(I've written about how New Yorkers are self-involved. This is an example of being proven wrong...)
Last nite an old woman who didn't speak english very well, and who was also a bit argumentative, came into the store and wanted to buy a half-pound of coffee. Myself and my co-workers got her order together and once the woman was gone, one co-worker informed me that the police had been called to escort hre out at one point for causing a scene after trying to get change for a $100 bill when only paying with a $10 bill.
I told my co-worker I'd be sure to keep an eye out, and headed outside to take my ten minute break. While outside, an attractive brunette in her 30's said hi to me and asked "you work for Starbuck's, right?" I told her I did, and now recognized her as a customer whose bank card hadn't worked last week.
As a lot of our customers during the daytime come from teh building the store is directly under, I figured she was a regular customer and told her not to worry about the cup of coffee. Now, outside on my break, she took the time to approach and thank me. We spoke for a few moments, exchanged first names, and parted ways.
About half an hour later, the old woman was back in teh store asking for a small cup of coffee. She placed a handful of change on the counter, and after counting it I informed her that it wasn't enough for our smallest cup of coffee.
Just then a familiar looking woman in her 20's got in line and said, "It's ok, I'll pay for the rest of her coffee." I asked if she was sure, and upon further endorsement, I gave the old woman her cup of coffee. The other customer told me to give the money back to the old woman, and then ordered a mint tea and a Rice Crispy square ("sinful square", she called them) while chuckling as as I expressed my shock that somebody would do that for another person here.
It was as I was getting her order together that I realized why I thought I recognized this person - the customer bore a striking resemblance to Norah Jones.
"Doesn't Norah Jones live on the Lower East Side?", I thought. "Why would she come all the way to midtown for a mint tea and a "sinful square? It can't be her," I thought.
I'm not going to claim to have met Ms. Jones, because a memory has a tendency to change a bit over time - especially when you're trying to convince yourself who someone was or wasn't. I will say, however, that one reason I thought it couldn't be her is that she would be on tour in support of her new album. As it turns out, that tour doesn't start until June, so I suppose anything is possible.
Whether or not I met a celebrity isn't the point of the story, though - the fact that two strangers went out of their way to be nice to someone else for a few seconds is.
