One Shots

§ Coffee Shop §

       James stands in the back of the coffee shop, watching as his friend, Joe, takes the orders of a couple sitting near a window. Once he's finished he makes his way towards the counter and grabs a paper clip, clipping the order onto a string that hangs over James' work station. "Slow day today, huh?" Joe points out, looking around the empty cafe. "I guess so. It's a good thing we're payed by the hour. Imagine how much money we'd get if we were payed according to how much money we earned throughout the day." James states, readjusting his man bun behind the hairnet and grabbing the order off the clip. "Yeah, that'd suck ass." Joe agrees before heading back to the counter.
       A lot of their co-workers couldn't work today seeing as though most of them are high schoolers and college students that needed a part time job to get them through the year. It's almost finals week, so all of them are back home studying and focusing on school work. The only other person that could've been here is Stefani but she's at home with the flu, so it's just James and Joe today.
       James finishes preparing the meal for the couple when a group of guys walks into the cafe. James scans over them and stops when his eyes land a Russian boy with a brown hair and brown eyes. He looks only a bit shorter than James and has ink running up and down his arms. James admires how the boy's white tank top flaunts his tattoos and how his worn out, black jeans fit tightly against his legs. He watches as the group sits down at one of the tables, laughing and goofing off.
       I look over at Joe to see him moving to go hand them their menus. Before he can get. Out from behind the counter, James dashes over to him, grabbing his wrist and pulling him back a little. Joe turns around with an eyebrow raised. "Can I serve that table?" James asks, gesturing towards the table of men. "Why...?" He questions skeptically. James pulls Joe aside and leans close to his ear. "There's a cute guy over there and I'm gonna try to give him my number." James whispers, his voice laced with mischief. Joe mouths an 'oh' with a smile. He hands James the pile of menus and takes the hairnet off of his head, placing it on his own. "Go get 'em tiger." Joe says, giving him a reassuring nudge. James smiles back at him before patting down his uniform, making sure it's not dirty or wrinkled before heading over to the table. "Welcome to Littleton Cafe, my name is James and I'll be your waiter for today. When you think you're ready to order, just wave me over and I'll be here as soon as I can. Do you guys know what you'd want to drink?" James explains, passing out the menus and readjusting his large, white glasses.
       The guy wearing a red Cardinals hat speaks up first. "I would like a large mocha please." He states, looking over at his friends. "Same goes for me." The man in a Batman shirt says. "I'll just take a Mountain Dew." One of the other guys orders as he begins to unwrap a DumDum, popping it in his mouth. James then directs his attention to the Russian, holding back the heat that tempts his cheeks. James admires the boy, realizing how much better the man looks up close. "I'll take a Pepsi." He states as he scans over the menu. James jots down all the drinks on a note pad and makes his way over to Joe. He passes him the note so he can prepare the drinks. While James waits, he stares out the glass door, watching as the people and cars pass by. He feels a sudden wave of anxiety, feeling a pair of eyes on him. James simply brushes it off and continues to stare at the not so busy streets outside.
      Before James knows it, Joe comes back with the drinks, and hands them to him with a circular plate. James sits all of the drinks on the plate and makes his way towards the table, careful not to spill anything. They all smile as they see him coming their way. He almost trips as he spots the Russian's smile, his whole world turning upside down. He let out a nervous laugh before passing out the drinks, stealing a quick glance at the Russian every chance he gets. "I think we're ready to order." The man in the red hat states, looking over at his friends. They nod in agreement before they read off their orders. James writes the orders down on the notepad and speeds over to Joe with the order. He clips it up on the string before walking back to the counter, playing the different ways he could go about flirting with the man in his head. Instead of going all out with it, he decides to keep it simple and grabs one of the order sheets. He writes a little note on it and reads it in his mind with a cocky grin on his face.

(Insert number here)
Hit me up sometime, cutie ;*
~ James

James stuffs the note in his pocket just as Joe walks over to him with the food. He grabs the plates and makes his way towards the group. He hands out the food, noticing that the Russian's eyes were focused on him. James sends the boy a wink, causing his cheeks to change color. James lets out a small giggle before looking at the rest of the group. "Enjoy! If you need anything, I'll be behind the counter." He states before walking back to Joe.
Joe leans over the counter, a smile on his face. "You ask him out yet?" He whispers, taking a quick glance toward the table. "No, not yet. I'm going to hand him this when I give them the receipt." James explains, holding up the note. Joe's smile grows as he snatches the paper from his hands. He reads over it, stifling a laugh. "Dude, that's so cheesy." Joe laughs. "Shut the fuck up! I'd like you to see you come up with something better!" James curses playfully, grabbing the note and stuffing it back in his pocket. "So, which one is he?" Joe asks curiously. "The guy with the tattoo sleeves." James states. Joe scans the table, immediately spotting the target. "Nice pick, but I personally like a man with facial hair." He says with a grin. "From what I saw, he's got a little bit of a mustache coming in. It's not full yet, but it's there." James explains, day dreaming of the man in question.

The moment of truth finally arrives as they finish eating. James walks over to the table and collects the dirty plates. "I'll be back with your receipt." He says taking a deep breath as he makes his way back to the counter to grab it. He takes it from Joe and makes his way to the table, a newfound confidence bubbling in his chest as he places the receipt on the table. He pulls the paper out of his pocket and placed is in front of the Russian, walking away with a smirk. Joe smiles and gives him a thumbs up as James approaches the counter. "You think he even likes guys?" Joe asks as he looks over at the table, watching their reactions to the note. "Well, we're about to find out." James replies, watching the boy from afar.
       The guys at the table laugh and giggle as the man's eyes grow wide with shock. He looks over in James in shock. He simply winks again, sending him a small wave. The men at the table laugh even harder, elbowing and nudging the Russian. They begin to discuss the bill, handing their fair share of money to the man. He pulls out his own money and puts it in the pile before standing up and walking behind the counter where James stood.
       Suddenly, the boy grabs James by the waist and slams him into his chest, their faces not even an inch apart. James lets out a startled squeak, his confidence completely draining. The boy holds up the money to him before slowly sliding it into James' back pocket with a small squeeze, making his face and neck burn a bright shade of red. "My name is Aleks. I'll call you later and we can meet up somewhere private." Aleks whispers into his ear before letting go and leaving with his friends. Joe immediately erupts his laughter at the sight of his flustered friend. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say he likes guys." Joe jokes in between breaths. James, dumbstruck, stands in the same position he was when Aleks approached him, unable to move. "That little shit grabbed my ass!"