Espressos & Cappuccinos

einn

A L I C E

MY hands tremble against the hot steel as I steam the milk for someone's latte. I don't notice. Being a barista for a year has left my hands numb to the heat. And yet, they still tremble. I stare at the frothing milk until it's perfect, until my hands almost drop the frothing pitcher from the heat. It's like my hands aren't even attached to me. I couldn't feel a thing. I finish making the latte in a to-go cup, making a heart with the foam, not trying to impress anyone since it's late and it's a to-go order.

Coffee in hand, I walk past the counter to give it to the customer who's sitting alone on their phone. I walk up to them and try to smile as genuinely as I can, placing the cup on the table, "A latte, extra foam for Nova."

Nova looks up from the screen and smiles slightly, sliding the drink closer, "Thanks."

I turn to go back to the counter after being payed, my false smile dropping immediately. My face hurts from holding that smile every day. Hopefully I won't need to smile endlessly in class. Maybe people won't take offense to a resting bitch face in college, I pondered.

Reaching the counter, I pick up my phone. I don't know what for, I had no friends that lasted long enough to text me randomly, no family that wasn't busy. All I had was notifications from YouTube. I sighed heavily, sitting in one of the bar stools in front of the counter.

My boss, Mel, didn't mind me sitting in customer reserved seats since I only took night shifts. I guess they wanted to have a more relaxed way of working. They've probably been through enough strife in their life, being gender fluid, that they don't want more conflict. They're a good person, having such a pacifistic philosophy as a boss, even though it, unfortunately, most likely came from trauma.

Speaking of the devil, Mel comes out of the door into their office. They walk up to me with a huge grin plastered to their face, their hands behind their back, "Guess what I have, Alice."

Despite my fake smiles at customers, I give a genuine smile to my sweetheart of a boss, "More Alice in Wonderland jokes that you're planning on using until the day I die?"

Mel insisted on doing extensive research for nicknames and jokes and puns based on the movie ever since they hired me. With how many times I quote the March Hare's crazed "Spoon!" in the Tim Burton movie, I'm not that against the jokes.

"Even better!" Mel jumps like a kid on a sugar high, "I have your paycheck for the week and..."

I wait for them to say the news, expecting to be unimpressed, but what they say surprises me instead.

"I'm giving you a raise! The café's been getting a lot more customers now that more students are moving here. I mean, we got so lucky that we're only four minutes away! Anyway, it may only be a five dollar increase, but trust me, I'd raise it a lot more if I could."

My eyes widen, "Are you kidding me? I would've been okay with just a two dollar raise. Thank you so much, Mel."

Mel hands me the envelope that was behind their back and jumps a few more times, clapping in the air, "Oh, also, you can lock up at midnight today."

I smile at their excitement, wishing I felt it as strongly as them, but I was also relieved that I'd get two more hours of sleep.