Who does that?

A few days ago there were two big concerts going on right by my store. Concerts are always going in any of the numerous theaters within walking distance of my work and many of the artists stay at the hotel next door. My store was giving away free song downloads as part of a promotion. It just so happened that one of the two artists who were in town was being featured as our song of the day and the other was the featured artist from the previous day. This happened by pure coincidence and led to a couple of rather interesting events.

One of the artists is a very famous and very successful British pop star. You could say she walks on broken glass from time to time. Several of her crazy British band mates came in over the course of the day. Her drummer was probably the most entertaining of the bunch. I asked him what he would like to drink and he responded in a very cheery manner, "One soy caramel latte, please."

"Would you like some caramel drizzle on your latte?" I asked, while being extra cautious to not accidentally slip into my fake British accent.

"Oh heavens no! That would be too naughty for me!"

Silence. I paused and did the first thing that came to my head. I laughed. I couldn't help it, the British accent and the cheeky disposition extracted a loud, ab shaping laughter from deep within my soul.

"What's this? Why are you laughing?"

Oh no! I had offended him! Quick save...quick save! I searched for a brilliant cover up, but all I could come up with was, "Nothing...it's just...you're...you're funny!"

He smiled, "Me? Funny?" Shew! Good save.

The cashier asked him if he would like a free song download card for the artist he worked with and he laughed, "Alright then."

"Will you do me a favor?" I asked. "Will you just go and give her that for me. I mean we've been laughing about this all morning and...I just think it'd be funny if you gave it to her."

"Oh she would LOVE this. I am definitely giving this to her. This is going to be fantastic." He walked around to the bar and continued to chat with me. (I was really digging the accent.) "So you think I'm funny? I'm really not that funny. You must have caught me on one of my more humorous days."

"Naughty latte? Seriously... do you know how funny that is? You haven't even had caffeine yet. I think you might just actually be funny. " We continued to chat while I made his drink. I handed him his "un-naughty" latte. (I guess you could call it a well behaved latte?) He walked through the glass doors and turned to flash me a huge smile, and shook his head before congregating with his band mates outside.

2 hours later...

Our store was completely empty and I was running the register (or reg as I like to call it). A young man and woman walked in. As they were ordering their drinks, I noticed them looking at the song download cards, so I told them they could take one. I saw a smile form beneath the woman's hat. That's when it hit me...she was the other artist whose song we were featuring.

It was Brandi Carlile in the flesh.

AWKWARD TURTLE!

Now, I had been joking all morning about how funny it would be if either of the musicians came into the store. I envisioned a witty transaction in which I addressed the hilarity of the situation: "Ok," I would say, "Can we just talk about how awkward it is that I just offered you a free song download of yourself? Who does that?"

Instead all I could muster up was, "So are you doing anything fun downtown today?" It was the question I always used to start up a conversation with customers when it is slow. I ended up chatting with the guy about their hometown and how my cousin is in a band out there. (Turns out he may have gone to school with one of their guitarists.) But I still feel as though I made a total idiot out of myself.

I bet she went back to her band and had a good laugh about how a barista offered her a free song download of herself and never realized it was her. Well I did know! I love her music and was on standby to be on the guest list of her sold out show. But I guess it would make a pretty good story if she ever gets interviewed by Conan O'Brien...