Café Ambróse

First Serving of Hot Americano

The bell chimed as the door opened and Alex came in. He had tousled jet black hair, striking deep blue eyes, matched with a fair complexion. He was dressed for the cold weather- black wool jacket over dark-blue long sleeves, a pair of denim straight-cut jeans and loafers. He slung his messenger bag over one shoulder as he took in the interior of the place.

The air was definitely warmer inside and the smells of cake and coffee filled the air. Pale yellow light from the bulbs overhead added to the "warm" ambiance of the atmosphere. Soft acoustic music played through speakers strategically placed high on the walls so that everywhere one would sit in the café, they'll hear the music clearly. The floor was covered in wooden-looking linoleum tiles.

The tables were nicely arranged. Some were matched with long couches, while some were paired with couches that curved into semi-circles, good for a group of friends that wanted to be seated with each other. Some had four or three stools with backrests while other tables only had one or two upholstered armchairs. A couple of the café staff was cleaning up some of the tables.

Up front was the counter with three chalk boards with their menu written in white chalk. Whoever wrote them had a nice skill in calligraphy, because their writing was neat, but not too plain, either. There was also a see-through freezer where their cakes and other pastries were displayed for everyone to see. Behind the counter three baristas were stationed.

A few potted plants were situated in the corners of the huge room. There were also laminated signs that said "Wifi for Customer and Staff Use Only" that were posted on the walls.

The place wasn't jam-packed, unlike the closest Starbucks, where the line was more stressful than it was worth. In fact, Alex liked how the shop was quiet. There were customers, yes, but not to the point that it was suffocating.

He approached the counter and looked up at the menu, even though he already knew what he was getting. He looked down and his gaze was met by a pair of stormy, gray eyes. The person on the counter looked stern and didn't even bear a smile. He had curly sandy blond hair and a black apron. He couldn't have been any older than Alex. His bronze tag had the name "Milo" emblazoned on it.

"Welcome to Café Ambróse," he said with a thick British accent. "What are we having today?" He looked at the monitor attached to the cash register, before looking up at Alex again.

"Uh..." He blinked. There was something unnerving about the guy's gaze. "Right. I'm getting one cup of hot, single shot Americano with extra sugar." It was his go-to coffee. He liked how strong it was, yet how sweet he can make it with the added sugar. He found out that if he liked how a coffee shop served their Americano this way, he would end up liking the other coffee types in the menu.

The cashier guy started typing his order in. "Is that all, sir?"

"And a slice of..." Alex glanced over to the glass freezer. "Strawberry cheesecake."

"Okay, that would be... six dollars and fifty cents," the blond replied.

"Okay, here you go." Alex handed him a ten-dollar bill from his wallet.

Blond guy- Milo- took it from him and took out a note and scribbled his order on it. "Hot, single shot Americano with extra sugar for-" He paused and looked up at Alex. "Your name, sir?"

"Alex."

"Alex."

"Hot, single shot, Americano with extra sugar for Alex, coming right up," a girl's voice replied. Alex could only see the back of her head from where he was standing. Her voice was more animated than the cashier guy, despite not having the same fancy accent as him.