(swearing, but bleeped out) Liv tapped her pen against the table, getting more frustrated by the second. ‘Erm, can I have the.. latte.. no wait, what’s that.. that one drink that’s all over TikTok.. wait, no.. oh, I know! Can I have something with caffeine in it, and milk and sugar, but not coffee, you know? And make it taste nothing like coffee.’ The man smiled as if he’d figured his life out, and Liv resisted the urge to stuff his ‘not-coffee coffee’ right up his a$§ where it belonged. Instead, she smoothed down her stained apron, tightened her blonde bun and put on a failed attempt at a smile. ‘I’m sorry, sir, I don’t think we have that here.’ The man’s satisfied smile faded. ‘Why not?’ Liv’s left eye twitched. ‘Because this is a coffee shop, and if I could make you what you just described, this would be a lab, and I wouldn’t be working a minimum wage job to deal with people like you.’ The man huffed, shoulders slumped like a scolded toddler, and muttered, ‘Well, you don’t have to be mean about it.’ before walking out of the shop. The bell above the door chimed just as Liv wiped the last smudge off the counter. She glanced up to see Matt strolling in, hands jammed in his jacket pockets, hair looking like he’d just rolled out of bed - but somehow still managed to look effortlessly cool. He caught her eye and grinned, the same grin that made her go weak at the knees from the start of 7th grade ‘Scaring off customers with your charm again, Liv?’ he teased, sliding onto a stool at the counter like he owned the place. Liv sighed, shooting him a sideways glance. ‘I don’t even know what the last guy ordered. A coffee which isn’t a coffee. Real specific, and he seemed so serious about it too.’ Matt laughed, shaking his head. ‘Sounds like some sort of experiment; who will resist punching him for the longest?’ Liv chuckled. ‘But hey, if your charm’s scaring them off, it’s definitely not working on me.’ She smirked, folding her arms. ‘Oh? So you’re immune to my lethal barista sass?’ ‘Completely. In fact,’ he leaned in just a bit, eyes twinkling, and Liv felt her heart beating slightly faster. ‘I think it might be the opposite.’ Before Liv could process what he said, he hit her with his order. ‘Venti iced white mocha, extra pumps of the mocha, sweet cream, cold foam, and caramel drizzle on top and around the cup. Don’t judge it before you try it.’ Liv laughed. ‘It’s a liiitttle too late for that. That’s basically diabetes in a cup.’ She said, starting to make the drink. ‘And yet..’ he sighed dramatically, ‘..still not as sweet as you.’
