The Decision
I sat across from Eleanor at her tiny office in the back of Perks & Brews, my hands trembling slightly as I slid the offer letter across her desk.
The amount was fair – maybe even generous – but I still held my breath as she adjusted her reading glasses.
‘Well,’ she said after what felt like an eternity, ‘I think we have ourselves a deal, Cathy.’ Just like that, at 58 years old, I was about to become a business owner.
We clinked coffee mugs instead of champagne glasses, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders I hadn’t even realized was there. ‘I’ll stay on for three months,’ Eleanor offered, her eyes crinkling with kindness.
‘Show you all my secrets – the supplier who gives the best price on beans, which regulars need their coffee before they can manage a “good morning,” and how to fix that temperamental espresso machine.
‘
As we worked out the details of the transition, I couldn’t help but marvel at how my life had transformed. Six months ago, I was being mocked in viral videos and escorted from an office building.
Now I was purchasing a coffee shop with the settlement money from the company that had discarded me. There was a beautiful poetry to it that made me smile every time I thought about it.
That night, I stayed late after Eleanor left, sitting alone at one of the tables, imagining the space as mine. ‘Common Grounds,’ I whispered, testing out my new name for the place.
What I didn’t realize then was that this coffee shop would soon become much more than just a business – it would become a movement.