l i s t e n u p . <3
Busy Days in a Coffee Shop
By Sexy...Mama..?
Cathleen was late! Oh dear, she was. She had been so excited for her first day of work that she had even brushed her teeth twice, but she had looked at the clock and seen that she had half an hour before she needed to walk the few blocks to her first shift at the Coffee Shop. Thus, she had plopped in front of the computer to check her e-mail. Where she hadn’t gotten anything new. And so she decided that she could just play a game or two. And then two turned into three, and three turned into four and then she was late. She would have to run in order to try and make it on time!
Her apron thrown over her shoulder, the young woman held a hand on her hat as she slammed the door to her apartment behind her and practically rolled down the stairs until she was at street level. And by then, she was sprinting. Oh, dear. This wasn’t going to be good. They had let her take the second morning shift, instead of the first morning shift, since it was her first day. And now she was going to mess it all up.
Sneakers that weren’t tied quite tight enough smacked back up from the sidewalk to her heels every time she lifted her feet, and her hat was barely on her head anymore. Her mousey brown hair was all a mess and kept blowing into her face, and she was going to be late. She flew past the final block and smashed quite spectacularly into the door, which she had assumed would simply push open. Apparently it was a door she needed to pull back. A furious blush erupted on her face and Cathleen picked herself up from the ground and straightened herself out before she walked in and offered a short wave to the customers who had watched the event with wide eyes.
The shop was packed and it was eight o’ clock. She supposed that all of the people who desperately needed their coffee before work would be arriving in the next hour or so. She tied her apron around her waist and ducked under the counter. Her manager brightened up when she saw Cathleen’s face and showed her where she could keep her belongings during her shift. The boss directed her to pull her hair back and gave her a hat to shove onto her head once that was done.
“Now. All you’re going to need to do this morning is pour coffee. Make sure you look to see what blend each is- customers don’t like having their coffee mixed up for different ones and we don’t like offering them a second cup. If you need a shot of espresso, there should be a button to the side of the milk steamers. If someone asks for cream and sugar, direct them to the table near the door. Be quick and efficient. We’ll review our other mixed drinks when the rush slows a bit in three hours or so. Have fun!” The information was all given in short points, as if from a bulleted list inside her manager’s head. Nodding, she braced herself and punched the swinging door open.
And promptly hit someone on the other side, holding an entire tray of coffees to deliver to customers who had taken the time to sit down. Cathleen gasped and tried to help the other girl, but was instructed to just go over by the coffee thermoses and help over there.
Apologizing profusely, she winced and waited for the girl at the register to tell her what she needed.
“We need a large Christmas blend with a double shot of espresso, stat.”
“Small decaf coffee, regular.”
“Shot of espresso.”
Turning around to try and figure out where everything was, she started, slowly to begin on the first order. Finally locating the appropriate cup, it took her another few minutes to decide which of the thermoses held with of the different coffee blends, and then how to work the relatively simple espresso machine.
“Cathleen! Hurry up, and are you listening?”
“Coming!” Trying to hurry, she slowly got into the groove of her simple job, but the constant orders were keeping her busy enough. When the decaf thermos had run down to the bottom, she hadn’t known where to fill it up. She was embarrassed and didn’t want to ask for help, but after being chastised twice for being slow, the brunette finally gave in.
The girl working the register turned and rolled her eyes.
“I wish they would train the newbies before they stick them on morning shift.” Muttering under her breath, the other girl, Anna, helped Cathleen and demonstrated how to refill the thermos while she was working on other orders. Nodding, Cathleen asked when they would slow down. Anna laughed, loud and catching everyone’s attention before she explained that she had a long while to go.
Well, that wasn’t too bad. She had a lot of energy! She could handle it!
Two and a half hours later, she stood at the register while Anna took her ten minute break. Nervous, Cathleen wringed her hands together and a cute boy, about her age, slowly ambled up to her with a bit of a gleam in his eyes. He was dressed in all black and thick brown hair fell just above his shoulders artfully. Perhaps he was a writer; Cathleen mused and stood up a little straighter.
“Hello! Welcome! How may I help you!”
“New, hmm? Well, I work just down the street, and was coming around to pick up coffee for everyone in the office. I need a medium mocha latte, a large decaf coffee with a double shot of espresso, but the espresso can’t be mixed until I get back to the office, he’s very particular about that, and two frapacinos, one strawberry and one caramel and I need whipped cream on both and the caramel one needs a chocolate flavour shot, dark chocolate, mind you, and then I need one of those Christmas blends, a small one, and a regular, large coffee, black.”
Cathleen’s eyes widened horribly against her face: aghast at what he ordered.
“Can you repeat that?” She asked, quietly, trying to remember the difference between swallowing and breathing. Where was Anna? She didn’t even know what some of those things were! Flavour shots?
What were those!
“No, I’ll be sitting over there, with the newspapers. My name is Kaleb. Call my name when the order is finished, would you?” Seemingly unconcerned with whether she had heard him correctly or not, the male walked away and promptly sat down in a plush chair.
Mouth still wide open, she tried to write everything down like she remembered, and hoped to God that he wasn’t going to get her fired. Her first day! She liked this coffee shop! The atmosphere! The people! The smells!
Putting her mind to it, Cathleen managed to do well enough remembering, she supposed, and asked one of the other girls to help with the specialty, mixed drinks. She rushed off: leaving the register unmanned, and quickly filled all of the orders. Anna came back to the counter a few minutes later, eyes wide at the collection of cups and drinks that littered the ledge for pick up.
“What happened, Cathleen!”
“A guy came by, Kaleb, and ordered like ten drinks and I didn’t even know what half of them were and they were very complicated and-”
She broke out into tears. He was so mean to her! Anna tried not to laugh, but it came bursting out of her in loud, unbroken gales of glee.
“Oh, you poor dear. Kaleb does that to all of our new girls. He just wants a large, black coffee. Us girls will drink everything else. Go kick his shins in and make him pay you double for the coffee. You deserve a tip for that sort of mental anguish. Shooing Cathleen off, Anna laughed again and shook her head.
Cathleen wiped her tears away from her cheeks and her temper rose with the action. What a jerk! Stomping over to him, she held out his coffee and frowned.
“Ten dollars, you jerk. That wasn’t nice at all.”
Kaleb fished a tenner out of his wallet and smiled up at the girl. She was adorable, with her cheeks flushed in anger and her gray eyes flashing. He liked her.
“Welcome to the Coffee Shop,” he intoned, and exchanged the bill for his coffee with a bit of a smirk. Huffing, Cathleen walked away and threw her hands up in the air.
“Men!”
Community Member