slow // joshua t bassett

UNO

Josephine was standing at the counter, head resting in her hands. She pouted, wishing she were anywhere else than work. It was only 7:30 in the morning, and she was ready to end her 8-hour shift. She clocked in at 7:15, arriving 15 minutes late due to the unusually heavy traffic. The roads were a lot busier now that the school was being used to film a show.

Jo blew the hair out of her face, waiting patiently for someone, anyone, to walk through the door and tell her the world was ending. It would surely take her out of her personal misery.

She heard the bell of the door ding loudly. It was the only thing making noise, except for a heavy breathing. She peered up, trying her best to look presentable in front of her costumer. The boy looked disheveled and worried. His curly hair flopped when he jogged to the counter. Jo stared at him expectingly, yet with a kind smile. "Good morning!" She beamed at him, thankful that someone was going to enter the coffee shop at least once that morning.

"Good morning," he replied in between breaths, "hold on let me catch my breath."

Jo smiled up at him, "take your time." He chuckled, "I'm actually late to work. I probably shouldn't be taking my time."

"Well, I do believe Einstein said that time is relative," she began to lose her focus in her sentence, "but I don't actually know the significance between time and relativity." The boy's pants slowed and became quieter. "Moral of the story, try not to get fired," he chuckled along with her, "so, what can I get you?"

Josh pondered for a quick second, "what do you recommend?"

"Well, I personally like a large iced caramel coffee with caramel drizzle on top, but it's up to you."

He chuckled, suddenly noticing the prominent dimples that formed when the girl in front of him smiled. "I'll just have that, please."

Josephine sent him a beaming grin, "kk, that'll be $4.56."
Josh handed her a five-dollar bill, "keep the change." How generous Josephine thought sure do love me a 44¢ tip!

She turned to make his coffee. Keeping in mind that he's running late she made it as quickly as she possibly could. "Did you say if you wanted the caramel drizzle?" Jo asked. She had been processing things rather slow this morning. "I don't know. I just said I'd get what you normally get."

She turned around with the cup and drizzle in either hand. "I mean if you want it I can give it to you." She shrugged, not really bothered if she had accidentally charged him less.

"Oh um, yeah. Thanks...Jo?" Joshua responded. He perched over the counter a slight bit to take a peek at her name tag.

Smiling she placed the lid on the cup, sliding it onto the counter in front of him. "Have a good rest of your day. I hope you don't get fired."

Joshua smiled widely, "I doubt I will, but thank you."

Josephine followed him with her eyes to the door. He spun to face her direction, "Before I go, what is Jo short for?"

"Josephine."

"Well, Josephine, it was nice meeting you." His eye contact with her held for a while before he spoke again,  "I'm Josh, by the way."

Her smile was soft, yet in a dreamy trance, "bye Josh."

And with a final 'bye', Josh left the cafe to, once again,  hurry to East High. When he made it there he was in little to no trouble with the director and crew. If anything, Oliva was the one who gave him the most trouble.

"Why were you so late? We were expecting you for makeup and wardrobe 20 minutes ago!" Olivia scolded.

"I woke up late, and then I got a coffee," Joshua explained, leaving out his encounter with Josephine. He took one last sip of his coffee and tossed it onto a table. Olivia continued to grumble criticism, but Joshua had stopped paying attention.

She picked up his coffee and took a sip from it, "hey, this is really good. What is it?" She lifted the cup up, inspecting it, looking for some kind of label.

"I don't know, the barista recommended it to me," he shrugged, sitting down in his make up chair. He turned away from Olivia as the beauty crew began to apply products to his face and hair.

Olivia questioned, "who's ... Jo?" Her eyes were squinted as she read the scribbled words on the transparent cup. Joshua's eyebrows raised to the top of his head, "She's the barista. How did you-? Why?"

She giggled, "because it looks like Jo left you her number! She also says, "don't get fired!" Smiley face."

He rolled his eyes, knowing he'd never hear the end of this from the cast and crew. "Okay."

"Just okay!?" Olivia threw her arms up in the air, "you're not going to text her?"

"What if she's a fan?" Joshua argued. Olivia rolled her eyes in response. "So what? Did she give you the impression that she is?"

Josh hesitated, "No, but she could've been really good at hiding it."  Olivia wasn't buying it though, "text her!"

"Okay, but I don't even know how old she is. I don't want to catch a case, Olivia! At least not another one!"

Olivia scoffed, "sis, I am not a case. I am your job, sweetie." Josh retaliated, "still a case; you're 16."

"Well you can't catch a case with her if you just text her as friends," Olivia contradicted Josh. He knows she's right, but he doesn't want to admit it. At least, not in front of her. When she realized that Joshua wasn't going to respond, she set the cup in front of him. She patted his shoulder and made her way out of the trailer.