Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans
The rain pounded the sidewalks and windows relentlessly. It was 11 AM, but looking out the window you'd think it was nearing midnight. Raven frowned, resting her elbows on the counter and propping her chin in her hand - the rain deterred any potential customers from walking the two and a half blocks from Jump City University to her coffee shop. There wouldn't be as many students coming for their mid-morning caffeine buzz or professors stopping by to say hello.
It was a good thing Jump didn't have blizzards, Raven mused. Then business would really take a hit.
She was still staring off into the distance when the bell above the door chimed. Raven jumped, then blushed at her own skittishness. A young man had stepped inside the small cafe, shaking water out of his blonde hair and looking at his phone. He looked around 20 years old and a bit confused at where he was.
"Welcome to The Night Owl, can I get you anything?" Raven said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. The young man walked up to the counter, still trying to figure out what store he had stumbled in to. He kept looking down at his phone.
"Er...hi. Where am I?" He said, as if Raven hadn't just told him the name of the cafe. She fought the urge to roll her eyes at him. As much as she loved the business from the college crowd, she hated how they seemed perpetually incapable of social interaction.
"This is The Night Owl," Raven repeated. "It's a coffee shop and bakery," she added at his blank look.
"Huh," he said. Glancing up at the menu board above the counter, he read several of the options. Glancing down at his phone again, he sighed and put it away. "Well since I'm already late for class, might as well make it worth my while. I'll have a medium vanilla latte I guess." Raven nodded at his choice, as if she approved of his order. "And a chocolate chip cookie." He added, seeing the display to his right.
As Raven prepared his drink, the man walked around the space, as if he had never been in a cafe before. Raven watched him out of the corner of her eye. She had to admit he was attractive - his eyes were a shade of bright green that wasn't common, and he didn't wear his pants around his ankles, as so many young kids did these days. She found herself wondering what his name was, what he was studying, and where he was from.
"Here you go," she called over to him. He turned around and smiled brightly at her before taking his cookie and coffee to a table by the front window. It was quiet again as he drank and Raven wiped the counter. She turned around to put the rag in the sink and when she turned back, the man was standing at the counter, his cookie in his hand. Raven stepped back in surprise.
"Is something wrong with your order?" She asked, a bit put out. No one had ever complained about her coffee before, which she was extremely proud of.
"This cookie is the best cookie I have ever had. Did you make it yourself?" He said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Before Raven could respond, a loud, booming laugh echoed through the room.
"That's the best joke I've heard all day. Raven can't cook or bake to save her life!" A tall, African American man strode into the room from a door in the back. He wore a dark blue apron, and had flour all over his clothes and his face.
Raven frowned and folded her arms. "That's the only joke you've heard today, and it wasn't even that funny." She muttered. The tall man ignored her and stuck out his hand to the customer.
"I'm Victor, the baker for The Night Owl. I'm glad you liked the cookie. It was my grandmother's recipe."
"Garfield," the customer responded, shaking the offered hand. "It's nice to meet you. This place is really cool, how long have you guys been here?"
"I rented the space 5 years ago, then met Victor and hired him after I had been in business for about a year. Then, when I was sure this was going to work, I bought out the owner and now this whole building is officially mine." Raven answered. She wasn't sure why she felt she needed to prove herself to him. Maybe it was that most people assumed that Victor owned the place instead of her. Or maybe she wanted to impress him.
A chirping noise sounded from Garfield's pocket. He dug out his phone and grimaced.
"I really should get going," he said, dejectedly. The rain was still coming down hard, with no end in sight. "I don't really want to keep missing classes. But I'll be back!" He said, brightening up considerably. "I'll have to tell everyone how good to cookies are and how cute the barista is." Garfield winked at Raven, and she was sure the blush spread all the way from her hairline down her neck. Victor laughed loudly for the second time that morning as Garfield strode out of the cafe.