free coffee Wednesday

They sit at a table at the Panera in Darien. She leans forward and talks; he sits back in a “Callaway golf” sweatshirt and listens. She chews, purses her lips, waves her fork and says, “That’s what she did last time. I won’t let her do that, again,” then chews, purses and waves, some more. He still sits, wondering what? (“Good Jesus, is she ever going to stop?” “Mother Mary, I’ve heard all this, before.” Or: “Sacred Heart of Ortuga, I think my head is going to explode.” “Blah, blah, blah, blah.”) Or maybe he does care that she did that before and won’t get away with it, again. Next table over, a younger man in a black overcoat plays with his Blackberry, ear pods in, while his iPhone sits on the table. He obviously does not care what was done before and what might be done again, though this time over someone’s dead body. There are numerous questions, here, of course: who is she; why is he still listening to her, and at what exact time Thursday afternoon will the Blackberry and iPhone microwaves thoroughly fry Spunky's brain? But most importantly there is this: what do these three people have in common – and why? BTW: It’s “free coffee’ day at Panera. Drink hearty. (P.S. Just so you know, she’s now shaking her head; he’s missing two teeth on the back right, lower; Mr. I. M. A. Junior Executive booked.)