First Time at a Second Chance
The Great Weiss Shark
(Coffee and First)
Weekdays at the café before the late afternoon rush were a drag, but the weather was perfect for a cup of coffee—muggy with a high chance of rain—so it was a little disheartening to have so little to do.
"Oh my god, I'm sooo bored!" Ruby, the only employee manning the front, exclaimed. A hearty feminine laugh emanated from deep within the kitchen behind her, followed by a not-so-helpful suggestion to clean. Ruby looked at her sparkling workstation in disgust. "I can see my reflection, and it's begging me to stop cleaning."
"Organize the sugar packets?" the cook shouted.
"Already di—"
The bell on the front door rang as a sharply dressed young woman with a girl no older than ten walked into the café. They were a finely matched pair but had little to no familial resemblance, except for their eyes which was a stunning shade of ice blue.
The woman was definitely a foreigner based on her sharp features and fair skin. She had long snow white hair done up in a tight, left-sided ponytail and neatly trimmed bangs. She was dressed in a fitted, black pants suit with a crisp, white shirt and matching high heels. The girl, however, had softer features, rich chocolate coloured hair that went down past her shoulders, and a light complexion. She wore a pretty sunflower yellow dress with a white collar and accents, a black beret which was much too large for her head, and sunglasses made for an adult hooked on her collar. Her shoes were black with an ornate gold buckle and polished to a perfect shine.
They looked around the café curiously, though the woman was far less impressed than the girl.
"It's really pretty in here, Mama!" the girl exclaimed in a thick accent Ruby instantly recognized as Eastern Atlesian.
"It's… quaint," her mother hesitantly replied, eyeing the decor. Her accent wasn't as prominent as her daughter's, but it definitely added a sultry, whispery tone to her words.
"You say that about every restaurant," the girl deadpanned, making her mother blush. "Oh, I think we order over there!" she added, fast as a whip, pointing to Ruby and her homely register. She excitedly tugged on her mother's hand and guided her to the register. "Hello!"
Ruby stared at the mother, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. This woman was an absolute vision to behold. She redefined what "beauty" meant and stole Ruby's breath away like it had been hers to begin with. She moved so gracefully and so effortlessly that—
"Hello," the mother said, snapping Ruby out of her trance, "is this where we order?"
And now that she was closer, Ruby could see she had a light pink scar over her left eye that stretched from her forehead to her cheek. It didn't detract from her beauty though, in fact, it added to it by bringing focus her eyes—her amazing piercing blue eyes.
The woman arched an eyebrow, clearly growing impatient.
"Oh, y-yeah," Ruby stuttered, mentally smacking herself for slacking on the job. "Welcome! What can I get for you?"
The breathtaking woman looked at Ruby and sighed. "I'd like a medium coffee. Black." Then in a much softer tone, she asked, "Chryssie, what would you like?"
Chryssie, the little girl, held on to her beret as she looked up at the menu behind Ruby. "Um, can I have a small honey lemon tea please?" But a second after placing her order, Chryssie tugged on her mothers hand imploringly, "Mama, can I get something else too?"
"Anything you'd like, mon coeur."
"Then… can I have a cheese croissant too, please?" Chryssie asked, turning to Ruby with a great big smile that lit up her whole face.
"Sure thing." Ruby returned the smile but nervously shifted her attention back to the mother who looked down at her child proudly. "Um, so, t-that's one black coffee, a honey lemon tea, and a cheese croissant?"
"Yes," the mother responded curtly.
"For inside or to go?"
"Inside, please."
Ruby quickly rung them up and took the payment. She punched the number in and retrieved the change as efficiently as she could to avoid slowing the order process down any further. Their hands touched during the exchange and they locked eyes.
"You can have a seat anywhere," Ruby said politely, pulling her hand back to gesture to the open dining area. She struggled to put on a smile and hoped to god no one could hear how fast her heart was beating. "I'll bring your order to you when it's ready."
"Thank you." The woman's gaze lingered on her empty hand for a moment before looking to her child like nothing had happened. "Where would you like to sit, by the window maybe?"
"By the window!"
"Alright, let's go."
Tearing the order out of her trusty note pad, Ruby casually pushed the door to the kitchen open but rushed to the only employee there like she'd been chased by a madman wielding a knife.
"Yang!" Ruby hissed, flashing the cook the order slip.
"Whoa there, Ruby, what's got you all hot and bothered?" Yang asked as she grabbed a fresh croissant out of a pastry basket with some tongs and popped it into the oven.
"There's really pretty lady here!"
"Oh?" Yang wiped her hands off on her apron as she sauntered over to the door.
Ruby quickly latched onto the larger woman's arm and pulled her back, hissing, "What are you doing?! Oh my god, stop!"
"Hey, hey, hey, you can't tell me there's a hot lady out there and not expect me to check her out," Yang chuckled, dragging Ruby along with her like she weighed nothing at all. "So where is she?" she asked, peeking through the order window instead.
"Window table. White hair. Gorgeous blue eyes."
Yang whistled. "Wow."
"I know right?"
When Yang pulled her head back in, she slung her arm around Ruby's neck and said, "Slip her your number before she leaves!"
"I can't do that—oh my god, I need to get their drinks!" Ruby slipped out of Yang's choke hold and dashed back to the front. She quickly got to work and cursed herself for slipping again.
"Order up!" Yang shouted not too long after. She left the plate on the window counter closest to Ruby and winked at her. "Good luck, little sister."
Ruby smiled back at Yang and grabbed the plate, taking note of the freshly melted cheese added on top of the croissant. She carefully loaded it onto her tray next to the coffee and tea with some eating utensils wrapped in a napkin and a butter packet. After double checking everything, Ruby served her customers as professionally as she could to make up for her earlier blunders. The mother gave her an approving smile as she smelled her coffee and took her first sip.
"This is good," she said, setting the cup back down on its saucer with a faint clink.
"Thanks," Ruby blushed, feeling proud of herself. "It's a house blend. The beans are imported straight from Vacuo, and I also personally grind the beans every morning."
"I see." The mother took another sip. "Judging by the flavour you did a manual drip?"
"Mhm," Ruby nodded. "I figured I'd go the little extra distance for you."
The woman quirked an eyebrow, acknowledging the subtle flirt. "Chryssie," she said, dropping her voice down a note, "how's your food?"
Chryssie looked up from her half eaten croissant. "It's really good, Mama! Do you want to try?"
"No thank you," she replied, reaching over to stroke her daughter's head, careful not to knock off the beret she cherished. "Enjoy your snack, mon coeur, you deserve it."
Ruby watched the exchange with a sad, nostalgic smile. "The croissant is freshly baked here," she said, breaking away from her thoughts before they reached dangerous territory. "I'll let the cook know you're enjoying it."
"Thank you!" Chryssie exclaimed, tearing off another piece of the fluffy, light pastry.
Bowing her head, Ruby politely made her exit and returned to her post but not before popping her head into the kitchen to give Yang Chryssie's thanks.
"Aw, shucks, you're making me blush," Yang gushed with her hands on her rosy cheeks. "Did she really like it? No joke?"
"No joke," Ruby laughed as she closed the door.
Ruby kept herself busy by cleaning her station and restocking. She kept glancing back to the only two customers she had to make sure they didn't need anything else but that was just the excuse she told herself.
The mother eventually finished her coffee and Chryssie finished her croissant and tea not long after. They both looked satisfied with their late afternoon snack and chatted amongst themselves quietly, though Chryssie did most of the talking. She was telling her mother a story using a lot of wild hand gestures which earned her a thoughtful look and a light laugh. Chryssie beamed at her mother and giggled happily, proud of what she'd done.
Two more customers came in followed by three more. Ruby was running around serving everyone as best as she could with a friendly smile and some pep in her step, but whenever she had the time, she stole a peek at the breathtaking woman. There were times she thought she caught the woman staring at her, but when she looked back, the woman's attention was all on Chryssie.
"Excuse me?"
"Be there in one moment," Ruby replied as she scrounged around in the cabinet below the register. She was looking for a new roll of receipt paper and found it way in the back behind some takeout boxes and cups. Popping back up, she beamed at the customer with her customary greeting ready on her tongue but lost the ability to speak when she came face to face with the woman. "O-Oh, hello again!"
"Hi!" Chryssie giggled, adjusting her beret to sit more comfortably.
"We're heading out now, but I wanted to give you a little something for your hard work," the woman said with a friendly smile. "Chryssie?"
"Yes, Mama," Chryssie obliged as she held a bill out for Ruby to take. "Thank you for your hard work, Miss! The tea was really yummy."
Ruby's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. "N-No! I can't accept that!" she exclaimed, looking between the large sum of money and the woman's amused face. "That's waaay too much for a tip!"
"Oh don't be modest," the woman said, plucking the bill from Chryssie's hand. "You've earned it. You put a smile on my daughter's face and that's worth more to me than this meager sum." She offered the bill to Ruby again. "Take it."
"Ma'am, I really can't," Ruby insisted with a blush. "I was only doing my job."
"Weiss."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked.
"My name is Weiss," Weiss explained.
"Ruby," Ruby replied shyly.
"Well then, Ruby, that still doesn't change the fact you made my little girl happy," Weiss said, wrapping an arm around Chryssie's shoulders. "But I should clarify: this money isn't all for you. Be sure to split it evenly with the cook because they deserve a tip too."
Ruby paused, the gears in her head grinding to a stop. She could share the money with Yang—not that she wasn't already planning to though.
"The croissant was really good!" Chryssie said, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed on it. "It was waaaay better than the fancy ones we had back home."
Weiss chuckled at her daughter, "Don't ever tell Jean-Claude that, I think he might cry."
"But, Mama, it's true!" Chryssie argued with a pout. Weiss shook her head and sighed. "Well it is."
"If you say so, mon coeur."
"A-Are you really sure it's alright to take it?" Ruby asked, glancing shyly between the money and Weiss. She was used to getting tips and having them add up over the day but to have so much all at once made her head spin.
"Positive," Weiss answered, handing Ruby the bill.
"Thank you," Ruby said, bowing deeply as she pocketed the money.
"We'll be back, right, Mama?" Chryssie asked.
Weiss smiled at her daughter then at Ruby. "We most definitely will."
"I'll be here when you do," Ruby smiled back.
This first story is dedicated to Aki. Rest in pepperoni, beech.
Also, yeah, I have a whole story planned out for this. Maybe you'll see it fully fleshed out someday.
Please leave a review if you enjoyed the story.