She's Vanilla - The Café Shop - Brewed Serendipity

1. A Night To Remember

As I wiped down the counter, a familiar face walked into Café Serendipity. There was a haunting familiarity in the way her eyes darted around the room, as if searching for fragments of a forgotten memory. "Welcome to Brewed Serendipity. How can I help you?" I greeted her with a genuine smile, my heart echoing a whisper that swore I'd seen her before.

She scrunched her face, reading the menu written in chalk behind me. "Vanilla," she finally said. I nodded, "Coming right up," I replied, turning to call Joe over to make the order. It occurred to me that I forgot to ask if it was for here or to go. "Uh, vanilla," I whispered to Joe, who furrowed his brows, wiping wet hands on his apron. "Vanilla what?" he asked. I shrugged, frustration creeping in. "I don't know, figure it out," I muttered. Joe sighed and went to make it.

I turned to the gramophone, turning up the tune and humming in satisfaction. Suddenly, someone came up behind me, their breath whispering against my ear. "Boo," she said. I instinctively turned around, covering my neck, but Erin, my mischievous colleague, stood there. "Erin, get back to work," I sighed, feeling the warmth of irritation settle in.

She chuckled, leaning against the counter dangerously close to the cinnamon rolls. "It's 9 in the morning, relax. I dare you," she teased. Raising a brow, I echoed, "You dare me?" She nodded, and before I could respond, a soft voice interrupted us. "Excuse me," the girl at the counter seemed a bit antsy. I returned my attention to her, asking if everything was alright.

"It's... cold," she muttered, barely audible over the music. I glanced at the escaping Joe, heading back to the break room. Casually, I tripped him with a sly move, he yelped and bursted into the double doors. "I'm so sorry. Would you like me to warm it up for you?" I offered. She nodded monotonously. "Yes, please," she muttered. With a gentle smile, I took the cup, fixing her drink.

"Here you are. And is this to go?" I inquired, looking up from the cup. She was fiddling with a tiny penguin figure with a string around it, looking slightly confused. We shared a moment of silence, and I repeated, "Are you drinking this here inside the shop or somewhere else?" She shook her head. "Somewhere else," she said. I nodded, "2.99." She handed me 3 pounds, and I accepted it. "Please enjoy," I said as she thanked me and turned around to leave.

"Thank you, Minji," she said eyes on my name tag. I watched her leave, only to be brought back to reality by Erin's mocking tone. "Thank you, Minji," she mimicked. I shot her an incredulous look, resisting the urge to roll my eyes, and walked away. "What?" she said, feigning innocence.

🐧✩°｡✮☕

As the night unfolded its velvety embrace around Café Serendipity, I commanded the end of the bustling day with a simple yet authoritative declaration. "Right, everyone, pack up, please." The melodic strains of music ceased, a tangible hush falling over the eclectic space. Only the diligent workers remained, navigating the orchestrated chaos of cleaning and tidying.

In the ambient glow of muted lights, the camaraderie among the staff was palpable, despite Kristen's apparent discontent. Duty bound her to linger for the second part of the evening, tasked with serving drinks to the nocturnal patrons. A comforting pat on her back was my silent acknowledgment of the sacrifice she made for the team.

As I bid farewell to the morning workers, a subtle wave accompanying my gesture, I issued the next directive. "Let's move." The clatter of dishes, the rustle of cleaning cloths, and the rhythmic movements of closing tasks formed a symphony behind me. Navigating through the labyrinth of tables and chairs, I led the procession toward the front door.

Upon reaching the threshold, a symbolic punctuation to the day materialized. With a measured motion, I flipped the open sign that had warmly beckoned patrons throughout the day, transforming it into a declaration of closure—'Closed.' The metallic click echoed in tandem with the collective sigh of accomplishment as Café Serendipity embraced a moment of stillness, preparing to rest until the dawn awakened its charm once again.