I was a junior in high school on my first date with my friend Tricia. We went see a movie, no idea which one. And then she took me to a local diner which was open late and nearly empty. We sat in a booth and talked for an hour or so. I sipped bad diner coffee nervously but felt like such an adult! It was probably 9:30pm.
Eventually I drove her home. I think there was a hug, and possibly a very chaste kiss.
And then I went home and lay awake in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling. I thought to myself, Is this love? Why is my heart beating so hard? It was years later that I realized that I wasn’t in love, I was just reacting to the three cups of coffee that I had downed.
And thus began my lifelong love affair with coffee.