The rain chases the customers in, and the cold makes them eager to stay and spend on whatever warm thing might bring them comfort. You don't need magic to turn a small latte order into a large, extra-strong mocha with whipped cream and marshmallows.
You float it, they buy it.
Rain lashed against the cafe windows in undulating sheets. Umbrellas were discarded by the door in a soggy bouquet while their owners shed layers and settled into seats. The air was an olfactory confluence of spiced hot chocolate, damp hair and fresh-cut ivy.
Quantities and quantities of ivy.
It hung all over the cafe, making the space look as though it had started sprouting of its own volition. This was a result of Cardan getting a little too carried away with his midnight gardening. Jude had been forced to hack at the plant to keep it from creeping all over her neighbour's balcony.
It seemed a shame to waste so much magical ivy, so it had found a new home here.
Now, every workday morning, Jude would tend to Toad the coffee machine while Cardan went about plant whispering. He could revive any wilted sprig with the merest touch. Jude found that it transformed the very atmosphere of the place to know so much of the decor was sustained by magic. It quenched a quiet homesickness within her that missed everyday miracles, like towering treefolk crossing your path on your way to school, or flying horses conjured from weeds.
She tried not to dwell on the fact that she only had a week or two left of this.
Of Cosmic Brew. Of him.
Instead, she smiled her gratitude as Cardan took advantage of a lull in customers to assist her with drink making. He was actually pretty attentive for someone who liked to pretend at perpetual nonchalance.
His slender fingers danced along the empty cups, preparing each one before it passed through Toad. A sprinkle of cinnamon here. A serving of marshmallows there. He made short work of every rush.
Sometimes his fingers would brush against her fingers. His hip, her hip. They danced an efficient ballet of bodies making do in tight spaces. It was the same at home when they shared the kitchen, or went about their cosmetic routines in the bathroom—usually in a mad hurry to get to work.
