Before I met Kaden again, I worked at a coffee shop for quite some time. It was a nice shop with a beautiful window lined with flowers, and we had some very loyal customers that came here almost everyday for some cheaper coffee options. We provide healthier options and free boosts on certain days to attract a broader range of customers.
I worked as a barista for the shop, and it was a fairly painless job. It sometimes got a bit busy, but the stress never moved past the point of being slightly impactful.
That was, until I saw Kaden. Kaden was one of my friends back in high school, but he suddenly moved away around junior year. I was never sure about why he moved, but I did miss him. But, now here he was. He was back. Maybe he'd recognize me? I wasn't exactly sure if he remembered who I was, even though he greeted me with a smile as he started ordering his drink.
"Can I get a hot chocolate with white chocolate instead of regular chocolate?" Kaden asked, his eyes sparkling in our shop's bright lighting.
"Any free boosts with that?" I asked after typing up his order.
"No boosts," Kaden paused. "Wait, are you Charley? From high school?" He smiled at me. My eyes widened, and I didn't know how to respond. I gave him a quick nod, and I waited for him to pay for the order. He inserted his credit card into the reader, and he finished, waving at me as he walked away.
I couldn't help but watch him when I had time to while I was working. He was always taller than me in high school, and he always had a nice chest without being too broad shouldered for my liking. He typically wore flannels and jean combos, which was essentially his outfit for today as well.
He sat by one of the windows, close to the flowers as he worked on his laptop. He drank from his cup slowly, savoring the drink. He was distracting me from my work just by being in the same room as me, but I tried to do my best while working until about five when I finished my shift. He'd only gotten there around three in the afternoon, but he had stayed in the shop to do work on his laptop after finishing his drink.
After I put my uniform into the backpack I brought to work everyday, I decided to pay him a visit as he sat and worked on his laptop. I walked up to his side, and I tapped him softly on the shoulder to get his attention. He jolted a little in his seat, and he turned to look at me.
"I do remember you!" I said, smiling at him. His shock went away almost immediately, and he smiled once more. I sat down at his table, and we began to talk for the next hour. Our conversation lasted until the sun set and I took a break to order a drink.
I came back to his table, and I sat down. He looked at me with a hard to read gaze, but he seemed to still be happy with my presence. I smiled at him somewhat nervously, and I drank some of my drink. It was just some orange juice.
"Hey, Charley. Can I ask you something?" Kaden asked. He reached forward, tracing his hand across my arm delicately. I raised an eyebrow, looking at him, and I nodded.
