"Vanilla Latte. Extra shot of espresso and two extra pumps of vanilla and a pump of strawberry, please."
"Coming right up!" The blonde barista flashed a smile at Erza, accepting her payment before scribbling the order on a fresh cup.
Erza smiled meekly and walked over to the closest table to wait for her coffee. Monday mornings always required an additional shot of espresso and this Monday was no exception. The big CEO was in office this week causing Erza's stress levels to skyrocket.
She couldn't remember a time when her stress levels weren't through the roof. Not since she took the job at Magnolia's top design firm, and that was three year ago.
At least she had Magnolia's best cup of coffee to look forward to every morning.
Erza wasn't sure when they stopped asking for her name with her order. She could call herself a regular at this point. She'd been coming to this particular coffee shop every morning for a almost a year now.
"Erza?" A singsong voice called out her name, pulling her out of her daze.
She smoothed imaginary wrinkles out of her skirt and walked towards the counter. The same barista who took her order was holding Erza's coffee with a smile on her face.
"Have a great day! See you tomorrow morning?" She said as she handed the cup over.
"You too. Oh yes, of course." Erza returned the smile, not feeling it reach her eyes.
Erza took a tentative sip of her coffee, testing the temperature. It was perfect, of course. The barista knows how to heat it to the right temperature so it's drinkable right away, just how Erza likes it.
She left the shop and walked briskly the few blocks to her office building. Makarov was already in there, probably waiting for her arrival. She'd been working overtime to get everything in order for him but she still couldn't shake the anxious feeling from the pit of her stomach as she opened the door.
Makarov was… unlike any other boss she'd ever had before. He was spontaneous, eccentric, and unorthodox. He was the exact opposite of Erza and that made her uncomfortable. 'Live life outside of your comfort zone' he always told her. Well, working under him was just that. She couldn't deny his genius, though.
"There she is, the woman of the hour!" Makarov's voice boomed, commanding the room instantly. It still baffled Erza how such a voice could come from such a small man.
"Makarov, I hope your office has been stocked to-" Erza halted as Makarov leaped off the receptionist's desk and landed directly in front of her.
"Sweet Titania, you always work so hard! You know what you need in your life?" Makarov smiled up at her, his wrinkled deepening in the process.
"Uh, no sir, I-"
"Love! Romance! Nothing like a brand new companion to loosen you up," he winked at her before skipping off towards his office. "We'll meet at noon. Bring your appetite for sushi… and fashion!"
Erza could feel her face heat up, turning a similar shade to her hair. As Makarov closed his office door, she rushed into her own office, making sure to close every blind.
That Makarov…love? She had love in her life. What did he know? She collapsed in her chair with a heavy sigh. She loved her work. That was enough, right? Taking a sip of coffee, she settled deeper into her chair. She loved coffee, too. Especially when that blonde barista made it. The one with the bright smile.
Wait, bright smile? Erza shook her head. Makarov has filled her head with that love nonsense. It was time to get back to work, not daydream about cute baristas. With one last drink, Erza finished her coffee and threw it into the trash along with any thought of love and romance.
Exhaustion was a common feeling Erza experienced when Makarov was in town but this was the first time it caused her to sleep through her alarms. Normally she'd wake up moments before her alarm, her body clock being more reliable than her phone. But not this morning.
The moment she had opened her eyes she knew something was wrong. It was too light in her room. She was too groggy, too warm. Glaring red numbered greeted her as she looked to her bedside table, causing her to jolt awake. She had 30 minutes to make it into work on time.
Cursing Makarov in her head, Erza jumped out of bed. It was Makarov's fault she didn't get into bed until well after 11 (Erza maintained a sharp bedtime of 9:30 PM.) 'Let's grab dinner' he said. 'Only one more drink' he said. Being a firm believer of not drinking during the workweek, she spent all night watching her boss get drunk. The regret seeped in as she made a mad dash to get dressed, not bothering with makeup and only pausing for a quick brush of her hair.
Halfway down the block, Erza realized she didn't grab any breakfast. Wondering if she had time to stop for coffee, she glanced down at her watch. Nope. Of course there wasn't time. But, starting the day without a proper breakfast and without her coffee wasn't going to do her any favors. Makarov would understand, right? She'd make it quick and run the whole way to make up time. Picking up her pace, she raced against time to the coffee shop.
With no time to spare, she rushed inside the coffee shop. Her spirits fell as she noticed the unusually long line at the register. She was already there, she might as well wait, right? She glanced nervously at her watch again. Makarov was unpredictable, she couldn't be sure how he'd react to her tardiness. Erza hesitated inside the door, unsure of how to proceed.
"Erza!" The blonde barista called out to her, waving her to the pickup counter. Erza walked over, trying not to feel the glares of other customers who were impatiently waiting for their chance to order. Waiting at the counter was a tall to go cup and a breakfast sandwich packaged to go. "I had a feeling you'd show up soon. When you weren't here at your usual time I thought you might be running late. I wanted to have your order ready for pickup when you did show up." The barista pushed the items closer to Erza.
Erza stared at the girl, mouth hanging open in shock. A simple thank you wasn't going to be enough. Having her hopes fall into the pits of despair when she saw the line to have them raised to the top by such a kind and unexpected act of kindness was almost enough to push her emotions over the edge.
"Thank you, uh," she squinted at the name tag pinned to her apron, "Lucy. You don't realize how you've improved my morning. Thank you so much." Erza shuffled through her wallet to find her card, trying to calculate a tip big enough to show her gratitude.
"Oh, it's on the house! Now get to work and have a better rest of your day." Lucy beamed at Erza as she waved away Erza's outstretched hand.
Erza blinked at the moisture building in her eyes. How could someone be so kind to someone who barely took the time to learn their name? Guilt flooded Erza as she realized how completely oblivious she had been to Lucy for the last year. She'd been her barista almost every morning, always greeting Erza with a sincere smile. Lucy had learned Erza's name only after a couple weeks of her stopping in. Erza was unworthy of such kindness.
She put her card away and grabbed her items, "Thank you again, Lucy. I truly appreciate this. I hope you have a great morning, too."
"It's always a great morning when you stop in," Lucy winked at her and walked off towards the register.
Erza stood there frozen for a moment, her brain trying to register the multitude of emotions flooding through it. What had just happened?
Another customer brushed passed her, pulling her back into reality. A gasp escaped her lips as she remembered the time. Careful not to spill her coffee, she rushed out of the shop and headed towards her office. If she was lucky, Makarov wouldn't be there yet, either.
But she was not lucky.
"My, my, look who is just strolling in!" Makarov called out from his office with a smirk on his face.
Erza walked straight for his office, stopping inside the doorframe.
"Makarov I am so sorry. It is against my personal beliefs to be late and it will never happen again. I just somehow slept through my alarms. I wll be sure to create even more alarms to stop this from happening again."
Makarov's smirked just widened, "Erza my dear, do not fret. You have been an exemplary employee for as long as I've known you, even putting me to shame. It's nice to know even you make mistakes sometimes. Go enjoy your breakfast! We'll meet at noon." He dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
Relief flooded through her as she entered her own office and sat down. After taking a long sip of coffee, she held the cup before her and studied it. Her name was written in neat cursive with a tiny little heart drawn at the end. Rotating the cup slightly, she noticed more words written in the same neat cursive.
'Work might be stressful but if anyone can get through it, it's you!' was written across the cup. It had to have been Lucy who wrote it. Erza widened her eyes as a thought crossed her mind.
Grabbing the trash can from under her her desk, she pulled out the most recent coffee cups from that week. Under inspection, she found two cups that also had personal messages written on them out of the five that were in the trash (too busy to take out her own trash.) Each message was written in the same neat cursive that today's had been. The messages had started around the same time Erza had started to prepare for Makarov's arrival. Had her attitude changed so noticeably that her barista picked up on it?
Had Lucy been able to read Erza that well?
Erza jumped up from her chair and rushed out the door and into Makarov's office. "Makarov, I know I just got here but I've got to go!"
Startled, Makarov looked up at Erza and smiled as he noticed the determination burning in her eyes. "What for, Titania?" he called out as she had already started for the exit.
Looking over her shoulder she replied with a smile on her face, "For love!"
Bypassing the elevator, she sprinted down the stairs and onto the street. She weaved through the pedestrians making her way towards the coffee shop. The shop was still just as full as she arrived like a whirlwind in the door, capturing both the customer's and Lucy's attention. Lucy stared at her in confusion, walking towards the pickup counter to meet her there.
"Did I make a mistake in your order? I was sure I made it just how you liked it." Lucy said as a frown formed on her lips.
"No, it was perfect. You're perfect!" She blurted out, the adrenaline coursing through her making her brave. "I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee sometime." Coffee? Erza stuttered as she realized her mistake. A barista wouldn't want to go on a coffee date. "Uh, I mean, dinner? Would you like to get dinner? Or lunch?"
The adrenaline fueled bravery was being overtaken by embarrassment as Erza felt the stares of everyone in the room. She was causing a scene and she knew it. It went against everything she stood for.
"I'm sorry," she apologized before Lucy could speak again, backing away from the counter slowly as if she walked away the whole situation would disappear.
"Wait, I'd love to grab dinner or lunch," she picked up a fresh cup and started to scribble on it before she handed it over to Erza, "here's my number. I get off around 4:30."
Erza took the cup in her hands and stared at the number surrounded by little hearts before looking at Lucy again. Lucy was smiling brightly at her, Lucy's cheeks tinged red matching the color of her own.
"I'll, I'll text you then. Sorry for disrupting your work. Uh, see you!"
"I look forward to it!" Lucy gave a small wave before returning to the register with a smile permanently on her lips.
Muttering her apologies as she walked passed the customers and out the door, she couldn't help but smile herself. She felt lighter than she had in weeks, months! Maybe even years.
Damn that Makarov. Maybe he was right, maybe she did need some romance in her life.