Richard was watching people on the street through the window. Skirts were bouncing lightly and pants were dancing delightedly in the seasonable weather as the spring breeze chased them playfully. Some seemed excited, walking like racing cars between passersby. He had ordered two black coffees, one for himself and one for his friend, Julie. She was running late, but the service was fast. The hot coffees were promptly placed in front of (a) him.

Handing a spray can of cream over to Richard, the waiter said, “Add it now if you want.” Richard couldn’t help asking him why. (b) The blue-shirted man answered, “Actually, hotter coffee loses energy faster than coffee cooled slightly by the addition of cream.” “Really? Is that so?” The waiter kindly smiled and said, “Yeah, I just learned it when I took a class about coffee.” He also taught (c) his customer how to make shapes with the cream. Richard paid close attention to his explanation.

Looking at the coffees, Richard remembered that Julie liked whipped cream on top of her hot coffee. He was wondering if it was better to put the cream on now, or wait till she arrived. “Since the cream is cold, it’ll cool down the coffee faster,” he reasoned. Beep! It was a text message from her. “I’ll be there in 5 minutes. Please put some cream on my coffee.” He was startled, because she seemed to know what he was thinking about. (d) Richard called over a waiter wearing a blue shirt and asked him for whipped cream.

Richard thanked the waiter. Following his instructions, Richard made a flower with the cream. He tried to be as precise as he could. No sooner had he completed his masterpiece, Julie stepped into the cafe. As she sat down, she saw her coffee. “Wow, look at that! A white flower in the cup! It looks so beautiful, Richard! It’s too lovely to drink,” his friend said. “Try it,” (e) the happy man urged her. She tasted it. “This coffee is absolutely delicious, too!” Talking and laughing over coffee, they enjoyed the fabulous spring day.