Get coffee and chat a little longer

"Are you meeting with someone here?" Josh asked Claudia, as the barista left the counter to refill the coffee grinder to make her order.

Claudia smiled a sly smile. "Yes, a friend," she said. She did not elaborate. "Would you like to talk a little while while we wait?"

Josh thought that might be interesting. "Sure," he said.

"What sort of work do you do, Josh?" asks Claudia.

"Oh, I'm an office drone," Josh replied. "Q3 T42 reports, things like that."

Claudia frowned in sympathy. "I hope that it's not too dull," she said. "I'm lucky enough to be able to work as a writer. It gives me all sorts of reasons to people-watch," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

The barista returned, a girl with hair dyed a mixture of purple and black. "Thanks for waiting," she said as she filled up the grinder. "Markus will deliver your coffee to you at the counter on your left. Enjoy!"

Claudia wandered left, allowing Josh to approach the counter. The barista was named 'Vicky', according to her name-tag, which was at the right level to attract attention to her perky chest.

"Hi, may I take your order?" said Vicky.

"Just a large latte please," said Josh.

"Okay, large latte," said Vicky, punching buttons on her console. "Okay, that comes to $8.50."

Josh winced as he got out his card; Vicky smiled her costumer service smile, undeterred. Josh considered his new rules and what Claudia had said about his hands, and took a chance.

"Nice rack," he said to Vicky as he paid.

Vicky's smile brightened. "Thank you!" she sang in response. "I'm pretty popular at the gym," she added with a little giggle. "You know, on the stationary bikes."

It took a moment for Josh to work his way through the nonsequiturs, but he made it. "I'm sure you are," he said.

Vicky gave him a flirtacious smile. "Okay, all good! Markus will deliver your coffee to you at the counter on your left. Enjoy!"

"Thanks," said Josh, as he wandered over to the counter.

Naturally, the counter was nearby to the corner of the women's bathroom, in which the half-naked dark-haired employee was standing. She had picked up her phone again, and was standing facing away from the counter. Josh could see the glass shelf with the employee's own clothes and shoes: it was on a very high shelf, presumably to prevent blocking sight lines. The employee's naked bottom was in plain view of the counter.

Claudia smiled in acknowledgement as Josh approached, and turned to continue watching the girl. Josh turned to look as well.

"Do you think you will meet with Cynthia?" Claudia asked, still looking at the employee.

Josh smiled, also still facing the employee's bar bottom. "I'd like to," he said. "She seemed friendly but we'll see whether she'll still be interested when I message her."

Claudia smiled, and looked to Josh. "You should message her straight away. If she's as friendly as she seems, she'll be more interested sooner after meeting you, than later."

"Do you think so?" Josh asked, looking at her uncertainly. Claudia just nodded solemnly, like a friendly aunt.

They looked back to the glass chamber of the women's bathroom, in silence. Josh thought about what possibilities there might be for lesbians in this world — and how he might be able to enjoy them as well. At the same time, he considered what else could be considered normal in public, if having bottomless women in plain view could be normal.