Despite not being a fan of coffee, Jay had been working as a barista in a coffee shop for a while now. He would spend most of his time observing the customers here, listening to their stories, finding inspirations for his new work. Then, his gaze fe...
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She was here again, standing in front of him, parting her lips, "I want..."
"The usual mocha with marshmallow?" Jay interrupted. His fingers already started clicking her order on the computer screen.
A smile climbed up her lips, her voice soft like the first day of spring, "Yes. Thank you."
There she went again, sitting in her usual seat, her imagination slipping through her stylus on the graphics tablet she bought with her.
She would sit there all day, as Jay observed, until a certain person would come and join her.
Jay looked at the clock when it almost ticked 6:30. He silently counted until three as he stared at her. Just as he expected, she turned her tablet off and put it aside. Her chin resting on her left palm as she peered out of the glass that separated her from the outside world, trying to catch a familiar shadow.
Working in Coffee Shop for more than two months, Jay talked to almost all of the regulars. He always loved to listen to the unique stories these amazing souls experienced. However, maybe it was the aura she gave off, or maybe because she was occupied with work most of the time, he could barely get the chance to start a conversation with her.
The bell attached to the coffee shop door rang as a man hurried in and sat in front of her.
The café was empty at the moment, with soft jazz played in the background. Jay started preparing a cup of latte for the man when he heard the man uttering the first word, "Cassy."
Cassy knew something was wrong by the tone of his voice. She slowly put her hand on the table, gazing back at him. Yet, Jay could tell, her direct eye contact made the man nervous as he could recognize the beads of sweat that formed on his exposed skin.
Gathering up enough courage, the man breathed in before continuing, "I think it's tiring for both of us to continue, let's break up."
Jay's finger stagnated. He paused his hand that was about to pour milk on top of the espresso.
"You thought about this for a while, didn't you?" Her voice was rather cold, while her eyes pierced through his.
He didn't respond, sitting there like a statue.
"You should have done this a long time ago, before you decided to be with her," she intoned. Her iris seemed like a dark abyss, with no space for light to enter.
The man's pupils dilated, he gasped, "You knew?"
"Why wouldn't I?" She allowed a sarcastic smirk to crawl up her lips. The anger raging through her blood was like a venomous snake, spreading its poison that slowly corroded her cells, causing a burning sensation to be felt under her skin.
Jay stayed as an invisible spectator. As if watching a movie on a winter night, he slowly eyed them as he slightly stirred the coffee with a silver spoon. He heard him throwing hurtful words at her, calling her heartless who couldn't show any affection. And that is when Jay couldn't allow himself to be a silent audience anymore. He went in front of the table the ex-lovers shared and placed the latte in front of them, "Your order, Sir."
Frustrated by the sudden interference of the barista, he turned his heels while whispering out of exasperation, "I am leaving."
Jay waited until he disappeared out of their sight to allow his gaze to fall on Cassy, who was sitting there the whole time. She was extremely quiet, just like her usual self, seemingly unbothered by what just happened. This raised Jay's curiosity even more. Normal people would either throw a tantrum or cry herself a river in a situation like this. Cassy was different - as her anger abated, her eyes became hollow, soulless and... Jay hated to use the word, but he couldn't find another word instead of "emotionless".
"Do you want to have something? It's an in-house service," Jay carefully asked after a while. His voice was deep yet gentle.
"Do you pity me?" Cassy snorted as she leaned back. Her eyebrows raised.
"No, I actually always wanted to talk to you." Jay sat down in front of her, no intention of going back to work.
She narrowed her eyes, unsure of how to interpret it.
"You are the only regular here I am not familiar with," he mused.
It was weird how his eyes, which reflected sincerity, made Cassy feel strangely comfortable. There was something about him that made her want to pour every bit of herself out. She suddenly had the urge to tell him how hard it has been for her to put up with everything, and it was certainly not about the person who just broke up with her but a rather serious issue - a hardship that she had, and will still have to continue, to struggle to survive through.
