on the lox with precision before swiftly wrapping the whole thing up and handing it to the lady on the other side of the counter. He turns to pour the coffee.
“Excuse me, sir,” her tone inquisitive but convivial. “Are you wearing gloves?”
He grins. “I just took them off for a second miss, they were covered in fish and I didn’t want to oil up your bagel bag. Don’t worry though, all that almond milk makes me as healthy as an ox.”
He tears a packet of stevia and dumps it into her coffee before topping it with a lid.
“Oh, I’m sure you are; you look like a strong young man. But it’s not me who I’m worried abou—” But she fails to finish her sentence before rattling a harsh, wet cough into the palm of her hand.