Coffee Buds

1. Espresso (Short Black Girl)

☕☕☕

Espresso is a miracle of chemistry in a cup". - Andrea Illy

☕☕☕

Amanda gulped already feeling the panic rising.

The cropped haired guy had a friendly smile on his face as he looked at her expectantly. His brows furrowed and his smile wobbled when he didn't get a response after a minute.

It was a good thing that the shop had slowed down and no one was behind her at that moment.

"You okay?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

Amanda opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She hated it when this happened. She her brain couldn't put together enough words to form a sentence and actually speak the words out loud.

"Are you a coffee or tea person?" the guy asked.

Amanda didn't know the answer to that. She had never tried either. She was a juice and milk girl. That was all she knew, that was all she ever had.

"Hmm," the guy said and placed a hand on his chin as if in deep thought. "I am going to take a wide guess and say you are a coffee girl. Maybe an espresso. Yep, definitely an espresso."

Still no word came out of Amanda. This was a bad idea. She shouldn't have walked in here. Or allowed her ex boyfriend to get inside her head and scramble her already messed up head.

"If Cube wasn't so busy I would have let him read your palms," the guy continued to say. "he has a nark for knowing people's preferences by doing that."

The guy turned to look behind him at the white haired guy who was looking between Amanda and him. The Cube guy casually leaned on one of the long tables containing the coffee equipment and different sized saucers and mugs.

"An espresso, Cube," the cropped haired guy told his friend.

The white haired guy, Cube, raised a brow at that. "she doesn't look like a short black girl, Clark."

Cube chuckled at the irony. That was exactly who Amanda was, a short black girl. People had made fun of her height for as long as she could remember. It wasn't her fault that she stopped growing when she turned 12.

Clark, cropped haired guy, shrugged. "she could use it. She looks half asleep."

Amanda knew that he was right. She hadn't slept since that fateful day when she got dumped and called uptight no matter how sort of right Michael had been.

Cube moved closer to the counter, a to go cup in his hand, and looked Amanda up and down. "I'm getting a black coffee vibe."

Then he called a name to the shop, and a middle aged businesslady came forward and took the cup before walking out of the shop. Cube focused back on Amanda. It looked like that was the last order before her. She should definitely speak now.

"I think she's more Espresso," Clark said, his eyes narrowing on Amanda in question.

"I-" Amanda swallowed. She could do this. She just had to get a bearing on her tongue and mind. "I n-never had either."

Clark's brow shot up, and Cube had an amused smile on his face.

"For a second there, I thought you were mute, or deaf," Cube said and got an elbow hit to his ribs.

"Oh," Clark said. "then what would you like?"

"I-I don't know," Amanda said, her eyes dropping to her feet before her next words left her mouth. "I've never had coffee before."

Cube whistled. "Damn, I was so wrong. She is a tea person. Should have figured it out."

Amanda shook her head. "That too."

"My radar has never been this off before, Short Black Girl, you are giving me a run for my money," Cube said, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Amanda could feel her cheeks heating up.

"then what brings you to a coffee shop?" Clark asked, sounding less rude than the question implied.

"Wanted to try something new," Amanda said honestly.

That got Clark grinning. "You've come to the right place. Cube, make that Espresso."

"Still sense she is a black coffee girl," Cube pointed out. "But if you want to be wrong, be my guess."

Clark ignored him as Cube went to the espresso machine to prepare the drink and looked to Amanda who seemed to be rooted to the floor.

"How about you get a sit?" he nodded to a table whose occupants had just vacated. "I will call you when your drink is ready."

Amanda gave a nod and walked to the table, and settled on the high stool.

She shouldn't be here. She thought as the bell chimed, more customers coming in and out of the shop. She looked at her watch and saw that she had close to twenty minutes before her class started.

Should she have gotten a to go cup? She didn't think she was going to make it in time.

"Short Black Girl?" Cube called out and Amanda's head shot up to meet his amused eyes.

She got off the stool and got her drink, then she remembered that she hadn't paid. She reached in her pocket for cash but Clark stopped her.

"On the house," he said.

She was about to protest but shut her mouth when his eyes narrowed.

"Thank you," Amanda said.

"You will thank you when you actually like the drink," Clark said.

Amanda nodded and brought her cup forward. Clark handed her a tablespoon and she looked up confused.

"The flavour is so much better when you stir," he advised.

Amanda nodded and stirred her drink. She knew he was watching her and that made her nervous. Her hands shook as she brought the cup to her mouth and took a sip.

She couldn't hide the grimace that formed on her face from the taste. The coffee was rich with flavor and smooth but she just couldn't see herself ever ordering it again. It wasn't for her.

She looked up to see Clark's face fall at her reaction. She immediately opened her mouth to apologize for offending him but Cube cut her off with his laughter.

"Told ya she was a black coffee girl," he said.

Clark grumbled. "Black coffee taste just as bad if not worse than this. If she didn't like this one, there's no way, she'd like black coffee."

"I don't know, Clark, my intuition is never wrong," Cube said.

Clark huffed and looked apologetically to Amanda. "Sorry."

Amanda shook her head. "It's fine. It's not that bad."

Clark cracked a smile at that. It was a nice smile, Amanda thought.

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better," Clark said.

Amanda nodded. "Thanks for the drink."

She looked to her watch and decided it was time to go. "I gotta go."

"Yeah, of course," Clark said. "Don't forget to come by some other time, we always have something new for you to try on."

Amanda found herself really smiling for the first time in three days and nodded. "I will."

☕☕☕

CheekySally