Starsucks
by Chloe Tzang
© 2017 Chloe Tzang. All rights reserved. The author asserts a moral right to be identified as the author of this story. This story or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a review.
* * *
"One Iced Caramel Macchiato," she snapped. "Make it quick, will ya." Not even looking at me.
Jesus, screw you and the attitude you rode in on, bitch. Anyhow, who'd drink this shit? Pretentious wannabe something or other in her power suit, cellphone in one hand, laptop in her trendy little Marc Jacobs tote.
"Coming right up." Screw you, bitch. Why the heck had I taken this job anyhow? But I made it anyway, quick, just like she wanted. Job's a job and I was paid to make this shit and smile. Didn't matter about the smile, she was too busy yapping away on her cell to notice. She paid, took it, walked. No smile. No thanks, nada.
"Next please." Smiling brightly.
"Hey, Chin-Chin, how you going there, girl? Make mine a Pick of the Day, Grande, will ya?" The old guy in jeans, plaid shirt and oil stained work boots was smiling, the way he did almost every morning. Made a real change from that last bitch, I tell you.
"Sure thing, Mark." Guess Mark was short, that time of the week. I could always tell when he was down to just a few bucks to spare, he loved those butterscotch latte's. He only got them for a couple of days every two weeks, right after payday. "That'll be two bucks ten."
He counted it out in change. There wasn't much there. Turning back after I made it, I smiled.
"Here you go, Mark, one Smoked Butterscotch Latte Frappuccino just like you ordered."
"Uhhh..." He blinked.
"Move it on, buddy, you're holding up the line here." I gave him the real smile, not the fake one. "Enjoy it Mark, see ya tomorrow morning, kay. ... Next..."
* * *
"I saw that." Cedric grinned at me.
Ten thirty, the morning rush done. Nothing but a few hipsters perched at tables whacking away on their laptops doing whatever the heck it was hipsters did on their laptops in Starsucks. Trying to make everyone think they were working on website development or blogging or shit like that. More likely writing porn for some XXX website like that Chinese girl over in the corner if you ask me, but what the hell, who cares. Not me. I just wanted that break. Sitting back with Cedric, no customers waiting, no incoming, sippin' on an iced tea and just chillin'. Loved that stuff.
"So? Watcha gonna do about it?" He wouldn't do a thing, I knew. Cedric was cool. He ran the place. The guy that owned it, he'd show up a coupla times a week, do the books, check on everything and then waddle off. He'd hired me, but for all intents and purposes, Cedric was the boss. Not a bad looking boss either. If I'd had time, I'd have looked at him a bit more often. Nice butt there, dude. He wasn't some over muscled jock, let's just go with "in good shape." Oh yeah, nice shape.
Him and me, that was who worked here and I was liking it that way. Liking it more and more coz Cedric, well, let's just say he had possibilities. Me, I'd been here a month now, 'n it was a great summer job. Maybe I could keep going part-time after college started up in a few weeks. That'd be cool. Extra money, free iced tea. Flirting with Cedric. Oh yeah, fun.
Cedric grinned that cool grin of his. All white teeth and little hipster goatee and sparkling blue eyes and just that one gold stud in his ear. Thank god. Don't like piercings, not on a guy anyhow. One stud, just perfect.
Ohhh, that grin. "Just don't do it too often hey, Ching-Ching."
"Or what, you going to spank me?" I raised one eyebrow. It'd taken me ages to learn to do that.
He laughed. "You'd do it every day if I said yes, wouldn't you."
My turn to giggle. "Ohhhhh yeah, baby, spank me." I wasn't quite sure if I was joking or not. On balance, probably not. I'd been having these little fantasies about Cedric. Used to be about my boyfriend back home, but hey, I'd moved over here to start College, moved in with my cousin who was already here. He'd stayed back home, working for his Dad. Gotta accept our ways had parted. Wasn't like I was broken-hearted or anything.
Neither was he after he'd found out I'd done the deed with his buddy at that going away party while he was passed out. So sad, too bad. It wasn't like I'd spread myself around or anything. Marc, he'd been my goodbye present to myself after Benson failed to deliver. Marc had delivered all right. Very nicely. But Marc wasn't here and a girl needs a boyfriend. Well, maybe that's a generalization, but me? I was definitely missing what I'd been used to Benson giving me.
* * *
That break was short. Round eleven it started picking up again, by midday we were flying and it didn't slow down until well after two. Which of course was when the computer system went down.
"Crap, can you figure all this stuff down here out, Ching-Ching?" Cedric was down on his knees looking at the boxes and the wiring and cables tucked under the counter on a shelf and on the floor. He wasn't exactly geek of the year I guess. I joined him, peering at the spaghetti. Neither was I.
"Anyone there?" The voice came from above.
"You get it," I glanced at Cedric. "I'll try and figure it out."
"Thanks, Ching-Ching." And he was on his feet. "Hi, what can I get you?" Jeez, he sounded like it was his dream come true up there. I was gonna have to learn that one. The customer is god, or something like that.
Me, I just got down on my elbows, stuck my butt in the air and got busy trying to figure out all the spaghetti. It went all over. Plugs. Cables. More cables. Jesus. All this for a coffee shop? These cables ran up here into this box right under the counter and ... Cedric stuck his head down. "Hey, like the red panties. Nice butt there, Ching-Ching."
Guess that skirt was a bit shorter than I thought. "Get a good look pervert," I said. "It's only free once." I wiggled it.
"Nice all the same," Cedric said, standing back up. Taking another order.
Cables ... cables ... cables and yet more cables. Hey? A loose one? I pushed it in to whatever it was half out of. Pings and beeps and whirring chirps came from all over.
"Hey, you did it, maestro," Cedric said. "Problem solved."
"Oh yeah, but, uhh, I think we got a new problem down here. Definitely." I eyed the large bulge in Cedric's jeans. Oh, very definitely.
"What is it?" he said, glancing down.
"Someone's been looking at my butt," I said. Just as my fingers brushed down the front of his jeans. Oh yeah, really nice and hard. Big too. My heart beat a little faster. A lot faster. No Ching-Ching. Don't do this. Stop right there.
My fingers didn't listen. They ran up and down that bulge. "A real hard problem," I said.
"Think you can fix this one?" His voice was a little breathy. Excited.