A Part of My Memory

Zara

Elliot had told me that it was only a matter of time until I got sick of going to work every day, but even after an entire week of working at Reed's Café, I still enjoyed my job as much as I had the first time. I knew who the regulars were as well as those who ordered specific, complex coffees. Bridget taught me how to use the coffee machines, and now I interchanged with her when dealing with the different orders.

Elliot picked me up from work every day, sometimes with Harley and sometimes without.

He came with her today, and since I was the only one left, I took it upon myself to make them both a cup of coffee now that I knew exactly how to do it. Reed had tasked me with locking up because he had to leave early, and since he was Bridget's ride, she had to go with him too, so it had just been me in the café.

Harley wasn't a huge fan of coffee, so to make it suit her tastes I added a block of my leftover chocolate to both cups of coffee. It was experimental, I hadn't had chocolate in coffee before, and I hoped it tasted as good as it sounded.

"Two coffees," I said, placing their cups on the table before sitting down with them. "Get your tastebuds ready, I added a special ingredient for the two of you."

Elliot glanced at me then, "what kind of special ingredient?"

"It's a secret," I whispered.

Harley took her cup and had a tiny sip. Then another. "What did you put in here?" She asked, taking yet another sip.

"It's a secret," I repeated.

"It's actually nice," Harley admitted, "and I do not call coffee nice."

Hesitantly, Elliot took a sip from his. His brows knit together, "did you put chocolate in here?"

"How did you know?" I asked.

"What can I say? My taste buds pick up on the little things like that," he told me simply. "But it's nice."

"You should add this to your menu," Harley suggested. "Call it, 'the coffolate.'"

"Coffee and chocolate merged," I considered. "Genius."

Harley finished her coffolate and slammed the cup onto the table before aggressively wiping her lips and groaning, "another."

I glanced at Elliot then and found he was enjoying the coffolate, not near as much as Harley had, but still, now I was curious to know what it tasted like. I figured he probably wouldn't give me if I asked for a sip, so as soon as he placed the cup on the table I snagged it and took a sip.

It was actually really good. The chocolate mixed surprisingly well with the coffee, adding a sweet and creamy texture to the drink.

"Did you just...?" Elliot paused mid-sentence and settled on giving me a stare.

Harley chuckled beside me, "Elliot doesn't like sharing drinks."

"So he won't take it back?" I asked, and when she shook her head in answer I downed the rest of the coffee as fast as one could gulp down a hot drink. "Well, now I know for next time."

I stood and grabbed the cups to throw in the bin when I heard a familiar crinkle of plastic. I looked back and, just as I had suspected, Elliot had a bar of chocolate in his hands.

"You do know for next time," he said. "But since you had my coffee, I'll have your chocolate."

"You got that for me?"

"I had," he told me. "But you can have it next time."

As soon as he pulled the edges of the plastic, opening the packaging, I left the coffee cups on the counter and sped to grab it from him. He perceived my attack and quickly stood, manoeuvring around the tables and chairs to stop me from getting to him.