Explosive

31 || Let Me Tell You a Story

~Shoutout goes to LizzBells for being such a cool individual. Be sure to check out her story, Among Humans. This story is definitely one of my favourites on Wattpad. :)

A shriveled leaf gently floats to the ground and lands near my foot. The scent of fresh coffee and bread hangs in the air. Breathing it in, I step into the shop. Warm air envelopes me and I let out a sigh. Light streams in through the window, casting a warm glow onto the tables. Occasionally, the quiet chatter in the café is broken by a young woman's laughter, a unique cackle that makes people turn their hands in surprise. Her screeching brings a smile to my lips.

Laurel stands behind the bar. Her eyebrows raise in recognition and she flashes me a wide smile. As she is waving me over, Blake pops up from behind the bar and drops three dollars onto the counter. "You have to stop dropping the change, Lory. This is getting ridicules," he says with a shake of his head.

She shrugs in response and winks at me. "What can I say, boy? I like the view." This gets an eye roll from Blake, who busies himself with wiping down the counter. Laurel snickers as I come around to stand beside her, aware that Blake hasn't acknowledged my presence yet. Perhaps he's still upset about me lying to him yesterday. That would suck.

"What's up, girl?" Laurel flicks my ponytail and then hands me a striped apron, the same one that she and Blake are wearing. A pair of glasses sits on her nose today. With her hair in a tight bun and kind smile, she almost reminds me of a librarian. Well, if that librarian has a habit of tattooing herself on the regular. Blake finally gives me a salute but doesn't say a word. After that awkward exchange, Laurel gets right into the training. She is strict as much as she is sweet and funny. After years of working at Smith's, she has committed the ratios of the drinks to memory and she doesn't expect anything less from me.

Turns out there is a lot that goes into making the perfect cappuccino. By the end of the grueling three-hour session with Laurel, there is cinnamon up my nose and cream splattered across my apron.

"You wanted to do the evening shifts, right?" Laurel asks, pushing another drink towards me, my fifth drink of the night. Whoever said that you can never have too many free samples never met Laurel before. Nodding, I pick up the sweaty drink and study it hesitantly. Surprisingly, it's not that sweet-a welcome surprise after drinking so many sugary concoctions. "I didn't put a vanilla shot in that one," Laurel explained, leaning forward on her elbows.

"I think this is my favorite drink so far," I say with a sigh, which earns me a laugh from Blake. For the last hour or so, he had been silent as he swept the floors and wiped down the tables.

Narrowing her eyes at Blake, Laurel unties her apron and hangs it onto the hook. "Smith is honestly so chill. As long as you do two evening shifts during the week, you'll be good. You just have to coordinate with the other people that work here. I'll add you to the WhatsApp group we have."

"Thank you for your help," I say.

Yawning she stretches her arms over her head, revealing a tiny belly button piercing at her navel. "Don't worry about it, kid. I actually have to head out now. Blake will teach you how to close up the shop." Hearing his voice, Blake pulls out one earphone and grins.

"Laurel is normally the last one to leave work but she has a hot date tonight," he says with a mischievous smile, folding his hands over the broom and leaning against it. Laurel rolls her eyes and flicks Blake's forehead.

"Don't listen to this dickhead," she says, pulling on her sweater. "The only language he speaks is bullshit."

Throwing my head back, I laugh while Blake rubs at his forehead. "Have fun with Jacob," he yells after her. She simply flashes him the middle finger over her shoulder. He snickers and locks the door once she leaves.