It starts during her second year at university. You see, there is this one coffee shop near the campus called "The Stitches" (weird name, if you ask her, but she never complained since they served delicious things there) that she loves to visit every morning to get her usual macchiato with Mexican cocoa in it, which is only served in this particular coffee shop. Since she was regular customer, she quickly befriended a girl named Anna during her first year, who worked there as barista. Anna and Kirsten had a lot in common. Both worked and studied at the same time, both loved the same kind of music and most importantly, both had annoying roommates. Anna was nice. Anna was stable. Anna was normal.
It all changed one day when she went into the shop to get her order and saw there was no Anna. Only some jerk guy who smirked a lot and apparently liked to mess with other people's nerves. She asked about Anna and found out from another client that Anna gotten married and had to move away from the city. Good for her, bad for Kirsten.
The first time it happens she blames it on him being new here. She reads the name on the side of her cup that says "Kisnen" and decides to let it slip. He might be jerk, but everyone has the right to make a mistake, right? She wouldn't want to be the reason poor guy would get fired.
Next day she enters shop with smile and headphones on. She's very pleased with herself because she just got promotion at work for inventing brand new program that makes it easier to spot other program's flaws.
This time he'll know. Surely other workers educated him already on names of regulars, so she is not worried. Her smiled is wild as she waits in the queue of busy people and barista guy looks smug, annoyed and curious at the same time. She wonders what his deal is. It's not like it's his business why she's so happy. He has no right to be curious about anything, right?
"Boyfriend?" he asks, pointing at her phone and then at her smile.
"Nope. And it's not your business anyway." she says in confident voice.
"It's rather hard to believe it. A girl like you must have someone who adores you."
IS THIS GUY TRYING TO FLIRT WITH HER?! Well, if he is then it is absolutely not working, anyway. And he should know better than to annoy regular clients.
"I don't have a boyfriend. And you better stop caring about things that aren't your business or I will call your boss and accuse you for harassing me."
"Whatever you say, Kristy." his smirk got only bigger and her need to slap him right now and right there only grew.
"It's Kirsten, you jerk!" she yelled as she forcefully took coffee from his hand and slammed the door. She looked at cup. Chelsea. HE IS NOT EVEN TRYING.
It got worse from there. One time she was Christine, others she was Kelsea, Christa, he even wrote Bucky one time when she was in a very grumpy mood and he just couldn't let opportunity go and decided to annoy her even further.
After month of dealing with this asshole she just bursts one day and goes to comfort him about it.
"What's wrong with you?!" at this point she is basically screaming and everyone in shop can hear her. She doesn't care.
"I'm perfectly fine, darling. Thank you for your concern." Ugh. Here it is again. Smug smile and know-it-all attitude. Well, guess what jerk. She is not gonna let it go this time.
"You think it's funny, don't you? You mess around with people's names and laugh at their angry reactions."
"Oh, not everyone's names. Just yours." she must stop herself from hitting him this time. She is busy woman, she has no time for his bullshit. " And by the way I think you are cute when you're angry."
Usually she'd take the order, just to look at what kind of dumb name she's doomed to get this time and angrily exist shop. This time isn't that time. He called her cute. She is used to people calling her bitch or aggressive. She's very bossy most of the time and people tend to notice it quickly. She is really used to them calling her out on her behavior. What she is not used to is people calling her 'cute' or 'beautiful'. She scares them; she is not used to amazing them.
He called her cute. He thinks she is cute. He thinks she is pretty. He annoyed her on purpose to make you her cute. She stares at him, genuinely shocked for something that feels like eternity. He sees to realize what he said, too and tries to avoid her stare.
"You think I'm cute?" she asks, almost whispering.
"Yeah, I think you are. I wouldn't say it now, if I wouldn't think like that, would I, Kirsten?" he tells her nervously.
"And you know my name." Her shock grew with every second.
"Of course I know your name. It's very beautiful name, don't you think?" he says, this time looking into her eyes.
"Yeah, it is." She takes the coffee, turns around and exists with big smile on her face as she sees Kirstenand phone number written across her macchiato.