Ginger Snaps

Mixed Media

Five hours with Monroe, twenty frappes, forty-five decafs - like why are you even bothering with coffee, a gaggle of hipster moms and their obnoxious, screaming children, one special soul who decided he needed to lecture the whole store on how Venti and Grande should be the same size since they meant the same thing and I was ready to do bodily harm to the next person who pissed me right the fuck off. "Break time!", I head for the backroom and throw Monroe the three-fingered salute, "I'll be back in fifteen."

The only thing that seemed to keep me going today, besides the four large cups of coffee I had guzzled down over the course of my shift so far, was the pair of blue eyes that caught my attention this morning. Even though my ribs throbbed every time I thought of his gorgeous eyes I was excited to get home and try to recreate the colour of his irises.

"Remi!" I heard screeched from the alleyway door. "It's a fifteen-minute break Remi, not a sixteen."

I rolled my eyes as I brushed past her, "Pot, meet the kettle." Her dumbfounded look had me smiling for the second time today. "It's fine Monroe, I let Nick know you forgot to clock out when you took your forty-five-minute 'break'." My smile got bigger as her face turned red, "he said he'd take care of it."

I stepped back behind the counter, tying my apron and manning the register, I paste on my generic smile and begin taking orders. I'm in the middle of making a customer his triple-shot, Splenda and skim milk cappuccino when a harpies talons clamp down on my shoulder. I glance to the side and am met with Monroe's sneering face.

I ignore the crazy bitch as she slams out the door with her fake MK bag and breath a sigh of relief. I smile as I see her stubble back when the door is opened for her and try to make haste with the diabetic heart attack when the guy clears his throat loudly. I hand it to him with our standard thanks and stop breathing when my eyes connect with the blue that's been haunting me all day. His eyes are that blue that just draws you in, bright like a crystal but at the same time, they make you think of the jewelled tones of a Caribbean sea.

I can feel my face starting to get warm, I hate blushing but we've been staring at each other for long enough that it might be considered creepy. Ugh, what do I say? I'm slightly, read a lot, startled when Nick pops up next to me, "Hey! What can I get for you?"

"I, I'm, could I get your number?" Oh no, if my face gates any warmer these mocha coloured cheeks are gonna look like cherries!

"I'm not really into guys", Nick quipped and now I'm going to wind up peeing myself from laughter. My blue-eyed muse smiles and ducks his head in embarrassment.

He looks at Nick and laughs, "Yeah, I'm not into guys either. I was asking for her number though", he gestures at me with one hand and covers his face with the other. "So, yeah." I see one of his pretty blue eyes peeking out between long elegant fingers. Why is this man so freaking perfect. "Can I get your number?"

I snatch up for one of the many sharpies on the counter, grab the hand covering his face -dear lord his skin is so soft, and scrawl my number across the back of his hand. He looks down and smiles, "Remi? That's a cool name."

"It's Rembrandt actually." Fucking Nick, why do I like him again? I turn towards my asshole boss slowly and have the urge to smack that shit eating grin off of his face. 'I will murder you.' I mouth at him and his smile only grows wider.

"That's cool! I'm Ari by the way." He shakes the hand I'm still holding on to and I feel my face heating up again. Why am I being this awkward, I'm never this weird around a hot guy! His smile is huge and I feel butterflies in my stomach taking flight. I let my hand drop to my side and take a step back from the counter.

"Nice to meet you, Ari." Finally! I manage to say something to him, I've only been standing here like an idiot for ten minutes. He smiles wider at me, how is that even possible, his smile is already making his face shine like the sun. I have never crushed on a guy this quick or this hard.

"Um, so when's a good time for me to call you? I don't want to bother you while you're working or if you have stuff to do." He glances to the side, stupid Nick and his shit eating grin. I really want to punch him. "I mean, you probably think I'm some creep but you gave me your number but I guess it could be a wrong number and you just did it to get me out of your hair and..." Nick clears his throat, loudly and Ari's cheeks light up red. "And I'm rambling."

I smile so wide my cheeks start to hurt and a little giggle slips out, "I get off in two hours, you can call me after that." He heads for the door and out, two hours, I can do this.