Chapter Text
“Liz, get off your phone and help me!” Scott slides into the back to grab another handful of cups. “We’re kinda swamped right now, and Shrub’s stuck at the till.”
“Coming, Scott. Sorry for taking my break when I’m allowed. Also, since when did you get promoted to my manager?” She grins as she swoops out to the front.
“Two weeks ago, Lizzie. Right after You-Know-Who quit.” He scowls at her playfully. “Do you ask me that every day, just so that I can remind you?”
“Yep.”
He sighs, retying the knot that’s come loose on his apron. The Empire Cafe usually gets busy around now, but seeing as it’s a Monday, it’s a bit more crowded than usual. Empire University is just a few blocks down the street, and thus the cafe was often full of students either studying, hanging out, or pulling all-nighters on their ninth cup of coffee. Scott doesn’t envy the latter.
He’s worked here since freshman year, finally being promoted to manager after the previous manager, who also happened to be his ex, (Long story, go ask Lizzie about it.) quit abruptly. It’s by no means a bad job. He works with his two best friends, and the pay is good for the hours he works.
Shrub tears him from his train of thought. “Be right back. You take the till.” They shove him towards the counter. “Have fun!”
He laughs under his breath, looking to the next in line. Glancing up, it takes him a second to remember words.
The boy in front of him is slightly taller, no small feat compared to Scott’s 6’1, with messy blonde hair and bright green eyes. “Uh, hi there. My order’s kinda complicated, but I can shorten it if you don’t want me to hold up the line.”
“No no no, you’re good.” Scott reassures him, clearing his throat. “What can I get started for you?” He brushes a bit of imaginary dust from the front of his apron.
“I’d like an iced vanilla oatmilk latte. With two pumps of cinnamon if you have that. Oh, and whatever muffin you think is best.” He grins lopsidedly.
“Right, that’ll be six twenty-two.”
He hands Scott two fives. “You’re welcome to keep the change.”
Scott’s eyebrows shoot up. Tips are very uncommon here, especially with most being broke college students. Hell, he’s even had kids pay in quarters before. “Are you sure?”
The boy nods. “Absolutely, I am.”
“Right, can I get your name then? For the order, I mean.”
“Sure. Jimmy. Do you need me to spell that?” Jimmy jokes.
“Har har har. Your order will be out in a minute, Jimmy.”
He scoops up a cup, but the second he sees Shrub heading back for the till, he pushes past them to find Lizzie in the back.
“Lizzie? Liz, I need your help.”
“What’s up, Scotty?” She knows he hates that nickname, but he brushes that off for the moment, deciding that there are more important things to do.
“I need to know if I should give this guy my number.”
She doesn't even look up from the drink she’s making.
”I’m not joking, Lizzie!” Scott protests, nearly crushing the cup he had scooped up in his hand. “I don’t want to hit on him if he isn’t gay!”
”Scott. He’s at a coffee shop, for starters. Second, you told me yourself he has a rainbow pin, and he ordered an iced coffee. It’s November.”
”…You’re probably right.” Scott admits, grinning at her.
She returns the grin smugly. “I always am.” He rolls his eyes and tosses the crumpled cup at her head, ignoring the following squeak of pain as he heads to make Jimmy’s drink.
It’s not too bad of an order, by most standards. Hell, Joey’s order was ten times worse, and Scott could whip that up in ten seconds flat. As for the muffins, he’s just about to grab a chocolate chip one when Lizzie pushes past him with a tray of fresh blueberry one. He snags one, once again ignoring her protests as he bags it alongside the coffee. At the last moment, he scribbles his number down on a napkin, folding that around the muffin bag.
“Jimmy?” He calls out, and the blond glances up from his chair in one corner.
“Thanks… Scott.” He says when he accepts the bag, checking Scott’s name tag for his name. “And the muffin looks amazing.”
When he goes to sit back down, Scott may or may not be watching out of the corner of his eye as he fixes the next customer’s drink. Jimmy grins as he unfolds the napkin, and soon Scott feels his phone buzz in his pocket. He wants to grab it, but Shrub calls his name and he hurries to help them.
The rest of his shift passes in a blur. More customers than he can ever remember being in the cafe at once, and when it’s finally hit ten and Scott’s closing up, he notices that Jimmy’s still sat in the same plush red chair in the corner. He sets the rag he was using to wipe down the counters to the side and tosses his apron alongside it.
He walks over to the other, pausing a few feet away. “Still sticking around? It’s getting late.” He sits on one of the chairs nearby.
“Yeah, I know. I’ll leave as soon as you need me to, but I promised myself I’d finish this chapter before I gave up. But that gets kinda hard when I’ve reread the same paragraph nine times in the last hour.”
“I can read it aloud?” Scott offers. He’s used to helping others out when it comes to schoolwork, acting as a tutor when he isn’t a barista. “Maybe that’ll make it clearer.”
“Are you sure? It’s almost closing and I don’t want to keep you.”
Scott shakes his head. “I’m the last one here, so it’s not too much of a problem if I stay another half hour. Besides, my only other plans were going to be watching Netflix with my cat.” He laughs. “What’s the chapter on?”
“It’s a thing for my psychology class. The course looked interesting, but me and my ADHD were not ready for all of the reading it’d require.” Jimmy laughs. “Here.” He hands the packet to Scott. At the other’s shock, he laughs again. “I know, right. Paper? How outdated.”
“Definitely. Your psych teacher must be from the stone age. Right, do you want to take notes, or should I just go ahead and read?”
Jimmy scoops up a notepad from the table beside him. “Go right ahead.”
Jimmy was right. It’s a dense essay that Scott would have trouble getting through on his own. It’s well past eleven and approaching midnight when they finally conclude, and Scott locks the cafe’s doors behind them.
“Goodnight, Jimmy. And hey, if you ever need help again, I tutor on some afternoons, so you can just text me.”
“Thanks again, man. I really appreciate your help, and yeah, I may need to take you up on that If I get any more assignments like this one.” He waves the papers around in the air, breath puffing up in the cold night air with his laughter. “Goodnight, Scott.”
They part ways just outside the dorms, Jimmy headed in one direction while Scott goes in the other.
And if the latter heads back the whole way with a stupid grin on his face, who’s to know?