Gingerbread Latte

Chapter 2 - An hour for an hour

Max's POV

"It starts with a C, not a K, let me show you," I rolled my eyes at Cole, who was totally hitting on the cashier, leaning across the counter and flirtatiously taking the pen from her, showing her how to spell it right over the cartoon cup, as if his four-lettered name is the most complex word ever to write.

The girl bought into his game and giggled, biting at her lip and apologizing, totally ignoring that there was a line waiting behind to give their order. They casually carried on with their conversation and I punched Cole's back, ushering him to end this fast so I can get my caffeine supply before our class starts. He turned and gave me a wait-for-it look before he resumed his mission.

I shook my head and decided to ignore him for the time being. I pulled my phone out of my pocket trying to busy myself with it. Unlocking it, I opened the mails app and refreshed it, once, then twice, and another time, hoping for a new email to just pop up out of nowhere. I internally groaned when I found nothing new. I think the app is crashing, maybe the internet connection is bad in here, or maybe Google is just suffering from a serious server error...I mean everything was plausible except the fact that gingerhead was totally ignoring me and hasn't replied to any of my last emails for the past three days.

Not that I am counting or anything...

I harshly pushed the phone back into my pocket, utterly and completely irritated at the fact. I hate being ignored. My gaze flickered up and moved around the campus's coffee shop, trying to drive my thoughts away from her. Most students have huddled around in their seats, laptops opened, studying and trying to catch up with their deadlines. Nothing interesting. My eyes moved back to the counter, the cashier was still openly flirting with Cole, scribbling something over a small piece of paper, her phone number I guess.

I sighed and looked away, someone to her far right seemed to grab my attention the most, I didn't see the person's face, her back was to me only, but what had me pause in my search was the gingery ponytail coming out of the green cap placed over her head. Come on, I could recognize that hair anywhere. I broke out of the waiting line, moving to the other side of the counter, where people usually wait to get their order, but of course, there wasn't anyone waiting now, because Cole was holding the line.

I moved closer, pausing at the threshold. I tilted my head, trying to see her, but only the side of her face was visible to me from my current position. Even though, I could bet on my life that it was her. Her green apron and hat, much similar to the cashier lady, proved that she works here. She was standing by the espresso machine, a notebook placed ahead of her, she flipped through the pages, totally lost, a pen in her mouth, nervously biting on it as she read through. Was she trying to study here or something?

"I am really starting to think you are the stalker in our story," My words had her jumping in her place, a low gasp coming from her as she whirled around, startled by the out-of-blue intervention.

Her wide eyes fell on mine and she breathed out a relieved sigh, a hand pressed to her chest as she tried to calm herself down, "Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!"

My eyebrow raised, "Shouldn't you be working?" I asked, nodding my head toward the notebook.

"I can multi-task," She replied back, slamming the book shut before she came closer, standing right across from me, with only the counter separating us now.

"So, you work at the coffee shop, that I pass by almost every day, on the campus where I take my classes," I said, my eyes narrowing at her, feigning being suspicious, "What are the odds?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "Don't think big of yourself, kidney boy. I study here too."

My eyebrows pulled closer; seriously, what are the odds?