chapter fifty-four: in the wake of change

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IN THE WAKE OF CHANGE

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IN THE WAKE OF CHANGE

IN THE WAKE OF CHANGE

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teegschwendner

"okay, last one. everyone just hold still. floch, if you touch your hair one more time, i swear—" frieda warned, her fingers gripping his shoulder lightly.

"i wasn't—" floch protested, though his hand hovered suspiciously near his bangs.

between the café's recent overhaul—the new hires, the redesigned layout, the revamped menu—frieda had decided it was time to update the staff photo. she'd even gone so far as to hire a professional photographer, determined to mark this new chapter properly.

after several failed attempts (courtset of carly's theatrics, lou, your new coworker's unhelpful commentary, and nifa's uncontrollable laughing fits), the shutter finally clicked.

the moment was sealed.

"perfect," the photographer declared, lowering his camera with satisfaction."that should do it."

a chorus of gratitude followed as the team broke formation, shoulders loosening. the photographer claimed a nearby table, setting up his laptop to upload the files.

"can i get you a coffee while you work?" nifa offered, already steering behind the counter.

"that'd be great, thanks," he replied, eyes already glued to the screen.

as the espresso machine hissed to life, floch leaned against the counter beside her, flashing a grin he clearly believed was charming."you know," he mused casually, watching her work the steam wand."your coffee's probably the only reason half of us function in the morning. no idea how you pull it off."

nifa laughed softly, shaking her head."it's called being a barista, floch."

he opened his mouth to fire back when a sudden weight settled across his shoulders.

"floch, my guy," lou drawled, having slung an arm around him with an all-too-knowing smirk."you sure you should be wasting your energy on nifa when we all know who you really like?"

IF HAPPY EVER AFTER DID EXIST; levi ackermanWhere stories live. Discover now