Page 17 of Trust Fall
Ivy
It was rare that Ivy worked the late shift on a Friday, she was usually on opening and finished by 3 p.m. Today was different because Lucas was coming in this evening to talk to her about starting her own franchise.
She’d suggested meeting another time and that it didn’t have to be at work, but he told her if they were talking about work,he’d make sure to do it when she was in the office as she may as well get paid for it.
Toni was behind the counter, Ty was in the kitchen wiping down the prep area before tackling the stack of cups and saucers from the past hour, and Ivy was in the office, triple-checking her list of questions for Lucas. Ivy was driving herself crazy just waiting. Lucas wasn’t due for another half hour (more than likely he’d be late because it washerhe was meeting, the only employee he could get away with being late for). She needed to get out of this office.
She pulled on her apron and headed out to greet Toni when she noticed the line of customers waiting. “Wow, is it usually like this on a Friday evening?” she asked, confused by the volume of people sitting in the shop and waiting at the counter.
“Yeah, pretty much,” Toni replied with a small shrug.
“Remind me to add a second person at this time on the roster, and we’ll make sure the other evenings get reviewed too, ok?” Ivy quickly moved behind the counter and started working through the customers.
“Sure thing, Boss.” Toni said with a smile.
Twenty minutes later the queue was under control, and Ivy had taken a cart of empty cups and saucers through to the kitchen.
“Aw man, I’d just cleared the last lot,” Ty sighed dramatically, making Ivy laugh.
“Sorry bud, thems the breaks.” She couldn’t help but laugh at his large figure taking up so much space at the sink, as she sat the tray beside the entrance to the kitchen. His broad shoulders were wider than the sink due to countless hours spentweightlifting at the gym, his hair was in twists this month under his hair net but not colored for once. “If I’m done with Lucas before we close, I’ll come and help you with the last of the dishes, deal?”
“You’re on! Instead of you taking it easy wiping down the tables, you’ll really need to roll those sleeves up for coming in here with me.” He chuckled as Ivy shook her head at him and laughed as she turned to head back out to the shop.
Ivy checked the queue at the counter and saw… her. Cleo. She was standing there talking to one of their regulars, Lana, who was next to be served. Ivy made her way over to the counter as Lana placed her order with Toni.
“Not the usual today, Toni, can I get a medium cappuccino and a medium decaf Americano, please?” Lana turned to Cleo and added with a laugh, “Who knows how much caffeine he’s had at work today already, he’s getting decaf and liking it.”
That’s when Ivy heard Cleo’s laugh for the first time. Her husky tone could be heard dancing through her laugh. It was magical.
Ivy nervously took a to-go cup off the back wall, took out her marker and wrote her name and number on one side of the cup. She twisted the cup in her hand and then wrote “Cleo” on the other side. Hiding her number from view under her hand.
“Hi Cleo, what Cuppa Comfort can I get you this afternoon?” Ivy said as steadily as she could force her voice to be.
“Ivy!” Cleo said, with a hint of surprise in her voice, “Hi.” Cleo swallowed hard before continuing “it’s nice to see you again. I’d love a decaf mocha please.” She dipped her head a little as she smiled. Wait, did Ivy just see Cleo blush?
“Wait, did you just order a mocha?” Lana asked. “Have I gotten you the wrong drink for the last three years and you’ve never said anything?” Lana asked Cleo with a hint of actual panicin her voice. Ivy and Toni looked at each other, lost at Lana’s question to Cleo.
“No, not at all Lana,” Cleo placed a reassuring hand on Lana’s forearm, “I just fancied something different while I’m out walking around the shops before heading to my parent’s house. You’re fine.” Cleo said. Ivy noticed Lana visibly relax, and only then did Cleo remove her hand.
Cleo must have noticed the looks on Ivy and Toni’s faces. “Oh, erm, Lana always gets our coffees for work,” Turning her eyes toward Ivy, she continued. “other than when I was in yesterday afternoon and got them.”
Lana chimed in, “I work for Cleo, that’s why I usually get the coffees. Have to keep the boss happy somehow, right Toni?”
Toni laughed. “If only it were as simple as bringing a coffee to this one to keep her happy,” she said as she turned toward Ivy.
Toni finished Lana’s order while still laughing and moved over to let Ivy start making Cleo’s coffee.
“I’m sure that’s not true at all,” Cleo said to Toni.
Ivy could feel Cleo’s gaze on her. It accompanied the blush currently rising up her chest and neck.
“Thanks Cleo, I’m gladsomeonedoesn’t fall for Toni’s flat-out lies about me,” Ivy managed to say as she turned back around to put the lid on Cleo’s cup, ensuring her hand was still covering her number on the cup.
“Ah you know I love you really, Ivy” Toni wrapped an arm around Ivy’s shoulder to make her point.
Ivy noticed Cleo looking at her necklace, so she reached up her hand and lightly ran her index and middle fingers over it. She spoke softly. “It’s Andromeda. The constellation. Well, it’s kind of part of a group of constellations. There’s a whole story about them. The four of them. The constellations. The four constellations.” Ivy cringed and closed her eyes before shaking her head slightly in the hope that whole comment would erase insimilar style to an etch-a-sketch. “It’s my favorite constellation actually, hence, the necklace.” Ivy dropped her hand from touching the jewelry, and sunk it into her apron pocket.
“It’s lovely,” Cleo replied with a soft smile as she handed over the money for her coffee and took the cup from Ivy. “I love astronomy, actually. Though I’ll need to look up the story behind that constellation, it’s one I don’t know.”
