Madelyn

one

I placed the two steaming mugs of coffee on the small, round tray in front of me, lifting it up with a practised ease as I walked over to the leather sofas and placed them on the wooden table in front. Larissa and Abigail, my two favourite regulars, smiled at me in response, before going back to squabbling over their favourite books. 

"Madelyn, dear, what do you think? Was Cathy not an absolutely pathetic character in Wuthering Heights?"

"I don't know, which Cathy do you mean?" I laughed, preparing myself for another one of their debates.

"Don't drag the poor girl into this Larissa!"

I let out another, small laugh, about to add that I didn't mind when a loud cough from the counter met my ears, and I turned to see River shooting me a desperate look, raising her eyebrows at the huge line starting to form in front of her. I apologised to the two ladies before rushing back to help her take the orders.

The whole of The Hideout was swarming with people fitting into the general art hoe aesthetic, with either their yellow sweaters, dungarees and old skools, or their baggy, checked trousers and docs, seated throughout the cafe as they sipped their coffees, checking their watched to see if it had come to 7.45pm yet - when the week's first show would begin. 

I heard a light sigh come from next to me and turned to face River, who was frowning down at her pale yellow notebook, as she furiously scribbled away at the next order, her messy brown bun bobbing up and down as she fought to keep the pace of the orders steady. 

The steady hum of conversation through the coffee house was enough motivation for me to start making the drinks River called at me, and the constant tinkling noise of the door chime, started whenever the door opened, meant it was getting harder for River to greet each customer with the usual, Welcome to The Hideout! Can I take your order? 

When I heard the door chime as yet another customer walked in, I only briefly looked up to give them a smile that I hoped didn't look as rushed as it felt, as I only recognised that it was going to be yet another order River would have to take, and I'd have to make. 

It was only a moment later that I registered what (or who, more like) I'd just seen.

Instantly, I looked back up at the door. 

Confused grey eyes stared back at me for a moment, as though registering my odd action, before the respective pair of eyebrows rose, followed suit by open lips quirking up at me in a laughing smile as he adjusted the guitar on his shoulder. Stepping in, he watched the door fall back behind him, and turned back to quickly scan the room, as though he was looking for someone - or maybe he was just looking around to judge if he wanted to stick around for the show. 

Normally, I could tell why someone was here the moment they walked in - whether they were here specifically to see the show, or to meet someone, or because they were a tourist just trying to fit in -  and it usually had something to do with how often they'd come before. This guy was new - but the expression on his face told me he wasn't entirely a tourist. 

As if he'd made up his mind, he walked over to the counter, the line shorter as the other customers had now settled into their seats. "Could I have a..." He looked up at the menu briefly, but quickly returned his eyes to mine for a moment, as though he hadn't actually needed to read the menu, "Hazelnut latte, please?" His accent seemed slightly off, as though he was from somewhere further up North, as I made a mental note to myself. Here for university?

"Sure thing," I replied, setting to work on his drink. River shot me a subtle wink, my eyes widening in disbelief as I felt my cheeks turn pink before I turned back to him with his drink. Adjusting my red beret, I watched him leave to take a seat in the small corner seat, before he rested his guitar, still in its case, next to him, and took a tentative sip from his cup.