Running Late
She was running late. Again. Cameron Wynter could not be said to be an early riser but still, somehow, she had been handed the morning shift at her uni's most frequented coffee shop. Perhaps it was because she never had any early classes or because her flat was near by. Whatever the reason was, it meant she had to wake up at ungodly hours to open up at 5:30 AM every Friday. With a groan she rolls out of bed and hurriedly starts getting ready. She had promised to herself that she'd start waking up earlier. That guy would arrive before her. Again. The put together one that probably did law or economics or something that requires a suit. The cute one who had been her first customer every morning on her Friday shift for the past few months. Tom.
Chucking her used pyjamas into a corner she yanks on her uniform and hops down stairs, pulling her hair into a ponytail on as she does. 5:20. She curses as she trips on the last step, banging her hip into the railing. She grabs her jackets and starts running. She couldn't be late. As she locks her door she hops into her shoes, one foot at a time, making sure her scarf wasn't dragging on the floor. She couldn't be late. Not again. When she reaches the store her hair is a wild mess, black curls flying everywhere. Her pale skin is flushed red, and her clothes are rumpled, mismatched socks and shirt half tucked in. Her bag with her change of clothes barely closed, her t-shirt half hanging out. And there he is. The well put together guy. Generally his hair seemed perfectly combed, clothes tidy and neat, even his completion seemed perfect, and all without coffee. If she was honest with herself, he was the highlight of her early shift. He was always so polite, compared to the rude zombies that filled the store later on. They usually had some witty conversation before he eventually had to leave. Plus he was very easy on the eyes, and that was never a bad thing. She'd come to enjoy his morning visits to the store, despite the ungodly hours of the morning. Cam lets out an undignified huff and sets about unlocking the doors, while the guy waits patiently. Finally managing to get the door open, she shoves it open, stepping into the store; flipping on the lights. She looks up at him, smiling some. "Come on in, you're here anyways, may as well sit while you wait." She gestures at the sofas, before moving behind the counter. The guy, Tom, smiles some and steps in slowly, carrying his books carefully.
“Thanks.”
Cam moves about, starting the machines, organising the tables and then finally, making his coffee. She ties her apron around her waist, and he comes over to the counter when she waves. Up close, he wasn't so composed that morning. In fact, his hair was quite messy, and he had shadows under his eyes. As he moves closer she can hear him murmuring to himself, peering in concentration at what was instantly obvious as exam notes. She couldn't quite guess the subject, but there were tables and numbers involved and it was far too different from her dance and sports centred degree for him to be in any of her classes. She sets the cup down by him. "Cappuccino with extra milk, right?" She asks , finally finding the time to fix her ponytail. She'd scribbled him a little note on the side of the cup. A cheesy pickup line and her phone number. The guy looks up again, pretty blue eyes widening in surprise some. "How did you-..?" "You've been here enough times, I've remembered. You do order the same thing every morning after all." She raises an eyebrow some, a mildly teasing look on her face. A sheepish look seems to cross his face for a brief moment. He almost looked like he was blushing. Cam found she quite liked him when he was blushing. It was, frankly, adorable. "Well... Thanks Cameron.. " "Just Cam is fine" He smiles. "Cam.." He starts rummaging around for some change. "It's 3.95 $ right...?" Cam raises an eyebrow, humming quietly. "No, no.. The drink is on the house, you just keep studying. You'll just have to come back here afterwards and tell me how it went." She gives a warm grin and accepts his thanks but ignoring his protests. She didn't know if she imagined his blush getting darker, but she hoped she didn't. Soon the others arrive and more customers start arriving and Tom leaves, so Cam plasters on her work smile and gets started
She passes by his table, finding just a napkin and not the cup. She took that to mean he took it with him. Looking closely at the napkin she finds some writing scribbled on it. His name, his phone number and a little thank you message.
She can't help but think of him for the rest of the day. Him and his adorable smile, and the blushing and-
Eventually though, her shift ends and she makes her way out of the store, in civilian clothes again. She's rummaging in her purse for her keys and isn't looking in front of her. Hair in her face she walks straight into another person, falling spectacularly to the floor. She mumbles a curse as she lands on her bum and looks up to see Tom looking extremely concerned and apologetic. He bends down, holding out a hand to help her up. "I-... Am so sorry... Cam... I-... Didn't see you there." The girl grabs his hand and with his help stands. Rubbing her side she looks up at him again. "It's okay... I'm tiny, not many people see me." She grins a little, though slowly it takes on a cheeky look. "Are you hurt?..." He asks, still looking quite concerned "I'm fine, just a small bump. Wasn't that far a distance to fall anyways..." She chuckles softly.
This time Tom definitely blushes, but so does Cam. She wasn't usually this forwards. But Tom was cute, and sweet, and she had always found his company in the morning quite pleasant. He nods and pulls out his phone, typing a quick message, before looking up at her slowly, cheeks definitely pink at this point. Her phone dings and she pulls it out slowly, showing a message from the newly added contact. ‘Tom☕️’
He'd definitely gotten her message on the cup.
Now it's Cam's turn to blush.
"So about what you this morning... How about I ask you out instead? Lunch? When you're free?" Tom tilts his head, grinning some at her.
"I'm free tomorrow?"
"Perfect."