'Coffee sir?'

Joe startled and turned from the view outside the conference room window. On the top floor of Java Industries, the view was breath-taking with the Seattle skyline laid out before him. How long had it been since he'd just enjoyed the view and savoured the moment. In the background Brannigan droned on about their fourth quarter profits and loss of market share in the Australian market.

Despite being based in America now, their company 'Piping Hot Joe' had started in Australia. Funny coffee market that. Big retailers like Starbucks had struggled to make inroads due to Australians largely being coffee snobs. Loved good single origin coffee, enough so that it even permeated the rural areas now, unlike when he'd grown up.

He still remembered paying fifty cents to make an instant cuppa in a truck stop down the road from his dad's farm. Good times.

'Sir, do you want a different make?' Reggie asked, eyes flicking down to the long black. Plain, simple and got the job done. How he'd started and how he'd intended to finish.

Reggie had come up with him from Australia, the first barista he'd trained, though he'd long stepped away from the front counter into an executive assistant role. Around the table ten other men and women sat, slurping on extra large chai lattes, goats milk frappuccino, and even a pumpkin spice cappuccino, even though it wasn't Halloween. They guzzled them down, patting their bellies and wiping their brows.

Joe took the long black and inhaled its aromas. Notes of cherry from a dark roast. Joe handed him a postcard from Papua New Guinea, showing the farm high in the hills where they worked the land. One of the first single origin farms he'd acquired back in the early days.

Joe put the cup back down. 'No thanks Reggie.' Joe moved away from the window and towards the exit.

This stopped even the drone of Brannigan, who stopped mid-sentence. 'Sir...where are you going?'

Joe hustled down the corridor, nodding at Cindy the receptionist. A good sort, she'd nearly finished her medical training and would be winding up her work for them soon. 'How's Hannah?'

Cindy chuckled. 'Still waiting for me to propose Joe.'

Joe smiled. 'Better get around to it, never know how long you'll have.'

Joe moved on, running a hand through his thinning hair. His worn hands, still showing the callouses of hard work had the consistency of leather from too many summer's out in the sun. His body remained in shape, though it was harder every year. He'd never married and he couldn't recall the last time he'd gone on a date.

Not for lack of opportunity. Owning the largest coffee conglomerate in the world came with some notoriety. He'd just been so focused on the business he hadn't pulled up for breath in years. It was always one achievement after another. More markets to expand into. More people to serve coffee too.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He slipped into the elevator, as the executives trailed down the corridor towards him, showing a mixture of concern and distress at being made to run. The doors started to close and he didn't try to hold them.

Reggie piped up from next to him. 'Sir, I can order you literally any coffee you can dream of. You know that.'

Joe just whistled a merry tune.

They exited the elevator onto the bottom floor. Striding out through the lobby, a group of tourists started taking photos. Had he become that reclusive?

Joe turned into the gardens, facing the Grounds of Service. A garden and mini farm in the downtown Seattle area. A series of microclimate controlled green houses had a series of tourist attractions. They show cased the coffee process, from growing the beans, through to picking and roasting them.

Joe stopped to pat the goat in one of the paddocks. The goat bleated happily and returned to chewing grass. Joe chuckled and moved on to the roasting area.

He walked past stunned workers and scooped up a pile of beans in one hand, letting the coarse texture run through his fingers. He poured into a hand grinder and twisted as he walked. Reggie raised an eyebrow but did the same. The sun felt good on Joe's face.

A cloud passed across the sun. The pack of executives caught up, still slurping down their milky decadence. Brannigan lead the pack, skittish like a mountain goat.

'Sir, do you want to walk and talk? I hear power walking is the latest corporate trick?' Brannigan asked.

Joe ignored him grinding away, as he'd done for many years. Grinding and building, for what? For this building? It had meant something in the start.

He paused at an espresso machine and with a winsome grin took over from the barista. 'Take lunch Joey.'

Joey shrugged and gave him the room. You don't argue with the boss after all.

As he tamped the coffee and set the machine to pouring, he felt it all come rushing back. Serving people their daily pick me up, finding out how they were going, and giving them a boost to their day. Serving people was why he got into this.

He pulled a plain coffee mug, white with a simple handle, and let the black ambrosia trickle into it. With a grin, he let the smell wash over him, and ignored the gaggle of executives.

'Reggie get out of the way.' Brannigan said. 'Clearly Mr Joe is under too much stress.'

'You know what?' Joe said. 'Reggie's in charge now.'

Brannigan blanched. 'What?'

'Yeah. I quit. The paper's are with my lawyer. Reggie now owns the controlling stake in Piping Hot Joe Industries.' Joe said.

Reggie's eyes widened. 'But sir, where are you going?'

'I don't know.' Joe took a swig of his coffee. Delicious. 'And that excites me.'

Brannigan spluttered. 'Sir you can't just leave, we've got got...'

Joe winked and walked out of the building. Damn, the sun did feel good on his face. The busy Seattle street was noisy, but he could stand here and enjoy the sun all day. Simple pleasures, that was all he wanted now.

But where to go? Anywhere he went they'd know his name and face.

A honking horn startled him and blaring lights interrupted his reverie. Joe realised he'd stepped out onto the road in his contemplation. The run away coffee van, the driver asleep at the wheel, barrelled towards him.

And slid past him by the slimmest of margins. Joe froze, his heart pounding and nearly dropped his coffee. Not quite, that instinct was ingrained in him after all. You didn't spill coffee.

He watched truck-kin disappear off into the traffic. 'Damn, for a moment there I thought I was going to be isekai'd into some fantasy...'

The second coffee truck hit him and everything went black.