I glance at my watch, silently cursing myself for hitting the snooze button this morning because now I'm running at least ten minutes late. I know I should just go straight to work from here, but I cannot face the day - or a lecture from my boss - without caffeine.
I'm already late, so it doesn't really matter if I'm twelve minutes late rather than ten.
Better make that fifteen minutes late, I think to myself as I step into the coffee shop and see the line that leads to the counter. I let out a sigh as I stand at the end of the line.
I check my watch each time the line moves, and it's moving pretty fast, much to my relief. I usually get my coffee before the morning rush so I don't have to wait this long, but whoever the barista is must be used to it.
Once I get close enough to see over the counter, I see the usual barista, Chloe, running from machine to machine and filling cup after cup of coffee with practiced ease. However, standing behind the cash register is a girl I don't recognize. She must be new. She doesn't seem fazed by the rush of people either, taking each and every order with a warm and friendly smile.
I finally make it to the front of the line and glance at her nametag that reads (Y/N). I glance up at her face, and when she looks at me, I can feel the air leave my lungs.
"Hello," she says brightly. "What can I get for ya?"
I open my mouth to speak, but my throat feels too dry. "Um... Just a latte."
She presses a few buttons on the cash register in front of her before looking back at me. "That'll be $4.50."
I reach for my wallet in my back pocket before pulling out a five dollar bill and handing it to her.
"Are you new here?"
She glances at me with a smile before grabbing two quarters and handing them to me. "Yeah, today's my first day."
"Really? I've never seen someone take orders so fast on their first day. Wait, I'm sorry, I just meant-"
She just smiles. "I worked at a few coffee shops before this one, and they were much busier than this."
I smile back, pocketing the coins that I'm still holding. "I'm Harry."
"Will I be seeing you often, Harry?"
"Definitely."
-
I open the door to the coffee shop with a shaking, and slightly sweaty, hand. As I had expected, I got a lecture from my boss yesterday for ultimately being thirty minutes late, but I only heard half of it because I kept sipping my coffee and imagining (Y/N)'s face smiling back at me.
I'm not running late this time, so there's less people here than there was yesterday. I stand behind a short, older woman as she orders her coffee. (Y/N) hands her her change as she walks to the other side of the counter to wait for her drink. As I step up to the counter, (Y/N) notices me and greets me with a warm smile.
"Hello, Harry," she says. "Just a latte again?"
I nod as I hand over a five and she gives me two coins in return.
"You're in here earlier. Trying to beat the morning rush?" she asks.
"No, I just woke up late yesterday."
"So I'll be seeing more of you then?" she asks, grabbing my coffee from Chloe and handing it to me.
I smile. "Definitely."
-
"Hello, Harry," (Y/N) greets when I step through the door. "Just a latte?"
I walk up to the counter, shaking my head and glancing at the menu. "I'm thinking about switching it up." I look back at (Y/N). "Any suggestions?"
"I personally like the iced coffee," she says, "but the mochas are good too."
"An iced coffee sounds good," I say with a smile. She smiles back as I hand her another five dollar bill.
A minute later Chloe hands her my drink which she then hands over to me with a smile. "Will I be seeing you tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"Just yes?"
I laugh. "Sorry, I meant definitely."
-
I walk into the coffee shop, not even bothering to hide the wide grin on my face. It feels way too early to be this happy, but I don't really care because if I'm honest with myself, I don't even come here for the coffee anymore.
"Hello, Harry," (Y/N) says, smile as bright as ever. "What'll it be today?"
"Just a latte," I say with a smirk. I open my wallet to pull out a five but she places a gentle hand on my arm, causing me to look back up at her and meet her gaze.
"It's on me," she says quietly.
"I couldn't-" I start but she just shakes her head.
"Please," she says with an easy smile. "Let me."
"Alright," I concede. "Thanks."
She moves away from the counter and whispers something into Chloe's ear before grabbing the cup that she has in her hand. She moves around behind the counter, filling the cup each time she stops. She grabs a lid and places it on top of the cup and then grabs a pen before writing on the side of the cup, but I can't see what it is from this angle. She walks back over to me and slides the cup over to me with a smile.
"Thanks," I say again.
"You can thank me by coming in tomorrow," she says with that same easy smile.
"I will. Definitely."
I give her a small wave goodbye and walk back out of the shop, taking a sip of my drink and almost burning my tongue in the process. I bring the cup up to my face when I remember that she wrote something on my cup. I smile when I see writing with seven numbers below it.
Maybe grab a coffee with me sometime?
