Chapter Text
The fourth time he comes into Caffeine Express Max isn’t at the counter again. Meg is there, boredly writing on a stack of sticky notes that are sitting beside the register.
“Welcome to Caffeine Express, what can I get you,” she says, not looking up.
“No welcome aboard?” he asks as he leans on the counter.
She looks up and recognition flashes in her eyes, “Oh, Zack with a K, Max isn’t here today, sorry.”
“I’m just here for coffee,” he responds, but he knows from the look on her face that she’s not buying it.
“Well what can I get you?”
He lists off his order and pays, but he waits at the counter for her to make his drink. When she hands it to him the correctly spelled Zack stands out on his cup.
“He’ll be back tomorrow,” she calls out as he makes his way to the door.
He glances at her over his shoulder, “Oh, uh, okay. Thanks.”
Zack tells himself he’s not going back the next day, but he does. He goes back every day for nearly three weeks. And, yeah, sure, he’s wasting all his tip money on overpriced coffee, but the increasingly wrong ways Max spells his name are kind of worth it. Okay, really worth it. Just like the playful little smiles he gives him and the crinkle by his eyes.
Fuck, he’s got it bad.
By the end of the three weeks he has Max’s schedule memorized. He doesn’t work on Thursdays, but he works the early shifts on Mondays and Fridays. Zack definitely doesn’t wake up at 9:30 on those days so he can make it to the coffee shop before Max gets off on those days. No matter what Bailey and Cody tell anyone.
He learns a lot about Max in those weeks. He doesn’t go to NYU, just works on campus. He has a brother and sister that he looks a little sad when he talks about and on his days off he also works in the sub shops his parents own.
Zack also learns that he is a master of coming up with ways to spell Zack.
Zack becomes a little addicted to the excited look on Max’s face while he waits for him to see the way his name is spelled that day. It’s sickeningly adorable and progressively makes Zack want to do something stupid. Like lean over the counter and kiss the stupid grin off his face.
He absolutely does not do that, but his (admittedly poor) self control is waning each visit.
“You need an intervention, my dear boy,” is how Gretta greets him when he arrives at work the next time. She’s eyeing the coffee cup in his hand marked Zakch.
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” he says quickly as he’s busying himself with tying his apron.
It wasn’t hard for her to figure out about his crush and begin annoying him about it. Ignoring her and being pissy the entire shift after she had called Max dense was probably a pretty big tip off. But now she can’t seem to let it go.
It should be obnoxious, but Zack actually kind of likes gossiping about Max like a middle school girl. And Gretta likes to come up with silly little fantasies about how he confesses his love. It’s actually fun listening to her far fetched fairytale ideas.
The night is unbearably boring and normal. Zack is wiping the bar down for the fifth time when the bell above the door chimes and a group of people come in. He doesn’t even look up. Expecting it to be the normal group of regulars.
“Zack,” Gretta all but hisses as she elbows him in the ribs.
When he glances up to ask her what the hell is wrong, he notices she’s looking wide eyed at the booth the group has settled into. He looks in the direction and there is Max. Looking at him with that stomach turning grin he always gives Zack at the coffee shop.
Fuck.