I was writing this in school and I liked how it turned out so I decided to tweak it a bit. It's like double the length of the original oh man. I hope you guys like it.
It's that time of year again. The leaves are beginning to change colors, and he knows he's going to dread coming into work the next week and all the weeks after that because seasonal change means the return of a seasonal favorite: the Pumpkin Spice Latte. When autumn comes around, the shifts get busier and more chaotic. He doesn't understand the fascination with this drink, the obsession people have over it. The constant smell of cinnamon and other spices gives him a headache, but it seems like his headache is going to start earlier this year.
She strolls in and the crimson scarf around her neck catches his attention faster than the mention of pancakes. The store is relatively quiet when she walks up to him, the brown in her eyes even more mesmerizing than her scarf.
"Good morning, what can I get for you?"
"One iced grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, please."
"Wait what?"
She's taken aback by his question and repeats her order with a concerned look.
"Hey sorry, but we don't start making those until next week."
"Oh I know, but I can see that you guys have the mix for it in the back right there and I've been waiting for so many months. I promise I'll even give you a really big tip. Please?"
He rolls his eyes, sighing as he picks up a cup to jot down her order.
"Name?"
"Ally."
"That'll be six dollars."
She grins as she hands him the money. He walks off to start her order, pumping spiced syrup into a blender along with a shot of espresso. He glances back and notices her watching him with twinkling eyes and pure excitement. He pours the blended mixture into her cup and sprinkles cinnamon to top it off. He hands her the drink and a smile forms on her lips.
"Thank you!"
She walks out the door, and he shakes his head as he watches her drink her pumpkin flavored coffee. He finds himself thinking about the red scarf throughout the day.
She returns the next day at the same time and orders the same thing. She bats her eyelashes, and he knows she won't give up until she leaves the store with her favorite autumn beverage. He takes her order and blends it while she puts money in the tip jar. He hands her the drink, and she thanks him with the same grin as yesterday.
She starts to come in every day that he works. It's always around the same time. There was once when she came right before his shift was about to end and he couldn't shake the disappointment he felt when he thought she wasn't going to come by. Every time he heard the door open, he secretly hoped it would be the small brunette with the red scarf and his disappointment would grow each time it turned out to be a regular customer. He barely knew her so it did seem strange that he was so upset that she wasn't showing but he kind of liked seeing her. It was almost noon when he started to give up, but then the door opened and he saw the girl he was looking forward to seeing all morning. Over the course of the week, the two manage to develop a routine. She'll walk in and hand him the money, and he'll give her the drink that he prepared just minutes before she came in. They don't speak very much during this exchange, but she does laugh a lot. He finds that he really really likes the sound of her laugh.
It's been about a week and they're officially selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes now. He changed the menu in the morning to include a picture of the popular drink and his coworkers have decorated the store with mini pumpkins and autumn garlands. The mornings are a little busier now, but it isn't too bad when she walks in. He takes notice: her smile is brighter than ever and she's wearing the same red scarf that she's had on for over a week. She walks up to him and he can hear the crinkle of the bills in her hand.
"Well, I guess I don't need to bribe you with a tip for my drink now, huh?"
He simply smiles and hands her the cup in exchange for her payment.
"Well, I guess you don't, but tips are appreciated."
"Duly noted."
She takes the cup and runs out but not before putting something in the tip jar. He chuckles, twirling the pen he uses to write on cups and turns back to complete the rest of the orders he has piling up. The amount of customers starts slowing down after fifteen minutes and stop half an hour after she leaves. He takes his place by the register and glances at the tip jar, noticing a folded red piece of paper inside. He picks it up and opens the piece of paper to see a message scrawled on the inside.
Thanks for putting up with my orders all week and being super sweet about it (even though you almost refused to serve me the first time) I was thinking that maybe we could hang out sometime if you're interested?
-Ally
xxx-xxx-xxxx
A grin is practically devouring his face when he finishes reading the note. He can hear his coworkers snickering in the back because of his expression but he couldn't care less. He pulls out his phone and puts in her number, sending her a text before wiping down the tables and cleaning up his station. His shift ends a few minutes later so he goes to change out of his uniform and head over to his car. After leaving the store, he hears a chime and pulls out his phone to look.
Ally - Text Message (2)
How does tonight at 5 sound?
I'll bring some psl.
