tropes: coffee shop romance, love at first sight, writer x assistant
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WALKING ON THE quiet pavement brought Harper a sense of peace. The white sheets of snow from last night were slowly melting away and sliding down from brown roofs. The street was empty except for a few early risers. An old man was walking towards her in an emerald green knitted sweater and matching beanie. He had a bright smile on his face that was almost contagious. The upturning of his chapped lips strung a line of wrinkles on his dimpled cheeks, making his eyes crinkle in happiness. When he strode past her, he beamed, earning a brief smile from her. Harper wondered where he found his happiness because she wasn't finding any of it recently.
It was a frosty winter morning, the kind of morning you wanted to curl up in your cardigan and snuggle the day away. She didn't have an ounce of sleep last night and she wasn't allowed to until she was done with the piece she was working on. Harper thought that letting the icy wind hit her face and soaking up the warmth of a coffee was the perfect menu for a refresher break. The dark tint of blue crept into her vision as she took a left turn. The hand-lettered sign of 'Latte Love' immediately brought a smile to her face. Doubling her speed, Harper reached the blue cafe. The cool exterior of the metal door sent a wave of shiver down my body, but the second she stepped into the coffee shop, the scent and warmth of coffee engulfed her. Harper sighed.
Lacy, the 19-year-old college student, peeked her head from under the counter when the doorbell signalled her entry. Lacy's face broke into a grin when she saw her.
"Rough night? You look like you could use triple shots of caffeine," she commented.
"Do I look that bad?"
"Yes. With those ugly bags under your eyes and the uncombed hair, I am damn sure you will not bag a boyfriend anytime soon," she said, setting to prepare her order. Harper rolled her eyes.
"Seriously, shove that writing crap away for some time and focus on yourself for once," she insisted, a look of concern morphing on her face. Harper didn't bother to tell her anything because she knew it was the truth. She was over-working herself but she didn't want to lose her job. If she was irregular with her work, her only source of income would be cut away.
Harper's eyes roamed around the café, realising that there were a few other people inside. There was a man in a suit, who looked like he was late for work. The other one was a woman, somewhere around her twenties, typing away on her laptop and sipping her coffee once in a while. Harper tapped her feet absent-mindedly and went through the coffee puns framed on the wall for the millionth time.
Lacy slammed the takeaway cup on the counter, pulling her back from her thoughts. "So, what is it this time?"
"Fate and Destiny," Harper said, bringing her lips to the lid and inhaling the divine smell of coffee.
"Too philosophical," Lacy commented, not bothering to hide her distaste towards the topic. Harper asked her about her college and work, which she later realised was a terrible idea. She didn't let her move from the counter as she launched into a detailed narration of the atrocities of her dog. After a while, Harper was desperately hunting for an excuse to break the conversation.
