"One special of the day coffee for Arella Washington!" I call out and slip the drink into the pickup row on the high countertop.
"Thanks, Aidan." Flashing a movie star smile, she holds out a five dollar with a folded note. "For you."
I add the money to the half-full tip jar for the shop and ball up the notebook paper before tossing it into the trash can behind me. She gapes and I shrug while putting extra whipped cream on my next order. "I'm not the only barista that works here, you know this." Steam rises from the espresso machine and I swap paper cups, filling other orders. "I also have a girlfriend and even if I didn't, Marc's my guy and I don't do that 'make your ex jealous' dating thing anyway."
"So I've allegedly heard." She takes a sip of her drink and leans on the counter. "So how are you going to end this one?"
I'm not going to. "That's none of your concern."
"It is if you even want a sliver of a chance of getting my friend back."
That lying bitch. Grabbing the caramel from the toppings carousel, I focus on getting the amount as precise as possible. After I'm satisfied with the presentation, I cap it, write the customer's name on the side of the drink, draw a simplistic sun at the end of the name, and click the sharpie pen before stashing it behind my ear. "I'm busy, Arella, so if you have nothing else that you want to add to your order, I highly suggest you leave now, you're holding up the line."
Looking behind her, she scoffs at the growing pickup line and swipes her drink.
faith
My Practical Software course is testing my patience. Unlike my other classes that have a regular second wave of midterms in November, computer science courses have two massive projects as an alternative. Evidence? My books are tabbed with countless pastel yellow sticky notes, and an immeasurable number of apps are open on my computer, including Xcode, Swift's IDE. The blinking cursor on the blank screen mocks me. Of course, there's also the massive line currently filled with Seaside University students that travel outside the doors of The Coffee Press, a beloved indie bookstore and café right in the center of a college town.
"Iced coffee for Faith!" Stashing my pen behind my ear, I rise to approach the pick-up station and reach to grab my drink.
When their grip remains on the to-go cup, I sigh loudly. "Look, I've already had my 'meet cute moment' more times than I can count, and this caffeine is the only thing that's keeping me practically alive right now, so if you'd kindly..." My gaze immediately darts to theirs at the sound of familiar, amused laughter, and I can barely keep my surprise contained.
Because Aidan was the barista that was holding my drink and enveloping his hand around mine like we've been doing this our whole life.
"Medium iced coffee with almond milk, an extra shot of espresso, dairy-free whipped cream, and light caramel drizzle, right?"
I take the drink, slowly, dumbfounded as to why Aidan, casually dressed in jeans, a long maroon sleeve tee rolled up to his elbows, and a brown apron tied around his body just served me my favorite coffee-based drink.
"You--" I stutter out.
"Remember your coffee order? Work here?" He chuckles. "Of course, and obviously." He glances at the clock. "My shift ends in fifteen minutes, as a matter of fact, and I, too, am drowning in class work. Mind waiting a bit longer so I can join you? Two brains fueled by caffeine are most definitely better than one."
I tilt my head. "Hmmm. I don't know..."
He leans forward over the marble counter and whispers, "So you'd rather have me beg? Completely at your mercy? Is that what this is?"
YOU ARE READING
The Silicon Valley Connection
RomanceCollege junior Faith Sommers is all about processes--a series of steps followed (sometimes often repeated) in order to yield a certain result. As an aspiring astronaut, the founder of her own tech company, and a full-time engineering student, proced...
