The credit card machine is broken all of a sudden. It is not physically broken, but rather the screen is not lighting up.  "I'm sorry, Miss. It seems like our card machine is not working. Do you perhaps have cash with you?" The part-time cashier, Albert, tells the customer about the news. His face is as red as the Red Sox's socks, since he has never handled this kind of situation before. "Please give me a second." On the other hand, the customer seems flustered as well. She starts fumbling in her purse, hoping that she can find a dollar bill with Hamilton or even Jackson-soon-to-be-Tubman on it. Irene glances at the monitor. It shows that the total of the order is only $8.59, and judging by the look of things...

 

"Thanks! Um..." The woman glances down at Irene's shirt, trying to locate a name tag. However, Irene does not wear one, because as the owner, she does not feel the need for one. "Irene." "Thanks, Irene. I'm Wendy."

 

After the brief introduction, Irene excuses herself and prepares Wendy's drink. Wendy waits at the opposite side of the cashier, which is next to the pick-up area.

 

"Here's your latte and donut. Have a wonderful day."

 

"Thanks. Have a magical day!" Wendy smiles joyously, grabs her order, and strolls out of the shop. 

 

Wendy's smile is as bright as the summer sun, and leaves a burning impression in Irene's mind. Irene is mesmerized by her cheerfulness, and hopes to see her again.

 

The next day, Wendy comes in again. Irene is the cashier and the barista today, since Albert is busily studying for his finals. At first, he refused to take the day off, but Irene threatened him to, so he reluctantly accepted the offer.

 

"Good morning, Irene. I have my card and cash today. Just in case."

 

"And we have a fully functioning credit card machine. What can I get you, Wendy?"

 

"My usual. A latte and a Caesar salad."

 

This time, Wendy does not leave the shop as soon as she received her order. Instead, she seats neat the cashier and starts her meal. Irene wants to take this opportunity and befriend her.

 

"Would you mind if I sit here? It's my lunch break, and well, I have to watch if any customers come in. This is a convenient location."

 

"Of course not. Please have a seat."

 

They sit in silence for about fifteen minutes, until Wendy speaks.

 

"What are your hobbies? I like reading."

 

"I like reading, too. However, I am more interested in writing stories."

 

"That's amazing. May I read some of your stories?"

 

"Sure." Irene takes out a folder from her backpack. It contains the manuscript of the story she is currently working on.

 

Wendy reads silently.

 

"A star and a stalker, what a pair. I am immersed in the story, as if I am the stalker. I almost guessed the ending, but, well, you know. I like it. You could be more descriptive with the gore, if you would prefer."

 

"That's wicked sick... And awesome, Wendy."

 

Wendy lets out a breath of relief and laughs. Her laugh is, like her person, delightful.

 

"It has been a great pleasure talking to you."

 

"You, too, Irene. I probably will come by every day. My school is right over there. I teach English."

 

"Teacher. Tough job. Have a wonderful day."

 

"Have a magical day. See you tomorrow!"

 

It has been a routine for the both of them. Wendy comes to the cafe for her usual order during noon, and Irene joins her for lunch.

 

Wendy is jolly and loquacious. Some people might dislike her talkative personality, but Irene likes it a lot. She likes listening to people's stories, and Wendy is especially interesting to her. Her voice is like the middle C on the piano. It is not flat nor sharp. Wendy's animated facial expressions are another fun thing to watch.

 

"We were painting in class, and oh, it was one of the most chaotic day in my career! A student almost swallowed the paint!"

 

"No way. What happened next?"

 

"I stopped her just in time. But then she painted another student in green, like an avocado."

 

"Are they enemies?"

 

"Quite the opposite. Anita was claiming Cola as her own." Wendy's face is full of fondness towards her students.

 

"You must really love your students."

 

"They are excellent. Although they can be little devils at times. You can come see them during the school tour."

 

Not only is Wendy a good speaker, but she is also an attentive listener. Her eyes sparkle when she is fascinated by something you say.

 

"Irene, you have a beautiful name. Where did the name come from?"

 

"It was the first name I saw on the blackboard in my first English class. Can you tell me the correct pronunciation?"

 

"Irene."

 

"I-Lean."

 

"Well, you better not. You don't sit next to a wall. Irene."

 

"Irene."

 

"Wonderful."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Never mind."

 

"Is your name from Peter Pan?"

 

"That's right."

 

"No wonder why you say 'have a magical day.' It suits you."

 

Irene supposes she is attracted to Wendy. It is difficult not to, seeing as how charming Wendy is. When Wendy stares at her in the eyes, Irene feels as if they were lovers, but that is not possible. It is just my imagination.

 

"Irene, will you be able to give me opinions about choosing a gift?"

 

"What's the occasion? Mother's Day? Father's Day?"

 

"Neither of those. Should I call this person my crush? Someone I am attracted to? Anyway, this person loves writing and reading. Well, more on the writing side."

 

Crush. If Irene tells you that she is not disappointed, then she will be lying.

 

By the way, what are you supposed to do when your crush asks you to accompany her to choose a gift for her crush? You help her, of course.

 

"Maybe a pen? I recommend the stationery store at the mall. The staff is helpful." 

 

"That's a good idea! She likes to handwrite her notes."

 

 

"I should leave now. I might be late tomorrow, but I will certainly come by."

 

 

As promised, Wendy comes by the cafe the next day, carrying a present in blue wrapping paper. It is a well-wrapped present that Irene knows is for her crush.

 

 

Wendy spots Irene easily, since she is the only one working today. They greeted each other. Irene proceeds to make Wendy's drink.

 

When Irene hands the cup to Wendy, the latter gives her something else.

 

"What is this?" Irene stares at the blue-coloured object in bewilderment.

 

"This is the gift we talked about yesterday?"

 

"That's why I asked. Isn't this for your crush?"

 

Wendy scratches her head in embarrassment, and breathes deeply. No matter what she is going to say next, it must be important.

 

"Irene, this might be very sudden, but, I like you. Will you go on a date with me?"

 

It is.

 

"Why, yes. Definitely a yes. It's a magical day!"

*

It was originally written with original charaters, but the personality is totally Wendy, so I changed the characters' names.

Question of the Story: What kind of drinks do you like? Water, tea, coffee, juice, soft drink, alcohol, or something else? I like Chinese tea and orange juice.