"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Elizabeth Bennett of the 21 st century," came a voice dragging through the coffee shop as Clarke walked in. She had been going to that coffee shop every morning for three months, and the staff had gotten to know her pretty well. They thought it was funny to call her that because they thought she was stubborn like that. It was probably because one of the baristas kept hitting on her, but she kept turning him down.
She walked up to the counter where the barista in question was sweeping the floor. He bumped the other cashier over to take her order. His name shined at her on his badge, catching her eye and making it burn with the glare. It read "Joe" in all caps. "So, what can I get for you today, ma'am?" he said with a wink.
Clarke looked at him with her hands on her hips for a second. She always got the same thing, but he still asked her every morning anyway. Sometimes, he would even offer to surprise her with some new combination that she would love. But she would always stick to her soy chai latte. It kept her calm, yet awake.
"The usual, Joe, please."
"One usual, coming up for Clarke!" Joe called to a young female Clarke had also seen about a million times. She was the only one that stayed silent and minded her own business in that place. But if she were honest, Clarke wouldn't have it any other way. It had become a comforting part of her routine to have the staff at the coffee shop mess with her.
"So, are you ready to go out with me yet?" Joe asked, leaning across the counter with his chin resting in his hand. "Because if you are, we don't even have to go anywhere. You can walk over and have lunch here with me. I can make you a really good cappuccino maybe, or an iced coffee of some kind, and we can just talk." It was hard to take him seriously with the big goofy smile on his face and his pushiness to change her tastes. Clarke had to fight down a smile as not to encourage him any further.
She just shook her head and moved down to the side of the counter where her hot coffee would be sitting once it was made. She kept her head down and ignored any looks Joe or the others gave her. She was in the zone already, worrying over what she might find when she got to the flower shop. They had just done a reset over the weekend to get ready for prom season as well as Easter. It was one of the busiest times of year for the shop. And everything had to be perfect.