begin again // joe keery

♡one♡

"opening shift. can't wait to leave and we haven't even opening shift...ed... yet."

lillie grinned as she watched her best friend and coworker romy dance around the kitchen of the storybook cafe, singing the same song she sang every morning that they opened.

she had met romy on her first day of work, almost 5 years ago to the day, and the two had quickly become inseparable. and ever since romy had become the manager the pair shared every shift.

"it's only three hours." she said, attracting romy's attention from across the room. "who knows, maybe that hot girl you keep going on about will come in."

romy shrugged, grabbing the milk out to make them both their pre-opening shift coffees.

"i don't think i've ever seen her here on a wednesday morning." she replied, pouting slightly. "but you never know your luck in a big city."

lillie laughed slightly, moving to take the chairs off the tables where they had been stacked by the closers the night before.

"do you ever think about how your soulmate could just walk through that door one day and change your entire life?" romy questioned, her eyes trained on the closed sign.

"i thought he did. and we both know how that worked out." lillie answered, and romy shook her head.

"oliver wasn't your soulmate. he was just a stepping stone for you to find them. i just know, one of these days a gorgeous man is gonna walk through that door, tall, dark hair, everything you want, and he's gonna be great with kids and you're gonna live happily ever after." romy pushed the coffee across the counter and lillie took it, a small smile on her face.

"you know i don't believe in stuff like that anymore romes." she said. romy frowned.

"what about your hot mystery man? caramel frappe, the one who you think is flirting." she questioned.

lillie shrugged.

"he'd only run once he finds out i come with a three year old child sized baggage." she sighed.

"you never know, he could be great with kids." romy pointed out.

"all i know about him is that his name is joe, he orders a caramel frappe to go, and sometimes he'll buy a breakfast sandwich." lillie reminded her.

"and he likes to flirt while he does it." romy added.

"maybe he's just friendly." lillie shrugged.

"maybe you should give him your number next time you see him." romy raised an eyebrow. "as i said, you never know your luck in a big city."

lillie shook her head, moving to unlock the door to officially start their shift.

"i don't think so." she said. "and besides, i don't even know when i'll see him next."

✭✭✭✭✭

the answer to that statement came two hours later, the cafe beginning to fill up with the constant bustling of the breakfast crowd just as romy left to heat up more breakfast sandwiches.

"hi welcome to storybook cafe, what can i get you?" lillie spoke, before looking up, her eyes meeting the familiar brown of the man she and romy had been discussing before they opened. "oh hey!"

"hey lilliana, how are you this morning?" joe grinned. lillie pulled a face.

"could be better. the crowd could die down while i'm on my own. just your usual?" she asked, and joe shook his head.