Another Dumb Romance Fic || ColeyDoesThings (Barista/Employee)

Chapter One: The Stench of Cocoa

Nikki wasn't the type to think about romance.

Oh, sure, she worked at Ships r Us. She dealt with shippers on the daily and knew different romance dynamics inside and out. She knew how characters could have chemistry with each other, she knew how well different pairings worked together, she knew all sorts of things.

But despite all this, she never really cared about romance.

It was just so...blegh. So many complicated feelings, sickly sweet moments, fights with someone you care about... There was just too much. Nikki didn't have time for romance. And on top of that, she didn't really care for it either. How could she? It was too messy and too frightening. Most of her coworkers agreed with her -- they'd been turned off by the angry twelve year-old fanfic readers that came into the store.

However, there was one person that Nikki knew who loved romance. She was annoyingly peppy and sweet, was always talking about fanfictions, and was absolutely hopeless when it came to actual romantic relationships. And to top it all off, Nikki was the main person she subjected her ramblings to.

It was the barista at the nearby Fanfic Café. Her name was Isabella, and she was infuriatingly kind. She always acted like she was in a fairytale, she always acted like the next person to walk in would be her soulmate, and everything about her made Nikki want to rip her ears off -- much like the 12-year-olds that visited her store.

But there was something about her...something that Nikki couldn't deny. While she and Bella mixed like oil and water, it was a well known fact that the barista was extremely benevolent and was excellent with most people. She was more intelligent than she came across, and she was really good at her job. If only she could stop picking on Nikki and stop subjecting her to ramblings about fluff and shipping.

On this particular day, Nikki was off of her shift, which ended at 5:00 p.m. She was walking through town and trying to relax -- it was raining softly, the droplets warm and slow, and she soaked in the autumn air. It was beautiful, more beautiful than anything else she could imagine.

And then she began to think. Her stream of thoughts didn't really have direction, it just started going. She thought about her plans for the evening, she thought about what she was going to do over the weekend, she thought about her day at work... And then she started thinking about her future. How much longer was she going to stay at Ships r Us? It'd been four years already, and who knew how much longer it was going to be? She could barely afford rent sometimes.

"That's what I get for living alone," she thought grimly.

And that got her thinking more. What if she wasn't alone? What if she'd picked up a roommate along the way, like a friend or a family member? No, she couldn't tolerate most of her family, and she didn't have many friends that would want to stay with her.

What if she had a girlfriend?

"No," Nikki told herself after lingering on the idea, "absolutely not. I'll be crushed again, and I'll be worse off than I am now."

Interrupting her mild dilemma, Nikki heard the faint sound of jazz music. Slow and steady, it almost called to her, luring her off of the usual path she took home. Feeling the need for some warmth and comfort from the suddenly cold rain, she opened the door and stepped inside the Fanfic Café.

"Hi there, welcome to the Fanfic Café! I'll be with you in just a sec!"

Nikki sighed -- of course Isabella was the barista working right now. Every time she found herself in that damn coffee shop, that infuriating girl had to be there. The stench of cocoa and the annoying chatter of fangirls filled the room, making her eye twitch. She went up to the counter, resting an elbow to talk to Bella.