"Welco-oh, if it ain't my favorite caffeine dependent customer."
The freckled green-haired woman smiled as she sat at her usual spot at the counter. "Hey Aoyama, another calm night as usual?"
"Just how I like it, Freya. Are you here to do some more writing?"
"Haha… to be honest, good ol' writer's block has come back to haunt me."
"I guess that's bound to happen after you've published your seventh straight novel."
"You've got that right… Anyway, I thought it'd be a good change of pace to read instead of writing for once."
The cheerful customer set aside her bag before pulling out a novel, After Dark , with the barista immediately recognizing its author.
"Another Harukami."
"Yep! It was difficult choosing between this and Men Without Women, but I decided I wanted a longer narrative to read this time."
"Is Men Without Women a short read?"
"It's actually a short story anthology! They even made a film recently based on one of the stories in the novel."
"Oh, the one that got an Oscar for best international film, right?"
"That's the one!"
"I see. It was a pretty good film, so checking out its source material would be nice sometime."
"You can just borrow my copy." The green-haired woman smiled. "Just say the word and I'll get it to you when you need it."
"Aw, thanks Freya. I'll take you up on your offer when I can then." The barista smiled back as her customer began flipping open her novel.
"So, should I get that triple shot espresso started for you now?"
"Haha, you know me so well Aoyama. Please."
The barista simply nodded, warming up their trusty espresso machine as they picked up an 8 ounce, white ceramic cup before placing it under the portafilter slot.
"Y'know, I actually got some new blends earlier today."
"Oh?" Freya peeked up from her novel. "Do you have anything you'd recommend?"
"They're all excellent, but if I had to pick one for someone like you…"
Aoyama looked inquisitively among the 10 jars of unique blends for a few seconds, ultimately deciding to pick up the seventh jar of coffee that she thought would best compliment her favorite customer.
"Jamaica Blue Mountain would be my answer."
"Wow, even its name sounds mystical. I can't wait to try it!"
Nodding with a smile, the barista opened the jar before scooping its contents into a grinder. Setting it to fine, it only took a few seconds before they were flattening the now-grinded espresso into the portafilter basket with a tamper.
30 seconds later, with the portafilter clicked into the machine and the press of a button, three beautiful shots of espresso laid within the ceramic cup below. It was now ready for her only customer of the night to enjoy.
"One cup of a Jamaica Blue Mountain triple shot espresso, just for you Freya."
"Mmm." The writer picked up the cup, getting a good whiff of the espresso's aroma. "Chocolatey… ooh, and a bit of Hazelnut too?"
"Glad you know your coffee."
"Haha, only because I come here so often, Aoyama. Now… for the taste."
Freya took a sip of the espresso, her eyes instantly widening to its taste. If she wasn't before, she was definitely awake now.
"Woah… so sweet yet so mild too. Not even a hint of bitterness either. This is definitely different from the espresso you usually serve."
"It doesn't come cheap either. A pound of this could cost you at least $50."
"Man…" Freya sighed before realizing something. "Wait, how much are three shots of this gonna cost me?"
"Huh? Oh, don't worry about that. It's on me."
"Really? Y-you don't have to do that…"
"Nah, it's fine. Consider it a sign of our friendship and constant patronage here."
"Heh, well if you insist. Thanks Aoyama, both for the espresso and our talks. I wouldn't have made it this far in my career without you and the cafe around."
The barista let out a satisfactory smile as they crossed their arms, looking out past the window panes at the drizzled Seattle sidewalk their cafe was situated on.
"Anytime, Freya. Please enjoy your drink and novel for as long as you're here tonight."
