Chapter 1
She had been coming here for weeks. Maybe months. Yang had only started to notice because of the sheer amount of milk steamers she had had to make. Always the same thing: 16 ounces with two shots of raspberry syrup. And always for the same raven-haired girl.
"Do you know that girl out there?" Yang asked her sister, gesturing at the only customer they'd had all night. Ruby glanced up quickly from the sink - they were trying to finish the dishwashing early that night so they could all go home.
"I've seen her before." Yang rolled her eyes.
"Of course you have, doofus. She's a regular. I mean, do you know her know her?"
"Why?" Ruby teased. "Do you like her or something?"
Yang huffed and grabbed another mug, scrubbing it aggressively. Since she came out to her sister, every girl she saw or spoke to was a potential love interest. As if not being straight suddenly meant that she was in love with every girl she saw.
"No," Yang finally said. "Maybe. I don't know. I just think she's . . . interesting."
As if on cue, the mysterious girl got up from her seat, carefully put her book back in her bag, and left, not once glancing at the curious barista behind the counter.
"You're staring," Ruby whispered, grinning, as the door swung shut behind their last customer.
"Finally!" Ruby exclaimed, as the bell above the door quieted down. "Time for home!"
She bounced out from behind the counter, skipping toward the door to flip over the Open/ Closed sign. "Here I was thinking we were gonna have to kick out your own fake girlfriend." Yang let out a sigh.
"Well, if you're going to be like that, then you can finish these dishes, and I'll start wiping down tables." Yang grabbed a cloth and a spray bottle from under the sink, bumping Ruby playfully with her hip as they passed each other.
There was only one table left that still had a cup on it; that of the raven-haired girl. As Yang reached for the mug, she noticed a piece of scrap paper that had been slipped underneath it. She glanced around, looking to see if Ruby was watching her. She wasn't. Yang slid the paper out from underneath it. She wondered if it was okay to open it. It wasn't an invasion of privacy if it was left behind, was it? What if it was important and she left it behind by accident? It couldn't be. Instead, she slipped the note into the pocket of her apron and set to cleaning.
Half an hour later, she was finished cleaning, and Ruby was practically bouncing out the door.
"C'mon, c'mon!" She exclaimed. "Let's go!" Yang grabbed her jacket out of her employee locker, digging in her pockets for the keys to their car. She tossed them at Ruby, who caught them with ease.
"If you're in such a rush, go warm up the car. I'll lock up." Ruby gave her a salute, before venturing out into the frigid night air, the door slamming behind her.
Yang watched as Ruby made her way to the car, before scrambling back to her apron to find the note. She grasped it tightly to her chest, hoping against hope that it was meant for her. She unfolded it carefully, watching as a fancy black scrawl appeared. A horn honked loudly in the background, causing her jump, and the note fell from her hands.
"Ruby!" She groaned, stooping down to pick up the note and shoving it in her pocket. It would have to wait. For now, she had an impatient sister to contend with.