Smitten Over Coffee

Chapter Three: S'mores Latte

Flora knew it was going to be a rough day at work. They had a huge flower order for a very elaborate wedding the next morning. Why the couple chose to employ a tiny flower shop was beyond her. Still, it was great money, and they would have been fools to turn it down. However, the immensity of the order meant that Aunt Josephine was going to be a complete basket case. Which was why Flora needed a special coffee to make it through alive.

Rich, syrupy mocha mixed with the gooey marshmallows, topped off with crunchy bits of graham cracker. It wasn't autumn without s'mores, and what better way to enjoy the treat than in a latte?

As Flora breathed in the intoxicating scent, someone called out to her. "Scream Girl."

She stopped short and turned around to find a tall fellow smiling down at her. "Excuse me?" she said.

"The Scream. The painting. You're the girl from the other day, right?"

She stared stupidly for a moment before it dawned on her. "Oh, right, right. Yes. Sorry, it's still early and I haven't had my coffee."

"No problem, I completely understand."

Taking a closer look at him, Flora suddenly realized that she had met him prior to The Scream incident. "Sugar Boy," she said.

He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. "Sugar Boy?"

She laughed nervously. "Sorry, I know, that was weird. It's just, I think we met before. Like before the painting thing. I nearly knocked over our drinks at the pick-up counter and I think I grabbed yours by mistake. It was really, really sugary."

"Ah, so that explains why I had to add more sweetener to my coffee that day. I thought after all these years I had finally desensitized my taste buds or something."

"Well, to be fair, I never put sugar in my coffee, so it was a bit of a shock to my tongue."

The tall fellow raised an eyebrow at the sugary beverage in her hand.

"Lattes are the exception," she said as she held up the cup. "I consider them dessert coffee. And dessert should be sweet and sugary."

"Well, I can't disagree with that."

"Thank you for the help with the name of the artist, by the way. Are you an art major or something?"

"No, just a guy with a computer and Internet access."

"Right, right, that makes sense. I guess Jayda could have just looked it up on her phone, but I only just got her to give up the flip-phone. Baby steps."

"Why did she need to know the name anyhow?"

"Oh, because she gets herself into the craziest situations. This guy has been flirting with her at the craft store, so they finally decided to go out. While they're off getting ice cream, he's going on and on about art and artists and museums and how much he loves this painter and that painter. And Jayda—brilliant girl that she is—tells him she's wicked into art. Of course, he then asks who her favorite artist is. She panics and somehow manages to spill hot fudge all over his lap. So while he goes to wash up in the bathroom, she calls the first person that comes to mind. Moi."

The tall fellow laughed. "Wow. Well, I'm happy I could help. Did the rest of the date at least go well?"

"Ah, well, yeah, until she told him that she was actually more partial to the art in anime than traditional artwork. And he said anime is for kids. That was pretty much a deal breaker right there." She smiled up at the tall fellow and explained, "Anime is—"

"Yeah, I know, Japanese cartoons."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Huh, I usually have to explain it to people. So you watch anime?"

"I've seen a few series. Not a ton, but a few."

"Same here. Jayda's shown me some series. They were pretty good. I'm more interested in the outfits, though."

"Yes, some of the characters are fabulously outlandish."

"So what's your favorite?" She grinned mischievously. "Wait, don't tell me. Sailor Moon."

"Ha, no, I can't say I'm all that interested in the magical girl genre. Although, I will admit that Madoka was rather brilliant."

"Ah, yes, I've seen that one. Really dark and twisted. Spectacular costumes."

"I'm actually into the more action and adventure type series. Like Sword Art and Log Horizon. The outfits aren't bad, either."

She smiled. "I guess I'll have to check those out." Her eyes strayed to the clock hanging on the wall behind him. "Oh, dang, I have to get going. I have a huge order to fill. It was nice seeing you again, Sugar Boy. And thank you again for the help."

As she readjusted her purse and headed towards the door, the tall fellow gave a wave and said. "You're welcome, Scream Girl."

Unable to suppress her grin, Flora waved back before hurrying out the door.