The Mystery Fighter II

The Mystery Fighter II (6)

I stood in front of the coffee shop I had passed numerous times on my way to school, as Julian got out of the car. It was positioned on the side of the main road, not too far away from the center of the city.

It had a welcoming look to it; cozy but bigger than any other coffee shop around. Three steps led up to the entrance and a doormat sat in front of the closed glass door.

A gust of cold wind hit me as Julian stepped around the car and motioned for me to enter the shop. The weather had started to show the unmistakable signs of winter. The nights were longer and the days were colder. I repressed a shiver, as my leather jacket did nothing to keep me warm in the chill of the morning, and walked hurriedly up the stairs.

There were already a few people inside, sipping on their coffees and teas in the warmth of the shop. As I surveyed the room, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to wake up, go to the nearest coffee shop and have a warm drink as a start to a carefree day.

"Hey, Lisa," Julian said as we approached the counter. A girl with fiery red hair stood behind the counter, working on one of the machines. She looked up; her eyes barely glancing at Julian before stopping at me.

"Who's the girl?" she asked, nodding to me, ignoring his greeting.

Julian gestured to me. "This is Cassandra; a possible future co-worker."

"So, you actually got one of your playthings to work with you now?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes and going back to working on the machine on the counter.

My eyebrows rose slightly. I sensed history between them, and not a pleasant one.

"She's a friend, Lisa." I grimaced at his words. He was offering me a place to stay plus a job; the least I could do was keep a straight face when he referred to me as more than a classmate. "Don't be so hostile."

She shook her head, muttering something under her breath as she slammed the door to the machine shut.

I looked at them, my eyes taking in their interaction with a mild fascination. It was refreshing seeing a girl not falling head over heels when Julian was talking to her.

Julian threw me an apologetic look before pulling me behind the counter and through a green door.

"We dated a couple of months ago. I guess she's not over the break up yet," he said, when we were out of earshot, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"You cheated, didn't you?" I affirmed.

If he looked uncomfortable before, he looked truly embarrassed now. "We were practically broken up then, I didn't think it would matter that much."

Great, I had walked right into relationship drama.

I stared blankly at him as he coughed awkwardly. As I had never been in a relationship, I couldn't put myself in Lisa's position. I didn't know what it was like having your boyfriend be with another girl.
It didn't sound like a merry experience.

"Were you going to explain to me how things work in this coffee shop, or am I supposed to figure that out myself?" I asked, ready to get the tour, say yes to the job and leave.

He looked relieved at the topic change, and soon enough he was back to his old smooth-talking self.

I spent the next couple of hours observing Julian's work in the shop, serving the customers handling the orders and cleaning the occasional vacant table. He made it look easy, welcoming as he talked with every person who entered the shop.

Earlier, he had shown me how to work the different beverage machines as well as the cash register.
I immediately knew it would take some time for me to even successfully serve the simplest cup of hot cocoa.