A Dark Roast Discovery

I nudged the leather folds beside the gear lever aside, coaxing out what the morning sun had just spotlighted. A single roasted coffee bean, dark and glistening with a faint sheen of oil, was wedged firmly in the stitched seam. With a careful press of my little copper wire from last night, I pried it free. It tumbled onto the flat plastic tray with a satisfying, dry click. Its fragrance is delightfully bold—rich with undertones of toasted caramel and burnt wood. Perfectly preserved, perfectly ripe for study. I tucked it neatly against the lozenge in my hidden dashboard reserve, a splendid second constituent for future distillations.