Oookay, lemme explain : I was meaning to update the Dubai series, I really was, but then this little idea popped into my head, and it just wouldn't let go!

So I've decided that this will just be like a cute little thing on the side, for when I'm getting a bit of writer's block and just need to write some pointless shit.

Still, I hope you like it, I basically wrote all of this in one go, and I'm quite pleased with it if I do say so myself :D

Disclaimer : I don't own Kckin'it, or any coffee shop named 'The Grind' (sounds sexual...^^). I do, however, own Kelsey's unborn baby, mwahahahaha, I'm like a taller Rumplestiltskin xD

~.~

"Hey Kim, break's over! Get your ass back behind the counter before I find a cuter barista who can actually make a decent cup of coffee!"

"Aw, c'mon Eddie, you know I'm the cutest gal around." Kim smiled, pulling her blonde locks back up into a ponytail as she checked her watch. Yep, her twenty minutes were up.

She heard her boss chuckle from the other room, before shouting back that she was also the worst at making coffee, so that evened her out.

"Well it's a good thing we've got those new fancy machines then, to make it for me."

Her friend's reply was an exasperated sigh, and Kim laughed before standing up and downing the last of her strawberry milkshake.

"Hey, K, ready to swap out with me? My legs are killin' me, I just have to go sit down or I'll die from exhaustion."

That comment earned the tall brunette a rather obvious eye-roll from her friend.

"Sure, Kelsey, go rest your little behind. And have a muffin while you're at it; you look like you need it, especially with little Edgar growing the way he is."

Kelsey shot Kim an annoyed glare, hands on what was left of her waist and hips jutting out to one side; the same classic diva pose she had maintained since high-school. Only now, there was an ever-growing bulge in her stomach, and Kim was impressed by how she managed to maintain her balance in those heels of hers.

"I already told you, it's going to be a girl and we're naming her Flora!"

"That's not what Milton told me..."

Kim couldn't help but giggle as her pregnant friend started cursing her husband, who was currently off in Washington working on a project with NASA. Milton Krupnick was, like, a super-genius and one of Kim's closest friends. He was due to return to Austin next month to help with the pregnancy, and Kim couldn't wait to see her nerdy friend again. Kelsey missed him the most, though, and the excess of hormones was making her crazy cranky. Kim could already picture the scrawny, red-headed man running around, looking panicked as he tended to his pregnant wife's every demand.

It was gonna be so funny...

The blonde smiled to herself once more as she picked up the small pink apron and tied it securely around her waist before taking her place at the counter alongside Brett, another one of her co-workers.

As she came to stand beside him, the long queue of caffeine-depraved people split into two, and Kim's first customer approached her, mirroring her cheery smile.

"Hello and welcome to The Grind, the best darn coffee shop Austin has to offer. What can I get for ya today?"

Kim was glad that she had opted for a comfortable pair of tennis shoes that day. How on earth did Kelsey manage with those torturous heels all day?

Her cheeks were starting to ache, too, from all the smiling she'd been doing. You'd have thought that after a year at this job she would've gotten used to it, but it seemed she was doomed to ache for the rest of eternity.

But she didn't mind. Not really. Because if her smile and cheerful attitude could brighten at least one person's day (that, and the coffee), then sore feet and aching cheeks were a small price to pay. Kim liked making people happy; she was just a people person. Few were those who had ever disliked the goofy journalism student, and even fewer were those that she had disliked.

"That'll be nine dollars fifty, sir."

The thirty-something man in the grey business suit smiled at her and handed her a ten dollar bill.

"Here, keep the change."

She did as instructed (the customer is always right, after all) and beamed at him.

Thank yousir, have a wonderful day."

"Same to you, miss."

She watched as he walked out the door, coffee in one hand and donut in the other, looking significantly more cheerful than he had coming in. She was amazed at how a little kindness could turn someone's day completely upside down, and Kim sometimes liked to think that that was her real job. Making the people of Austin happy, one cup of coffee at a time.

It was nearing closing time at The Grind, and business was getting quieter; only a few couples were left sitting at the quaint little wooden tables and less and less people walking in and out, making the door chime. She was the only one left at the counter, Kelsey and Brett already gone, having taken earlier shifts that day than her.

It was so quiet that Kim was just wondering whether or not to indulge in a little slice of chocolate cake, when she heard familiar metallic chime of the front door opening.

She looked up and instinctively straightened her apron (it was a habit she had picked up over the last year after continuously neglecting to iron it) but her usual greeting got stuck halfway up her throat, having noticed the man in front of her.

He really was very attractive, exactly the type of guy she would approach at a bar. He was a good half-a-head taller than her,too, and the dark shades he wore hid his eyes making him look bored and disinterested, something Kim hoped to change by the end of their interaction.

"Hello and welcome to The Grind, the best darn coffee shop Austin has to -"

"Yeah, yeah, just cut the crap and get me a double espresso to go, will ya? I'm in a hurry." He seemed annoyed, for some reason, and Kim tried her best to acknowledge that he must have had a hard day and been under a lot of stress (especially if he was ordering a double espresso), but it was hard to look past the jerkiness when the douche hadn't even had the decency to say 'please'. And he'd cut her off, the prick.

"Whoa there, what's the big rush? You got the mafia chasin' you, or somethin'?"

"That's none of your business," he snapped at her, and Kim immediately regretted her efforts at being kind to this man, who clearly wasn't from around here. His accent sounded more East Coast than Texas, probably just another jet-lagged tourist in need of a pick-me-up. Still, it didn't excuse his poor manners.

Weren't Californians supposed to be laid-back?

"Dude, relax. I'm not the FB-fucking-I, I'm just the barista. No need to be all snappy." Damnit, where were the to-go cups? She could have sworn they were in the bottom cupboard...she ducked down under the counter to continue her search, and she heard the guy talking.

"What the fuck are you doing down there? Can you just make me the damn coffee? I swear, these crazy fans..." Kim didn't quite catch that last part muttered under his breath, but it was probably just as rude as the rest of his sentence.

"I'm searching for a cup, douche-bag, we ran out. Unless of course you wanted me to pour the steaming hot drink straight down your throat...?" She was secretly hoping he'd say yes, or maybe she'd just do it anyway...

The man sighed. "Just hurry up, I really don't appreciate people wasting my time."

Kim growled from below him, frustrated. "Yeah, well the feeling's mutual, buster..." Where were those damned...Aha! she opened the third cupboard to the right and found them in the corner behind the sugar. She really needed to get some more from the storage room before she left; this much wouldn't last them a whole morning.

She unwrapped the packet and paced the brown paper cups on the counter, along with the lids, taking one and shaking it in front of the rude stranger's face for extra effect, before placing it in the machine and letting it work its magic.

"There, another minute and you'll be on your merry way, off to see the wizard of Oz or whatever you're in such a hurry for." She crossed her arms and leant back against the wall, glaring into his dark lenses.

If he was uncomfortable under her scrutinizing glare, he didn't let it show. "You know, for a server, you're awfully disrespectful. Are you like this with all your customers?"

Kim smirked, "Only the huge dick-wads who don't say 'please'."

"Oh, is that what this is about?" He scoffed. "How juvenile."

Juvenile? How dare he? He was by far the rudest prick to ever walk into this coffee shop, and Kim just wanted him out of her sight, attractiveness or no.

To her grand pleasure, the machine behind her made a 'ding!' noise, and she knew that the coffee was ready. She took the cup, placed the plastic lid on it and slid on the sleeve (although he really didn't deserve it. Kim wanted him to burn) and finally placed it on the counter, sliding it over to her obnoxious customer.

"There," she said with slightly more venom than intended. "One double espresso, to go, for his royal highness, King of asses. I hope you burn your tongue."

The stupid stranger had the gall to look amused. "As much as I would love to do that for you, oh wait. I wouldn't. Because you're just a mean little Mogwai. Seriously, did someone feed you after midnight?"

His lips tilted up into a smirk as he saw her fists clench, and Kim really wished she'd spat in his drink.

"Oh I get it," she quipped. You're a comedian and you're late for your show. Well here's a tip; don't bother, you're about as funny as a bag of frozen peas. And you only have half the charisma. Now please, leave so I can go home. If you hadn't noticed, you're now the last one here and it's seven o'clock. My shift is over."

The guy checked his watch quickly, as if her word couldn't be trusted. Kim scoffed.

When he was satisfied with what he saw, he looked back at Kim and narrowed his eyes, staying silent for a while as he looked like he was trying to figure her out. After a moment, he tore his eyes away and picked up his beverage in one hand, using the other to fish about in his coat pocket, finally pulling out some money.

"Here," he slapped it onto the counter. "Night, goldilocks."

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the coffee shop, the door chiming as he left the building and, consequentially, Kim's life.

Good riddance.

~.~

Oh, Kim. We both know that it's not going to be that easy.

Don't forget to tell me what you think, guys! Your reviews mean a lot to me :3

Happy Easter! (Wtf?)

-CCC