barista / h.s

2

C H A P T E R ~ T W O

Sydney tapped her bony digits on the table lightly. It was the second day that Harry Styles, of all people, was expected to be a customer at her Starbucks. Brooke was still out sick, which was a blessing and a curse. Sydney needed Brooke to teach her more methods, but at the same time Brooke wouldn't let Sydney serve Harry.

She was bored out of her mind, until the bell chimed-- signaling someone had entered the shop. She glanced at the door and her expression fell when she saw it was just a plain old customer. In fact, it was a regular. John, her next door neighbor, frequently came to the shop about this time (six in the evening) every day.

He walked up to the counter and rested his arms on the marble. His regular was always something Sydney lacked at making, so she was already worried.

"The regular." John said without looking up at her, and she nodded to confirm she'd heard what he said. She turned to face the machines and panic overcame her.

Suddenly, the bell chimed again. She turned to glance at it and she was restored with hope when she saw Harry.

This time he was wearing a heavy coat and dark skinny jeans. His black beanie was coated with white, a sign that it had been snowing and Harry had taken a walk. He looked exceptionally well, not much of a difference from when she first saw him.

Would it be a bit much to ask a celebrity to help make an iced frappe? She thought to herself. Sydney, being the naive girl she was, called him over hastily.

"Harry!" She called, earning a grimace from her neighbor-- who was impatiently waiting for his drink. "Thank goodness you're here to help out with orders."

Thankfully, Harry caught on. He grinned and came behind the counter, before looking John face to face.

"I'm so sorry, sir." He gave John a dimpled smile. "Sydney here is an intern, and its my duty to help her make more advanced refreshments. Sorry for the haste."

"It's fine." For the first time in forever, Sydney saw the middle aged man smile. The skin around his eyes formed small crinkles, and he looked like a decent man for once.

Harry turned to face her and they immediately walked over to the bean grinding machine, their backs to the customer. He somehow managed to get it working and he waited patiently, taking every so often to look at Sydney.

"I saved your sorry butt." Harry said in a childish tone. "Say 'thank you'."

"Thank you." Sydney said politely. It didn't normally take much for her to give in, especially when it came to manners.

Harry soon made the perfect frappe-- from what it looked like. When Sydney held it, it felt like coffee but colder. Does coffee even have a certain feel to it?

Sydney handed it respectively to John, and he paid for his order. He exited the shop, slowly, and the bell chimed once more.

Harry walked from behind the counter to in front of it.

"I want a different order." He said cheekily. "And this time, I have the money."

"Wow." Sydney said, surprised. "But I hope you know I don't know how to make anything other than a tall caramel macchiato."

Harry laced his hands together. "Good, because that's what I was going to order. That, and a small chocolate cake."

"No problem." Sydney typed the prices into the computer, but sneakily added a few coupons to his order. "That'll be five-eighty two."

"Cheap." Harry commented, and he pulled out his wallet. He handed her a ten dollar bill with ease.

"Ill get you your change back."

"No, keep the change." Harry grinned. "You already work on minimum wage, and ten dollars isn't even a dent in my earnings."

Sydney couldn't help but accept. She withheld from telling him that she currently attended college to get a much higher paying job, because ten dollars isn't much out of millions. It's not like she was a gold digger or anything.

She made his drink just as she did yesterday and handed it to him. She reached into the pantry and grabbed a cake, before wrapping it into a napkin and putting the napkin in a brown paper bag.

Harry gladly took it, and his fingers brushed against hers for a slight second.

"I was thinking maybe we could sit down and talk." Harry said shyly, something Sydney didn't know him for being. "Since, you know, not that many people come and um-- the lads are out clubbing."

Sydney took her apron off and hung it up with the rest. She slid from behind the counter, bringing a donut with her. "You don't go clubbing?" She asked.

Harry led her to a table for two. He pulled a chair out for her and she took it, and then Harry sat in the one across from hers. "No." He answered. "One time I went out with them, and let me tell you: hangovers are not fun."

Sydney shrugged. "I'm eighteen, so I can't technically go clubbing."

Harry offered her a piece of his dark chocolate cake, but she politely declined and ate her donut instead.

The two talked for quite a while about varying topics. Somehow it went from ages to clubbing to party experiences to high school, and then from high school to middle school to elementary school to childhood memories.

"I have to go now." Harry said after checking his watch. "Just 'cause, you know, Paul says my curfew is exactly eight."

Sydney raised her eyebrow with a smile. "Paul? Curfew?"

Harry stood up and threw the remains of his food and drink away. The shop was so small his whisper could be heard throughout it. "Paul is our security guard. And yes, we have a curfew."

Sydney chuckled. She never imagined an international pop star having a certain time to be inside by.

"Okay-- well, see you tomorrow."

Harry frowned and looked down at his leather boots, as if he had suddenly found them interesting.

"What's wrong?" She asked, praying on the inside that Harry would be coming back again.

"I'm not coming back tomorrow." He said. "I have a... um-- doctor's appointment."

Sydney stood up and threw her garbage away. The average girl would feel anxious and on edge around Harry, but she felt like she could be herself.

"Don't worry, Harry." Sydney smiled and gave him a short hug. "I'm sure whatever you're going for will be fine."

"Yeah." He agreed quietly. "I want you to meet my girlfriend, Saturday. Thats when I come back here next."

Sydney should have felt happy for Harry but instead she felt something else. She wished she could become a little more than just Harry Style's barista, but from those words she could tell that's how it would stay.

"Oh, okay." Her voice fell a few octaves. Harry could tell there was something wrong, and he gave her a sympathetic smile. But nothing could cheer her up, because she knew that she had just been friend zoned by Harry Styles.

"See you Saturday." Harry said a bit less cheerfully, and Sydney nodded in response.

"Have a nice Thursday." She said, but just to follow polite protocol opposed to saying it to be kind.

"You too." Harry said lowly, and when he walked out of the shop and the door chimed, Sydney had to fight the urge to cry.