𝐆𝐋𝐔𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐉.𝐎

'coffee talk'

𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩-
𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘱 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴

word count- 994

it was another slow day of making lattes and teas. you didn't hate your job per se. you loved the aroma of coffee, especially early in the morning. and the sounds of coffee grinds and distant chatter put your mind at ease. sometimes the people you interact with are interesting.

there were a few regulars that you spoke to, well regularly. but there was one girl that caught your eye. she was a regular, but she never spoke much. she got the same tea every tuesday, was always in a rush on fridays, and needed a caffeinated 'pick me up' on mondays. she intrigued you even more on the rare occasion she would sit down to enjoy her drink. she sat in the same booth, sometimes on her laptop or nose-deep in a good book.

but all you knew about this woman was how her hair parted slightly off center and how she folded her hands when talking to anyone. and her eyes, she was very good at eye contact. you had her orders memorized down to the drop, and always made sure to put the sippy lids on her cups, she hated all the other options.

your coworkers seemed to pick up on your fascination with the woman when you wouldn't speak to her, just put in her order and walk away from the register. she would pay and you handed her the drink, being sure to add a small note or compliment on the cup. 

you didn't even know her name, let alone anything that could possibly tell you who she was or why she was constantly at your tiny coffee shop every day. because you never took her order. you saw her, made the drink, and moved on. it was the repetition that made her stand out. she was a rock, never changing.

the day started off normal, with espressos and americanos left and right. you hadn't had a chance to check the time since your shift started. you had no idea how long you had been working. you had zoned out as you approached the register.

"hello, welcome to jumpstart coffee. my name is y/n, how can i help you today?" you asked, eyes trained on the digital register as you prepared to take the order.

"don't you know my order?" the woman asked. you didn't recognize the voice. you dropped your shoulders letting out an extensive sigh.

"look ma'am, i am barely halfway through my eight-hour shift. i haven't gotten a break since i clocked in. are you really expecting me to know your order when you've probably been here twi-" you stopped yourself from finishing your statement as you met eyes with the customer. the unbreakable eye contact you were so intrigued by now served as a punishment.

the two of you just stared at each other before your gaze traveled up toward the top of the woman's head. where you noticed her part was slightly off-center.

you felt your lips part in a jaw-dropping expression. your eyes met with the woman that you had been so encapsulated by for weeks now. she just smiled at you while you looked her up and down.

she was even prettier close-up.

"what's today? wednesday? that means i'll have my..." she dragged out her sentence waiting for you to finish it for her.

"cinnamon ginger tea with honey and a dash of oat milk." you basically whispered. you were entranced by the woman in front of you.  apparently so entranced you had forgotten everything around you. you just admired her. her wavy hair that abruptly stopped near her collarbone, the freckles that dotted her perfectly tan complexion, and her dimples that slowly became more apparent.

that's when you realized she was smiling, at you. with much embarrassment, you snapped out of your trance and quickly punched her order in. you felt your cheeks rise in heat and your fluster became apparent when you spoke again.

"name?" your voice cracked and your hand shot up to cover your mother and straighten yourself out. you adjusted your posture at the sound of the woman's angelic laughter.

"jenna," she stated with the confidence you desperately needed right now. you looked back down again and finished punching in the order. she reached into her bag presumably to look for a method of payment.

"it's on the house," you stated abruptly. your lips pursed together in a thin line as you started your way to make the drink, mixing the key components of the drink.

"how about instead of a compliment, you write me your number this time?" your eyes shot up to meet hers again. she was genuine. she meant it. you averted your gaze back to the drink. feeling the smile creep onto your face you ducked your head into your shoulder.

the aroma of ginger tickled your nose. it was soon put at ease by the sweet scent of honey. something about brewing drinks was therapeutic to you. the only downside is that all your clothes smell like coffee. even the ones that haven't been in a three-mile radius of the shop.

your embarrassment was palpable. palms were clammy and shaking with nerves. you took the marker that usually resided clipped onto your apron and began writing out not your usual compliment, but your phone number as instructed. 

"cinnamon ginger tea with honey and oat milk, for jenna," you raised the cup scanning the store for the brunette woman. you eventually found her making the eye contact that could have you on your knees in seconds. she approached the counter and took her drink.

the tips of her finger just barely brushing yours but enough to leave a lasting effect on your ego.

"hey, what do you say to join me in that corner booth?" jenna asked, her fingers anxiously tapping on the lid of her cup as she awaited your response.

you stared at the woman, dumbfounded for longer than you would like to admit.

"um, yeah!"

~~~