My name is Winston Beauregard Phillips IV, Esquire.
It wasn't always my name, but due to my recent windfall, I upgraded my name along with my life. You might think me a scoundrel, but let me explain before passing judgement.
My last $17000 was withdrawn from savings. Due to nefarious dealings by my former employer, I forcibly resigned - without prospects, money, or hope. It won't shame me to say I wished the thieves plenty of misery in prison, as 11 top execs were indicted for embezzlement. I would never see my retirement again, so I recklessly splurged on a 28-day South Pacific cruise as my final big purchase.
Was it wasteful? That $17000 could have started a new life elsewhere, anywhere. I could've begun afresh, but honestly, I was tired, and too old for this nonsense. The scandal tainted me. My innocence didn't matter; the media had painted us all as criminals. My resume wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. I was done, finished. This was my final hurrah, and then I'd take my bows, and leave.
Exactly $6744.39 lighter, I had booked my trip immediately. For a 28 day trip, that price would only cover the cheapest room, but the remaining ten grand would be spent on any thing I fancied on the ship. A piece of art caught my eye? I'd buy. What about jewelry, or watches? I'd splurge. Not to mention getting to know every cruise bartender on a first-name basis by mid-journey. What did I care? Every hedonistic urge would be satisfied. Morning, noon, and night, I would eat, drink and be merry.
Who'd predict the twist on cruise day 4?
One of the ship's engines blew, so we coasted slowly to port. Originally, we had 6 days scheduled at sea, but now? At least 12. Being a 28-day cruise, the ship had been stocked well - except for one item: Coffee.
I'd been nursing a mild hangover, but woke before dawn to start boozing again. Momentarily, I hesitated. "Drunk is fine, old man, but not misery. How about some sustenance?" I thought.
Wandering upstairs, I ducked into the breakfast area. At 3 am, there was still food on display, but not much. A dry bagel would do nicely; then I could begin adding liquor again. Grabbing my snack, I overheard two chefs speaking in hushed, conspiratorial tones.
"It's gone."
"How?"
"Error restocking supplies. Several pallets left behind!"
"Pierre!?!?"
"Friggin' Pierre!!!"
"Well, water it down? Make it stretch!"
"Been doing that for 2 days! Every cafe's given the last of it yesterday! With 1800 people on board, it went fast!!"
"The hell we gonna do?"
"Not a damn clue! 11 days from port, and not a drop of coffee left! When Robert Costanello hears, he's going ballistic."
BINGO! I could've sworn there was a lightbulb flashing above my head! Ideas were popping: No coffee. Costanello. My stash! and... chocolate!
Sprinting to my tiny room, I schemed. Costanello? On THIS ship? He'd been one of the sneaks to slip out of the indictment, though heavily involed in the corruption. Everyone knew he drank carafes of coffee a day! The only thing close to his coffee addiction was his chocolate addiction. Grabbing my card with the remaining balance of $9813, I bought up every bit of chocolate I could find. It took 3 hours to fill 42 shopping bags of gift shop chocolate. Sure, there was probably still chocolate treats in the galley, but I was betting on one thing: convenience.
Winded, I sneaked into my room. It was 6 am - breakfast was starting and very coffee-addicted people would be waking to tragedy: no morning brew!
Me? I'd be clever.
My ex-wife had always mocked me mercilessly for "coffee-snobbery". On travels, I brought a variety of beans, hand-grinder, and travel French press. Heading to the closet, I opened the door and was hit with the heavy scent of coffee! Three bags of the finest! Lifting each, weighing, and doing quick math, I planned to turn tables in my favor. Could it change my life? I was taking the chance!
Within 2 hours, my "stash" had reached Costanello's ears. A stern rap on the door startled me. My heart pounded, and beads of sweat seeped from my pores and dripped. I ran to the bathroom, swiped a rag to my face, and opened the door.
Before speaking, the scent hit Costanello's nose. I swear his eyes dilated in anticipation!
"You're the coffee dealer?"
Hm. No introduction, greeting, or manners? Well that'd cost him!
"Correct. I just brewed a fresh carafe."
"How much!"
Ah, the tables had definitely turned. He was responsible for taking my life - figuratively and almost literally. He'd pay! How much? Oh, it'll cost everything you've got on this ship, old boy.
"Well, I've gotten 41 orders, and I've done the math. That means I have about - "
"I don't care!" Costanello interrupted. "I need caffeine NOW, and there isn't even any chocolate to soften the blow!"
"Chocolate? Oh, I'm prepared for that too." No need to share how recently I'd become prepared, only that I could provide.
"Coffee AND chocolate?"
"Indeed."
"Look, what's the cost! Money is no object! A steady supply, 4 times a day, and I'll take all the chocolate you have too."
"My entire supply? That's not cheap."
"How much!"
As a gentleman, I'll spare you the specifics. People like you find no delight in the financials. Suffice it to say, in the end, he was no longer able to pay with cash. So he paid with his room. It was quite lovely, I might add. I'm sure Mr. Robert Costanello weaseled some moderate accommodations. But I? Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so feast your eyes.
As you might've guessed, I'm no longer considering this my final hurrah. Instead, this has become the beginning of my comeback. All thanks to my coffee-snobbery, being prepared, thinking quick, and a little wink from destiny.
Not counting code, or the intro, or this section here, my post came to exactly 996 words! And that was no small feat! Because I wrote the post BEFORE realizing that the #spillthebeans posts had a limit for #Cinnamon Cup Coffee community!! And it was previously EXACTLY 1500 words! gahhhh! LOL
After about an hour of editing and trimming, it is now a neat 996! And I hope you enjoy it!!!
Now, I'm going to start adding in images and the intro - so.... please note that this image below for the word count is ONLY FOR THE STORY ITSELF!
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If you'd like to join in the fun at #CinnamonCupCoffee community, head HERE QUICKLY! The prompts are only valid for 2 days!!!
All images are mine, created with Midjourney