The bell over the door jingled as Jeah walked into the cafe the next morning. Her best friend, Kori, had already started wiping down tables before they opened for the day.

 

"Dumb , where were you yesterday?" Jeah asked stowing her messenger bag behind the counter.

 

"Yixing was in a good mood so we went out for the day." Kori smiled to herself as she pushed the strands of hair that has fallen out of her ponytail away from her face. "He's been acting kind of funny lately and he doesn't even know why."

 

"That's good then." Jeah tied on her black apron around her hips. "It was really busy yesterday."

 

"I meant to call." Kori pouted. "Sorry."

 

"Don't worry about it. I met a hot guy." Jeah tugged at the end of one of her curls.

 

"No way." Her friend shrieked. "What's he like?"

 

"Well he's tall with a deep voice." She leaned on the counter; Kori joined her. "He's sort of odd though. Like he seems nervous and snippy but he's very polite."

 

Kori shrugged and went  into the kitchen to oversee the proceedings of the cooks. Jeah sighed and went to the storefront to flip to 'closed' sign over to 'open'.

 

By the time she returned to the other side of the counter, a customer was in her face.

 

"Jeez Kris!" She shrieked. "I didn't even hear you come in."

 

"Sorry, Jeah." He bowed his head.

 

Jeah paused. "I didn't even tell you my name yesterday."

 

"You didn't?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. "Are you going to get me my coffee or what?"

 

"Black coffee for Mr. Sassy at the loner table." She pouted. "Coming right up."

 

Kris nodded and headed to his table in the corner while Jeah turned her back to prepare a fresh pot of coffee.

 

Kori stood in the doorway that joined the kitchen and the main room of the cafe and coughed.

 

"What?" Jeah blinked. Kori shook her head and went back into the kitchen. She shrugged it off and brought a mug and a pot of coffee to Kris's table.

 

She'd barely placed the beverage on the table and turned around when Kris asked her for a refill. She poured it hesitantly and backed away, watching him.

 

Jeah eventually bumped into another table and Kris hung his head, laughing. She scurried to the safety of the marble counter and crouched behind it, peering over its top.

 

Kris watched her out of the corner of his eye as he sipped his coffee. He pulled out his wallet and counted out the appropriate amount for two cups of coffee.

 

"It's on the house." Jeah peeped from her hiding place. Kris disagreed and placed the money on the table before slipping out the door.

 

"Should I be offended that he keeps refusing free coffee?" Jeah still crouched behind the counter as Kori strode to the vacant table.

 

"Should I be offended that you keep trying to give away a precious blend that took me years to perfect?" Kori counted the money. "You should be more offended by the fact that he doesn't tip you."

 

Jeah wrinkled her nose and straightened up, swiping a biscuit to substitute the breakfast she'd skipped. "He acted differently today."

 

"I don't know about him." Kori shook her head after she cleaned the table. "He gives me a funny feeling."

 

"He's not bad." The other girl scoffed.

 

"Maybe it's just me being protective." Kori pursed her lips. "I'll have Yixing come by tomorrow to be my judgement."

 

She ruffled Jeah's hair before returning to the kitchen.

 

"Weirdo." Jeah rearranged her hair frantically before warmly greeting the stream of customers that began to flow into the cafe.