Food Courting

Chapter 11: Quality Control

Day eighteen—or maybe nineteen?—of the Coup D'é-Tea

The day's battle was at a tipping point. The business suit in front of Fruitastic and the cosplayer at Cool Beans both had five customers between them and the respective registers. Cora's intel was lacking on the cashiers of the enemy, but within her own territory, they had Kevin all by himself, scrambling. Still, he was doing surprisingly well, and even though he constantly looked like a deer in the headlights, the line in front of him kept moving. And yes, the customers left the line only because their orders were successfully taken, and not because they got tired of waiting.

Behind the espresso machines, Cora was in the zone. While her ears focused on the customers placing their orders, her eyes darted between the cup in front of her and the one about to receive two espresso shots a foot away. Once the liquid gold began to flow from the portafilter and into the second cup, Cora turned to the first drink, letting the aroma of its hazelnut syrup engulf her senses as she poured warm milk inside.

After she finished and handed off the beverage with a wide smile, savoring the last whiffs of hazelnut while she could, she chanced a glance across the battlefield.

Even without Farron, the unbalanced fruit salad of Fruitastic employees was managing to stay relatively fresh. Still, the remaining three workers were hardly a threat, and while they provided a challenge, it wasn't the one Cora wanted. It had been nearly fifteen minutes since Farron stepped out, winking at Cora and waving with her keys as she passed. Darlene had left too, though not as cheerfully and more in a hurry, only muttering that she would "be right back." Were they at some exclusive convention for managers of beverage establishments? Or maybe a fight club. Cora didn't think Darlene would be any match for Farron, but who was she to judge?

A loud sigh sounded from the registers, and Cora's focus shifted to the source.

The middle-aged woman in front of Kevin looked like she had just dropped the kids off at soccer practice and needed a little caffeine before arguing with the coach to win her offspring more playing time. Cora telepathically sent her condolences to the woman's future victim as she retrieved the cup from under the portafilter, listening for the woman's order.

"I'll get..." the woman began, pausing as she scanned the menu, "a large...no, extra large caffe mocha blended with hazelnut and caramel, four shots of espresso, soy milk, not too icy, extra whipped cream with that chocolate drizzle, plus some chocolate-covered espresso beans. Do you kids have those crushed cookie things? I'll add that too. Oh, and extra mocha. And a little bit of peppermint with that too. Actually, no, do you have that sweet cream thing that goes on top? I'll take that instead."

Cora froze in the middle of pouring milk and turned. Kevin looked just as nervous as he always did—or maybe he just had a resting anxious face.

"Is that...all one drink?" he asked, stammering only slightly.

"Of course, dear."

A few silent seconds later, the order appeared on the screen above Cora, and Cora had to restrain herself from crying tears of joy. Kevin input the drink customizations perfectly.

Instead of sobbing in the middle of her shift, Cora channeled her excitement over Kevin's success into her own work, quickly finishing the drink in front of her and handing it off before starting the shots of espresso. As she compiled the plethora of ingredients in a blender, she overheard the next order: a medium roast coffee, black.

"Got it," Kevin mumbled as he spun around to the coffee brewers, a medium-sized cup already in hand.

Cora sighed exaggeratedly as she covered the blender. "I'm so proud of you right now."