The following is an unaddressed, open letter to that cute barista guy at Starbucks:
Dear Cute Barista Guy,
First, I must apologize if you find it emasculating that I’m referring to you as “that cute barista guy.” I’m sorry, I get it, but it’s just that you’re so fucking cuteeeeee! Also let’s be real, I’m sure I’d give you a blowjob if you asked.
Second, I must apologize if it’s super creepy that I’m writing this to you. Who am I, you might be wondering? Well, chances are you aren’t reading this because if you could read this blog that would mean I had already gotten the balls to ask you out on a date, and we both know I’ll never do that. Well we don’t both know that, because you have no idea who the fuck I am. I’m sorry, where was I? I’m in love with you? You’re right, I can’t be in love with you because the only thing I’ve ever said to you was, “um, yeah, um, I’ll, um, I’ll have a um, I’ll have a tall black iced tea. No. Yeah. Unsweetened. Okay. Thanks.” Alright, so I’m in love with the idea of you. That’s kind of even better. We can have a perfect relationship in my head, and my head has a lot of good ideas about it too. Like that time when we’ll have stayed up all night watching Family Guy and then you’ll snuggle with me so much that it’ll turn into fucking.
Cute Starbucks Guy, let me first introduce myself to you by rehashing our history. And yes, we do have a history. You see, we first didn’t meet back in 2009, when I first lay eyes on you at that particular Starbucks on the really busy street behind the Costco and across the street from the only Qdoba in town. I was so smitten with you back then that I, in fact, wrote a blog post about it! See? I hope we can both agree that my writing has improved since then, don’t you think!?!
Ah yes, 2009. How young we were. In fact, I remember eavesdropping on a particular conversation in which you revealed you were 24. At the time I remember lamenting about the fact that I didn’t even know your name, but that I did know you were 24! Haha, I still don’t know your name! At the time I thought 24 was a pretty cute age because I was 21 so I thought, “24, perfect. Old enough that he knows a little more about what he’s doing than I do but not so old that he is in his 30s, which is basically just an external manifestation of my daddy issues!”
Now you are 26, I bet! You sure do seem older. More grizzled. I think 26 is an even cuter age, especially matched up against my more mature 23!!! It’s still because you are presumably old enough that you know more about what you are doing in relationships, but not so old that you are in your 30s and representing what remain my obvious father issues.
I remember shortly after we didn’t meet back in 2009 you stopped working at that Starbucks. I was sad, and even told a monologue about my crush on you in an improv class. That monologue about how I stalked you turned into a real relationship with a boy in that improv class. I kind of stopped thinking about you, because I thought maybe being with real people was a better idea. Boy was I wrong! We since broke up, who knows, he says it’s because I’m crazy (I’m not!) but I think he was just another jerk! You know!? Anyway, I think it’s fate that you are working at this Starbucks again. It’s like the universe wants us to be together, right?!
I wish I knew more things about you, but I don’t because I am afraid to talk to you, so instead I just stare at you while I make my best friend listen to me hypothesize qualities you might possibly have that are both things that would and wouldn’t make me attracted to you.
Here are the lists of qualities I imagine you might have that make me love the idea of you even more:
1. I remember one time there was a little kid in the Starbucks (back in 2009) and you were so sweet to that little kid! You said something endearing like, “hey little guy.” So I imagine you’d be a pretty great father! : )
2. Your smile is so endearing. It makes my icy cold heart melt. Trust me, people say I’m a bitch all the time, but for you I just feel like a puddle of warm, gooey, chocolate that wants to just drip all over your back and make you feel so dirty.
3. Sorry what? I like your smile a lot. You have those creases at the edge of eyes when you smile that make you seem like you are biologically inclined to be adorable and loyal at all times, like you’d love me and ONLY me, right?
4. You seem kind hearted because even though you are working at an obviously shitty job at Starbucks, you still smile to all the customers and genuinely wish them a nice day. In fact, I don’t know what you were doing for the past two years, but whatever it was you obviously failed at those dreams. And so the fact that you could return to Starbucks and still have a smile on your face shows you are an optimist, and that’s a pretty good quality that I’m looking for in a man.
5. Yeah, I don’t know, you are like the cutest guy I have ever seen in my entire fucking life. I said it before when I first saw you, but you look like Topher Grace. What are you doing working at Starbucks anyway??? Since I last saw you, I can pretty proudly say that I have met the real Topher Grace because, not to brag, but I actually get coffee for famous people. Topher and I shook hands, and he gave a really shitty handshake. The worst, in fact. I bet if we shook hands you’d give me a much better one, Starbucks dude. But I’m so serious, you are a cuter version of Topher Grace. And you are so much more attainable, in theory, because you’re not famous! Seriously, I swear to god, you are cuter, because Topher seemed like he had a receding hairline and you do not. Also Topher Grace does not have those cute eye creases so I think he’d probably cheat, also because he’s famous. You have creases and work at Starbucks so I basically am saying you seem loyal and loving.
I also am aware of the fact that, because I don’t know you at all, you could be crazy and weird. That reminds me, just because I kind of stalk you doesn’t mean I’m crazy and weird. I can see where you would get that impression, but I can promise you I’m very normal. Anyway, here are the list of flaws I imagine you could have:
1. Okay. Well, things I do know about you: You are in your mid-20s and you work at Starbucks, a Starbucks that you in fact, returned to after not having worked at that Starbucks for a significant period of time. Whatever it is that you want to do with your life, I can’t imagine it’s much. Look, I’ve been with plenty of unemployed dudes in my time, but that’s just because they were aspiring to be more! Like, you know, something practical like what I’m trying to do with my life, like a writer or actor or comedian. What I am saying is, if you are still working at a Starbucks now at this point in your life in the South Bay which is really far from Hollywood then it’s pretty likely that you don’t give a shit about anything in life. And I don’t know, I like to think I have standards.
2. You could be a furry. I don’t know why, but something about you makes me think you could be a furry.
3. You sweep a lot. It’s kind of weird. Like, what are you doing sweeping so much? Every time I see you you’re fucking sweeping. What’s your deal man!? Why are you sweeping so much? Do you like, care about your job? Honestly, you shouldn’t, you work at Starbucks. Unless you are sweeping to make eye contact with me, in which case, that’s pretty cute, but it still makes me feel weird because I am staring at you and it’s hard to stare at you if you keep catching me staring.
4. On that note, I saw you take out the trash, and it was kind of gross. Your work uniform is super baggy on you too, and I don’t like those ratty tennis shoes you are wearing. You could do better.
5. You could be boring or even worse, nice. In fact, you probably are amazingly nice, so fuck you.
Wait, well, I’m sorry to end on such a negative note, Cute Starbucks Guy. I guess I’m just a little disappointed knowing that we’ll never be. It’s not really plausible, right? Because I thought about it a lot. What could I possibly say to you? I tested all the theories. “Hey, do you know a good restaurant around here that isn’t this Starbucks or that Chipotle?,” “Can you direct me to Aaron Brothers? Oh. It’s right next door? Okay,” “Hey, you look like that guy, Scott. Oh. You aren’t Scott? Okay. My bad.”
Ultimately, there is no good pick up line, is there Cute Starbucks Guy? I kind of think I understand how dudes must feel now when they see hot chicks in random circumstances, so, constantly. Regrettably, it seems perhaps we are not meant to be together. If we were wouldn’t this be fucking easier!? Couldn’t I do something other than stare awkwardly and flip through Glamour magazine to read about some dumb preconceived notion of “all men” that is totally useless anyway? I also used my crush on you to write a somewhat snarky and ironic blog post about how dumb crushes are (this one! so meta), and so chances are I should let you go. I mean, isn’t that what they say? That if you love the idea of something you should let it go and if it loves you back it’ll go about it’s business and sweep the floors and be charming to small children while it works at Starbucks? You are probably an unassuming and simple guy, Cute Starbucks Guy. I wish you the best in life, even a girlfriend, although, fuck that bitch. I wish we could have met in different circumstances. Circumstances in which I probably would have gotten to know you a little better, and in doing so I probably would have realized that you are obsessed with video games and don’t get me at all because I’m weird and over-think things. Also I totally can’t go back because your co-worker caught me staring and he said, “Hellooooo!” in a way where I know he caught me staring, and so I ran out, probably to never see you again.
Goodbye Cute Barista Guy. I won’t be posting a missing connections ad for you on Craigslist this time, but mostly because I could do without the pictures of dicks. If you do want to get married though, please feel free to find me on twitter, @jessicacabot, because most of my existence does take place there.
Best… What the hell, Love,
Jessica