Right before graduating college and the summer thereafter, I worked as a waitress/barista at a little cafe in University Place called Affairs. Affairs is the most quaint place you could visit. It has hand-painted tables, mismatched chairs. They put fresh flowers in vases every day. They use real Farberware plates and mugs. They polish silverware and dry wipe wine glasses to make sure there aren’t any water spots.

They make a quiche du jour, brew their own iced tea. They don’t sell alcohol save for mimosas. In fact, it was while working there that I decided mimosas were going to be my drink of choice. I had some regular customers who would come in-two elderly women-and they’d each ask for a mimosa, but with a bit more champagne than is customary, one would say with a wink.

The owner makes wedding cakes and truffles and cookies and fresh scones. She is there every morning baking. Sometimes I would help out on the easy things: like taking scones off cookie sheets, but mostly I stayed in the restaurant. People would come up to the counter and stare at all the different truffles, then finally pick the four they wanted. I’d box them up and ask them what color of ribbon they wanted.

I started out working only the weekends, when people loved to come in for brunch. We would make meals like Eggs Benedict and made-to-order omelets, which came with a scone of your choice. People would sip lattes while they ate, then usually buy a cookie on their way out for later on. This morning is exactly the kind of morning where I wish I was brunching at this quaint little place. I’d sip a mimosa, then buy my mom some truffles on my way out.

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