***chapter 4 revisited. Sorry for the mistake.
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“Short black girl,” Cube said just as Amanda walked through the door on Monday morning. He had on this contagious grin that Amanda couldn’t help but return.
Amanda stood behind the person who was ordering Mocha Latte that had Amanda grimacing at the reminder of how sweet that drink was. Clark noticed her grimace and gave her all knowing smile that got her cheeks heating up.
The smile, Amanda realised, brought out a dimple on the left cheek that she has never noticed. It brought out a boyish look in his eyes that made him look cute.
The woman in front of her left to wait for her drink and Amanda abolished the thought before Clark could read it on her face.
“Hey,” Clark said, his smile widening. There went the butterflies again.
“Hey,” Amanda greeted, shyly.
“and hello to you too, Short Black Girl,” Cube said, coming to the counter and announcing the person on the to go cup’s name. A tall man came and picked up the cup without a glance away from his phone.
“Told ya his eyes were permanently glued to his phone,” Cube told Clark as he walked back to his station. “You owe me five bucks.”
“I will add it to your Christmas bonus,” Clark said and looked to Amanda. “Something new?”
She nodded her cheeks, eyes focused om the counter.
Clark grinned. “Oh it’s way.”
Amanda went to the stool that seemed to be permanently hers now and settled down as Clark helped the customers that were behind her.
Cube came back again to announce the next order lingering for a second to talk to Amanda. “Tried the Black Coffee yet?”
Amanda shook her head. “No.”
Cube turned to glare at Clark who was reciting the next order to him. “You know I’m right and trying to postpone the inevitable, huh?”
“Nope. I’m just trying to save Amy from your poison,” Clark said absentmindedly and pointed for Cube to go back to making drinks.
Cube stared slack jawed at Clark as Amanda’s butterflies became wilder in her stomach. He said it again. Nickname was getting too familiar the longer he said it.
Clark looked to them seeing that no one had moved or said anything since his last comment. “What?”
Cube grinned and shrugged. “Nothing. Let me get back to those drinks.” Under his breath. “So hooked.”
But Clark managed to hear him and sent him a glare which only made Cube laugh.
They continued to work in silence as more people walked in and Clark got their orders and Cube made the drinks. Then Amanda’s drink was placed before her as they continued their work.
She could feel Clark’s eyes on her every once in a while and Cube chuckling when she did. She lifted the drink to her mouth and took a sip. It wasn’t as bitter as the first drink, nor was it too sweet. But it tasted better.
Her phone buzzed in her bag and she took it out to find a message from her best friend, Analisse.
“Girl where you at?” it read. “Professor Wright is being more of a dick without his favorite student here.”
Amanda frowned at the message then checked her time. Her eyes widened. She had been busy watching Clark as he worked that she hadn’t bothered to check the time. Now she was five minutes late for class and it would be more by the time she reached campus.
With thoughts of her being late for class taking the majority of her mind, she placed a hundred dollar bill on the counter and practically run out of the shop.
As much as she was the professor’s favorite, Prof. Wright had a thing about tidiness and she had never been late to his classes. She managed to get to class a quarter past the hour of nine and gave the door three taps to signal her arrival.
The door snapped open and she looked into the magnified eyes of her Management professor.
“Miss Smith, so glad you could grace us with your presence,” he said, sarcasm clear on his wrinkled face.
“I’m sorry, professor,” she said her eyes focused on the floor. She hoped her father didn’t get a word of this.
“Come in, but this is your only warning,” he said.
She nodded and walked into the class. Everyone’s eyes were on her and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop from panicking. She hated being late for this exact reason. She didn’t like being the centre of attention.
She walked as quickly as she could and settled at her usual spot next to her best friend.
“Lucky, bitch,” Analisse murmured. “If it was anyone else, there would have been no warning.”
Amanda took her notebook and pen from her bag and tried to ignore her friend who seemed to not be having it.
“what happened? You are never late,” Analisse pointed out.
“I was occupied,” Amanda said and hoped that will diffuse her friend. But she should have known better.
“Before class? That doesn’t sound like you,” Analisse said. “what was it?”
“Can we please focus on the lecture,” Amanda said and looked in front as Prof. Wright wrote a heading on the white board.
“Yes,” Analisse said. “when you tell me what made you late?”
“I lost track of time at the coffee shop,” Amanda explained. “I didn’t realize it was late until you texted me.”
“Coffee shop?” Analisse said. “You stopped at a coffee shop?”
Amanda recalled that she hadn’t told her best friend yet about her adventures at the coffee shop with coffee. “ummm."
Analisse glared at her friend. "Have you been holding out on me?"
Amanda scribbled the heading in her notebook and tried to figure out a way to subdue her friend.
She sighed. "It’s sorta of a long story. I will tell you later.”
She waited for Analisse to say something. She almost thought her friend was going to do something dramatic when she relented.
"Fine," Analisse said. "And don't you dare hold out on me on the details."
Amanda sighed in relief and nodded. Crisis averted.
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CheekySally
YOU ARE READING
Coffee Buds
Short StoryAmanda Smith has never had a drop of caffeine in her life. After stumbling upon a cozy coffee shop, she decides to discover her taste buds and maybe know a few other things she never knew about herself. And it doesn't really hurt that the barista is...
