Meet-Cute

After handing a flat white to a customer across the bar, Lex turned around to her coworker, Marcus. “I am so ready for this shift to be over; I just want to go home and watch TV with Millie,” she told him.

“As your friend it concerns me that your Friday evening plans consist only of Netflix and chilling with your cat,” he replied jokingly.

“Hey, not all of us are lucky enough to be in a healthy, loving, long-term relationship.”

“Yeah, I guess I am pretty lucky to have Leo,” Marcus said with a grin. “That reminds me, he asked me to be his valentine yesterday in the most adorable way. He got me an orchid, my favorite flower, and made me breakfast in bed. It was sooo romantic, Lex.”

“Ugh, you guys are insufferably cute,” Lex whined. Despite being incredibly jealous of Marcus and Leo’s painfully perfect relationship, she smiled thinking that maybe she could have something like that someday. She turned back towards the register and her eyes locked on a customer who had just walked into the café. The young woman had dark wavy hair, perfectly smooth skin, and was wearing an earth-toned top underneath a green button up with brown trousers. Her sleeves were rolled up just far enough for a couple of tattoos to poke out.

“Lex, you’re staring,” Marcus whispered, suddenly closer.

             Lex averted her eyes. “Am not,” she replied defensively. She tried to busy herself cleaning the bar, but Marcus took the rag from her.

             “Go on, go help our customer,” he told her with a hint of a teasing tone. Lex rolled her eyes but walked over to meet the woman now waiting at the register.

             “Hi, welcome to Puck’s.” It took every ounce of her concentration not to stutter when she asked, “What can I get you?”

             “Could I please get a brown sugar latte with oat milk?” The woman requested.

             “Sure, what’s your name?” Lex pretended that the only reason she needed to ask that question was to call out her finished order. In truth, she felt a compulsion to ask this complete stranger any and every question she could think of to get to know her better.

             “It’s Lani.” Lani. The name suited her perfectly. Subtly feminine and utterly cool. Before she got carried away and said something stupid, Lex busied herself with her actual job of making Lani’s latte. Focus, Lex. She clicked the grinder button three times to fill the handle for a double shot of espresso.

“Here’s your latte. Would you want to go on a date sometime?”

“I’d love to.”

“Great, my number’s on the sleeve,” Lex told her.

“That’s quite forward of you. Not that I’m complaining,” Lani responded. Lani exited the shop, and Lex was left in a puddle of nervous excitement.

Lex tamped the grounds into the handle, pressing it more firmly than strictly necessary.

Lani walked up to the restaurant door where Lex was already waiting. “Ready?” Lex asked.

“Very.” The two of them were seated at a small booth across from each other. They talked nearly without pause for an hour while they ate. Lex told Lani about her job, her family, her friends, and her hobbies. Lani did the same and they grew comfortable in the relaxed conversation. Just before they parted ways for the evening, Lex leaned in and kissed Lani goodnight.

Lex locked the handle into the espresso machine and clicked the appropriate button to pull the shot. Her eyes were fixed on the steady stream of the espresso slowly pouring out as she leaned further into her imagination.

Their second date consisted of hours of trash talk over competitive arcade games, pinball machines, and drinks from the bar. When they had cooled off Lex asked Lani to be her valentine and Lani responded with an absolute yes. Their first Valentine’s Day together was a casual ordeal but sweet, nonetheless. They went out for dinner, then home for a movie and cozied up on the couch. After that was a paint and sip night at the local art studio where Lani asked Lex to officially be her girlfriend. They were supposed to be following the instructor as he painted a Bob Ross-esque landscape, but Lani had veered off course to write “Will You Be My Girlfriend” as clouds in the sky. Their relationship grew day by day, month by month. Two months after their first date Lex let the first “I love you” slip and Lani returned it faster than Lex could be embarrassed.

“You look like you’ve drifted off into space, Lex,” Marcus said with a laugh. “You have been staring at that shot of espresso for a solid thirty seconds without moving an inch tof finish her drink.” Lex most definitely had drifted off, repeatedly, since Lani walked in, but she refused to admit it in that moment.

A year to the day after their first “I love you” they packed up their respective belongings and hauled box after box into their new flat. It was small but cozy and the two of them were beyond excited to decorate. Lani painted art to hang on the walls and Lex strung fairy lights above their bed frame. It was theirs and it was home.

Lex pumped brown sugar syrup into Lani’s cup, then added in the espresso. Next, she poured oat milk into a metal jug. She brought it up to the steam wand and the milk swirled around, pulling her right back into her thoughts.

Two years after they moved in together, Lani planned a surprise date to a flower farm where they picked bouquets for each other and a photographer took the first professional photos they had together. Ten minutes into the shoot Lani revealed another surprise. While Lex was facing away from her, Lani pulled a blue velvet ring box from her pocket. She got down on one knee and asked the big question, “Will you make me the happiest woman in the universe and marry me?” Lex said yes before Lani even properly finished asking and nearly tackled Lani as she enveloped her in her arms. The photographer caught every bit of the proposal on camera and the photoshoot turned into an engagement shoot thereafter.

A growing warmth under her hand, nearly burning her, dragged Lex back into reality. She really needed to actually finish making Lani’s latte before her head detached from her body and floated away like a helium balloon. She poured the steamed milk into the espresso and syrup mix, carefully holding back the foam. Deciding to do so impulsively, Lex poured the foam into the cup and swirled it into the shape of a heart. “You should give her your number. Who knows, maybe whatever daydreams of yours could come true,” Marcus teased from behind her.

“I was not daydreaming,” Lex lied. “Just got a little distracted.” Against her better judgement and nerves, Lex quickly scribbled her name and number on a cardboard sleeve and brought the drink over to the pickup counter. “Brown sugar latte for Lani,” Lex said as she placed it down.

“Thanks,” Lani replied with a smile as she picked it up. That smile nearly catapulted Lex into imagining their wedding, but she resisted. To deter any more pining thoughts, Lex turned and walked back towards the register. She did her best to ignore her brain wondering if Lani would see the latte art and her number on the sleeve. If she would text her. If she was even queer. No, that one she didn’t have to wonder about, at least if her outfit was any indication.

She looked up at the sound of the door to the café opening. It then closed with Lani on the other side of it, and Lex’s phone chimed. A text from an unknown number popped up that read: The latte is amazing. I suppose I’ll have to thank you properly with a date ;) – Lani. Lex very nearly jumped for joy but held back in fear that Lani may still be within viewing distance. She told Marcus who cheered and helped her come up with a reply. The rest of the shift was filled with excited anticipation but no more daydreaming. Lex wanted the real thing.