Lacey hadn't seen Marie in a week. Not since Marie offered her a loose invitation to visit her place. Just the thought fueled a week of late nights, well that and the sound of crickets chirping from her empty bank account.
Her infatuation with Marie was almost enough to distract her from the impending deadline. Seven days to go until her year was up.
Pulling out her phone for the millionth time she scrolled through the app. Twelve bookmarks for jobs she didn't really want. But at least she qualified for them - barely. Wishfully, she typed in the words 'managing or assisting editor'.
The same three applications greeted her, the only three she'd applied to. They were now closed, a part of the online archives. She tapped the last one, posted July 14th of last year.
It'd been a lie when she'd told Marie she was zero for three on interview call backs. There'd been one. The one Lacey submitted her application to the day it was published, July 14th.
The company had called her sure enough, but she didn't find out until a week later when she finally had the energy to check her missed messages. The voicemail was time stamped for 7:58am, July 18th. The morning after the worst night of Lacey's life.
She'd never called them back, figuring they'd found someone better to take the job. And even if she had, how would she begin to explain why it'd taken eight days for her to return their call?
How could she admit to them what she struggled to come to terms with herself?
It was too late.
Lacey was too late in many respects. Too late to make her rent, too late to find a job, too late to figure out her life as it whisked past her.
The shop was quiet. An hour to close Lacey's boss, Tanya, had left early. Tommy was feeling better and since Tanya's oldest Theo had won the junior high spelling bee, the entire family was traveling North to the next county for the second round of the competition.
Lacey didn't mind working alone, but as the evening approached, squeezing out the last bit of sun she felt her stomach turn. Maybe she could close up early. Would Tanya notice? Lacey's conscious shook its head. No, she would have to stay until the clock struck nine.
She would be ok, Lacey tried to reassure herself. She'd walk quickly, like she did every other night. Her shaking fingers turned back to her phone as she aimlessly flipped through job offerings, maybe she could pick up a second job in construction. She could squat in a half finished corporate building couldn't she?
"I'm going to have to tell your boss to write you up for this." Marie's bright voice filled the shop as she strode through the door. Each of her entrances seemed perfectly timed to catch Lacey in a poor light.
"Good thing she's not here then." Lacey quipped, stuffing her phone into her back pocket.
"Managing the store all by yourself then?"
"Seems like it."
"Good thing they have you to watch over the rowdy bunch." Marie held out her hands indicating the smattering of people oblivious to her comment as they focused on their work, headphones blocking the white noise.
Lacey laughed, the first genuine one in a few days. Marie seemed to have that effect on her. Each interaction allowed Lacey to forget the worries that kept her up at night. To her, Marie was a musician. Her voice music to Lacey's ears as the sound blocked out the dreaded knock of her landlords fist on the apartment door.
"So what have you been up to?" Lacey had wanted to avoid the question as it sounded so basic. The kind of thing she would say to a vague acquaintance, not a woman she wanted to impress.
"Running around, breaking rules, making deals - the usual." Marie didn't seem to mind the general question as she grinned at Lacey and continued. "I actually did come by late Wednesday, but low and behold for once you weren't here. You must've been hard at work on those job applications." She finished with a wink.
Lacey tried to laugh the comment off, but inside her lungs constricted as she recalled her activities wednesday.
She had worked Wednesday, thankfully in the morning. With the afternoon off her feet carried her on an ill fated trip to the bank. She hadn't planned the visit, it was more of a whim - a desperate one at that. Lacey wanted to get a loan - well she didn't want to per say - but she'd decided three feet out of the Split Bean that she needed to.
Her scuffed soles took her as far as the desk attendant where a perky fifty-something woman greeted her. It was there that Lacey froze. She could hardly pry the word from her mouth. Her mind was on the fritz as she sputtered at the woman.
Eventually, she settled on one thing: there was no way she was taking out a loan. The interest rates alone would bury here - despite what the optimist teller told her. There was no loan in the plan, and so there would be no loan.
Waving the comment off Lacey changed the subject. Moving it to Marie's meeting last week. She slotted vague affirmations, again citing that she'd rather 'show' than 'tell' Lacey. Knowing an opportunity when she saw it Lacey was about to ask exactly when she could be 'shown', when a crew of seven men walked through the door.
There was only one ding as the men marched in single file, a wave of business suits. Their ties were undone a few inches at the neck, some with their button ups untucked. Clearly they were fresh off work.
"What in the-" Marie began but was cut off as the first man neared the register and rattled off an order completely oblivious to the brunette.
Lacey hopped to it dashing back and forth from the register to the pots of coffee to service the three who bought simple drinks. The others who requested more complicated drinks she planned to fix after all the orders were taken down. It would be easier to multitask that way she decided.
As she did so she heard some grumbling from the line but tried her best to block it out. There was always a customer who obsessed over lighting fast service.
With the orders placed Lacey managed the different brewing machines as best she could. Ten minutes later she placed a caramel macchiato, the last order, on the pick up counter. The man who'd ordered it, a thirty something young professional with sandy blond hair combed away from his forehead picked it up and mumbled thanks.
Content Lacey breathed in a sigh and turned back to clean the mess she'd made while using the frappuccino machine.
She didn't make it two steps when cold fingers attached themselves to her forearm. Unconsciously she flinched away, her body going rigid. As she did so she turned to see the man who'd grabbed her. It was a customer she'd already served, another business man with a loosened tie that matched his cerulean eyes.
"You put almond milk in this not soy." His words were a demand not a question.
Lacey stuttered, unable to think beyond the hand that'd latched onto her skin. His digits weren't as rough as the ones she'd first felt a year ago. His were soft, but no less powerful. Why was he doing this? The thought ran through her mind, though she knew it was not centered on the man in the blue tie.
Why me?
What had Lacey done to deserve-
"Hey buddy." A voice Lacey almost didn't recognize cut into her thoughts.
She turned, her vision out of focus. Marie stepped behind the counter. Lacey had lost track of Marie once she'd started taking orders, but now here she was inserting herself between Lacey and the man. He retracted his grip. Lacey shrunk behind Marie who placed her hands on her hips creating a barrier between the demanding suit.
"Back up! Can't you see this gal's been working a twelve hour shift making fru-fru drinks for you and your manner-less ass all day?" She spoke sternly. "Show some fucking decency."
Lacey couldn't see the suit as she attempted to control her shaking limbs behind Marie's strong posture. Seconds later she heard the door bell tinkle, signaling he'd left.
Timdily Lacey looked up, wondering if any of the other customers had noticed the altercation. If they had none seemed to mind as the clicking of keyboards filled the quiet space.
"Are you ok Lace?" Marie had turned to the barista her eyes deep with worry as she reached out to smooth her hands over Lacey's shoulders.
Lacey wondered if Marie could feel her body trembling too.
"I'm fine, just startled me." She clenched her teeth.
"He shouldn't have come behind the counter like that."
Lacey took a deep breath, though even her lungs were shaking. "Well I'm glad you did." She gazed at Marie wondering what her brown eyes could capture. Surely she'd seen Lacey shrink at the man's groping touch and how Lacey shook even after he'd released her.
"No problem, I've had to work with uptight chauvinistic men before and it gets on my damn nerves. You gotta know when to tell them to shove it, customers not always right." Marie shrugged, downplaying her intervention.
Lacey nodded, unsure of what else to say she turned back to the machine she'd planned to clean. She glanced at the clock, fifteen to close.
Fifteen minutes until Lacey would have to walk alone in the dark.
As she bent to wipe up a glob of foam from the floor a mass of monochromatic business attire caught her eye.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." She mumbled under her breath.
Like a snake, they walked single file in a connected stream, the head leading them to the glass door of the Split Bean.
Twenty or more business men and women spilled through the door. Lacey felt her breath catch in her throat as her heart rate outpaced her breathing.
There was no way she could get them serviced before closing, which meant it would be even later when she had to walk home.
If only there were lights on her street, god, if only there had been lights on her block.
"Need a hand?" Marie cocked her head to the side her eyes shifting to the line of people as they approached the register.
Gulping Lacey took in a shallow breath, readying herself.
"Ever worked in a coffee shop before?"
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Fun Fact: I don't drink coffee, nor do I know anything about it ! So in imaging drinks business folk would drink I used orders form Miss Congeniality 2.
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