Coffee shop days may be coming to an end.

I had to work that next day, and I suppose it’s pretty obvious, but it felt good to know I’d be making back the money I spent the day before by working that Wednesday. Yes, yes, that’s how it is with jobs and spending, but cut me some slack. I was just realizing these things for the first time.

That day I got to the coffee shop earlier than usual. About two hours early, I mean. If things continued as normal, I would’ve had a shift on Friday, but that was when I’d be going on vacation with the girls. I asked Maria if I could rearrange my shifts a bit and she agreed to accommodate me. That meant that I’d be working on Thursday as well, while Isabelle’s shift was moved to Friday instead.

“See how good it is to have more than a single employee?”

“It’s expensive and a hassle, that’s what it is,” Maria said, sighing. “Moving shifts around to accommodate you all… You kids have no idea how good you have it.”

“Don’t worry. You should be free of me soon enough,” I told her. “I’ll start training as a bartender soon.”

“So Diana’s finally stealing you from me? Are you sure a raise is not enough to keep you here?”

“Diana’s not stealing me from you. A multi billionaire philanthropist is.”

“Ah, right. Then… Are you sure you want to leave your cute student alone all of a sudden?”

I flinched. “S-Student?”

“You’ve been teaching Fern all about the trade. I’d say she counts as your student. It’s only been two days, but she’s already making fewer mistakes and feels a lot more relaxed at work.”

“Just a reminder that that should be your job,” I told her.

“Incorrect. An employer hires whoever they think is best for the job, and if they don’t deliver then they get fired. I don’t have to teach anyone anything.”

I sighed. “Okay, I guess that’s technically true, but you sound like an ass saying it out loud.”

“Is that any way to talk to your boss?”

“I’m quitting soon, so I can do whatever I want.”

“Cheeky brat. What happened to the meek, quiet Oliver? I miss him.”

“I don’t, honestly.”

What I was gonna miss was this. This atmosphere, these talks, these tasks. I’d gotten used to it all. I was comfortable in this job. I knew what I was doing, how to handle myself. Having Maria as a boss was great because I could talk freely with her, just like this.

I wonder at what point Maria stopped being just my boss and became a friend? Funny thing is that it had little to do with the fact she was dating my best friend.

Man, if they ever broke up it was gonna be awkward. Here’s hoping that doesn’t happen.

“But really… Bartending? At least it won’t be at a club or something like that. I hear it gets so hectic, even bartenders who love their job hate their job.”

“...”

Yeah, I was more than a little scared. It was a completely different job. I didn’t know what skills that I’d learned would transfer over. Not to mention it was a completely different environment, too. But… It was the same when I started at the coffee shop. Worse, actually. I knew nothing and lacked even basic skills. The only thing I knew how to do was wash the dishes.

I smiled and shrugged. “I’ll manage. If not, the worst they can do is fire me, right?”

“And you’ll disappoint your lovely girlfriend who is secretly very excited to work with you.”

“...” I felt my stomach twisting. “Okay, you don’t get to talk anymore.”

Two hours later it was time for Fernanda’s shift to start. She arrived on time, dressed in jeans and the shop’s black shirt. She also had a backpack with her. Before even saying hello to her, I watched her from behind the counter, following her every move and even where her eyes were looking.

The first thing she did when she came in was look at the tables. Only two were occupied at the moment and both had their orders ready. She checked that off her mental list. Then she grabbed her apron and put it on, greeting Maria as she did. There was a small smile there, too. After that, Fernanda glanced towards the trash can and saw it nearly full. That was when she approached me.

“Um… Hello, Oliver.”

“Hey,” I greeted her back with a smile. “How are you doing today? Feeling well?”

“Y-Yes. I’m doing well. Thank you. Um… Should I take out the trash?”

“Let’s wait a bit. I think the people at table six are about done. You can do it after we clean that up.”

She nodded. “O-Okay. What should I do now?”

“What do you think you should do?” I asked her. It was an invitation to think, to assess the state of the shop and be proactive.

“I’ll… sweep the kitchen, then.”

“Alright. Thanks.”

Fernanda grabbed a broom and went into the kitchen. The shift in attitude from the first day I worked with her was noticeable. Even after she finished cleaning the kitchen she came back out and asked Maria what more needed to be done. The boss gave her some more tasks and the day went on like usual. By which I mean Fernanda didn’t talk more than she needed to. She didn’t make much trivial conversation, and it made talking with Maria a bit more awkward. Like… If we talked like we had before she got here it would feel like we were leaving her out. Wasn’t sure how to tell her that, since technically it wasn’t a work problem that needed fixing.

Still, the girl was working hard. Sometimes, when I worked with Isabelle, I would catch her texting or watching videos on her phone, so either Maria or I would chide her and send her to do something else. Fernanda, on the other hand, seemed restless when she WASN’T doing something. She still had troubles waiting tables, but that wasn’t something one could fix in a day or two.

The day ended without issues. We closed up shop and were each about to go our merry way. In fact, I was approaching my van when I heard Fernanda call up to me.

“Um…! H-Hey, Oliver? I’m sorry if this is a bad moment, but… Do you mind if… if I ask you something?” Her voice had a faint trembling to it and she was hugging her backpack tightly. I think I noticed her hands shaking too.

“Hm? Yeah, of course. What is it?”

She opened her backpack, and from it brought out a pretty big notebook.

No, not a notebook.

A sketchbook.

Patreon.