Staaaaa-baaaaaa

Recognize that word?

That's how we refer to "Starbucks" in Japanese.

It is my second favorite coffee shop, and I often go there because it is every where you look. Last summer, my friend gave me a Starbucks card for my birthday, and after the initial 1500 yen ran out, I have been adding money to it so I can keep using it.

One problem though. I never add more than 1000 yen at a time, so the next time I go to Starbucks and order my obigatory cafe mocha short size and chocolate chunk cookie, I have to pay the difference because 1000 yen just doesn't cover two visits to Starbucks. I always end up putting more money on the card just to cover my order.

And this happens repeatedly. They probably think of me as the "stingy card-carrying foreign woman."

So, yesterday, I was in Omotesando and I needed to eat something for dinner, so I went to STA-BA- and ordered the same thing I always get...to go. They put the cup in a bag with one of those green stoppers on it to prevent leakage.

It was pouring really hard outside, and I had no umbrella, plus I was in a huge hurry. So I took the cookie out and ate it while running down the street to my destination.

I think the running is what caused the green stopper to pop out of the coffee lid. Oh wait...I'm rushing through this story.

I arrived at my destination with my hair, coat and purse soaking wet. I am still holding the bag of coffee. I'm standing there waiting for my appointment and hoping that I can get a seat on the couch as soon as those ex-pats leave. Finally, they leave and I sit down on the couch. I realize that I need to fill out a form, so I set my coffee bag on the couch next to me. I still have not taken a sip because I've been too frazzled until this point. I grab a clipboard and dig for a pen to fill out the form.

While I am filling it out, I think, "Oh, I should down the coffee while I still have a few minutes."

I reach into the bag and pull out the cup. The bottom is soaked in coffee and the little green stopper has popped out and is just hanging there. I take one sip when it occurs to me that the coffee MAY HAVE leaked.

I look inside the bag and sure enough, the bottom of the bag is completely soaked. I lift the bag and see that the couch now has a large wet spot on it. Not just a wet spot, but a brownish wet spot.

My solution to the problem is to take the coffee and the bag into the bathroom. I dump the coffee into the sink and throw everything away. I go back out to the waiting room and see that there are coffee puddles over the floor. I go back into the bathroom to get toilet paper so I can wipe it up when I notice there are coffee puddles all over the bathroom floor as well as the counter.

I look down at my light khaki pants and see they are coffee stained, but LUCKILY (and this is the only bright spot in the story), the stain is at the cuff and you can always attribute that to mud.

Didn't I order the short size? Should I tell them that I just stained their couch? Would I be considered a liar if I just don't mention and hope that no one notices?