Work Text:
It was just another rainy day, just like the last few days. The morning rush, the cold wind making itself present when the door was opened, the loud conversations happening around the place, the latest pop songs playing in the background. Emilly watched it all happen with a soft smile, she was even quite glad that the construction on her building made it impossible for her to work on her apartment. She knew soon the rush would end, and she could go back to the book she was editing. So, she just watched and waited.
From the corner of her eye, she noticed the blonde hair walking in. Emily had been watching her for the past few weeks, the beautiful blonde woman who was there every morning and ordered her coffee and a few extra ones. She was always elegant and probably worked somewhere in the big buildings that contrasted so much with the small coffee shop. But the day really had a different feel to it, for the first time since she started going to the coffee shop, the blonde woman didn’t pick extra coffees. She got her own coffee and something to eat. She chose the table right in front of her and smiled at Emily as she sat down. Emily smiled back, almost not believing the woman had smiled at her. As the song on her earphones started playing on her earphones, she glanced back at the woman and couldn’t help to wonder.
“I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you…”
The following morning Emily didn’t go to the coffee shop. She had a meeting with one of the writers she was working with. But she couldn’t help but wonder about the blonde woman at the coffee shop. Wonder if she sat down at the table again.
“I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you…”
Friday came and she was again at the coffee shop, waiting to see if the woman would come in. Emily held her breath when she saw the woman walk in and make her order. Emily’s fingers hit the table as she tried to look busy and not stare at the woman. Yet she glanced up just in time to receive a sweet smile from her as she sat down talking on her phone. Emily glanced a few more times, watching as the woman drank her coffee and spoke on her phone, she noticed the way her eyebrows moved when she talked. And in that moment Emily decided that she was going to say HI on Monday.
When Monday arrived, Emily tried fixing her hair all the time, her eyes barely leaving the door, she couldn’t focus. She was excited, even if it was just a small “hi”, it was a start on her book. The blonde woman never walked into the coffee shop, but she really was surprised when a redhead woman she had never seen before waved at her, she reciprocated, but thought it really was weird.
Tuesday morning arrived, and once again she watched the place, wondering if today was the day she was going to say the "Hi" she had so much waited. Time went by and she didn’t see the blonde again, when a young couple sat at her usual table, Emily gave up waiting and decided to focus on work.
“Yes, there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you..”
“Hi, is this chair taken? “Emily was ready to just nod and dismiss whoever was talking but as her eyes glanced up, she froze. Right in front of her, was the blonde woman, smiling down at her.
“I promise not to bother you, is just completely full and I really don’t want to interrupt them” The woman pointed to the table in front of her as the couple kissed softly, making her smile. She looked up at the woman again and they smiled at each other.
“Sure, sit, hi, you can sit, don’t worry” Emily rambled as she took off her earphones. She couldn’t even try to hold her smile. Everything inside her shook as she looked at the woman sitting right in front of her, noticing every single detail possible to be seen so up close. “I’m Aubrey” the woman introduced herself with a bright smile. “I’m Emily” she answered returning the smile.
“I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much..”
Wednesday came as fast as Emily’s heartbeat at the thought of seeing Aubrey again. She couldn’t believe she actually knew her name now. They didn’t talk much the day before, the blonde had to leave really soon after she sat down. But did say they would see each other today. And when the woman did arrive, smiling at her, Emily couldn’t help but say “You can sit here if you want” to which Aubrey accepted. This time the woman asked a few things, like why was she there every day. They talked about Emily’s work until it was time for Aubrey to go to her own work.
Thursday came and Emily had a meeting again. And just like last time, her mind kept thinking about the beautiful woman sitting at their table. She smiled as she noticed she had just thought about “their table”.
Friday morning once again they sat at the table. This time Emily didn’t open her computer and they talked about Aubrey’s work, how she worked at a law firm at the building nearby, and how her best friend from college worked there too. Once again, they talked until Aubrey had to go. And Emily just wished Aubrey worked on Saturday. So, she asked before she lost her nerve.
“I was wondering, I don’t know if you work on Saturdays. You probably don't. But, do you want to have coffee tomorrow?”.
Aubrey smiled at her, picked something from her purse, and wrote on it, before answering “I would love to. Here’s my phone number, we can schedule better later” Emily texted her about it, and after that, they just didn’t stop texting.
“All of the while I never knew...I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much..”
Saturday woke up a beautiful warm day, and she almost didn’t recognize Aubrey as she walked in with her hair loose, in a sundress. That was the moment Emily’s heart skipped a beat. Aubrey sat down and they talked for hours, about books and movies and music, about their lives and Emily’s building renovation. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so comfortable with someone, they laughed over endless cups of coffee. It was a beautiful day.
Monday came around and Emily had a meeting once again, but this time she didn’t have to wonder about Aubrey, the blonde sent her a picture of her favorite croissant. She smiled down at her phone before texting back.
That week flew by as every day they talked for as much as possible, between laughs and cups of coffee and Emily knew, she was falling hard. And she wondered if Aubrey felt the same. Her answer came Friday morning when Aubrey said “Tomorrow, instead of coming over here, what do you say we grab some dinner? I know a great place around here” Emily accepted so fast it made Aubrey laugh. And Emily decided she wanted to make Aubrey laugh more.
“Because, oh because I've fallen quite hard over you..”
Saturday Emily was nervous the whole day, she probably sent Beca thousands of pictures of looks she could wear to dinner. The amount of calm-down text she got back from her best friend was actually really funny. But when she arrived at the address Aubrey had sent her earlier, she was mesmerized by the sight of Aubrey. And just like their coffee days, their dinner was incredible. Talks between glasses of wine and laughs. They walked down the park nearby not really wanting to be apart from each other. Emily felt brave and held Aubrey’s hand by the lake. They smiled softly and kept walking until Aubrey stopped and pulled her close. Her eyes shone with the light of the street lamp. As their lips touched under the moonlight. And in that moment, Emily knew she was in love.
“do you want to get some coffee tomorrow?” She asked Aubrey and loved it when she laughed.
Sunday met Emily in a Frenesi as she fixed her house, cursing out. Wondering why she had invited Aubrey to have coffee at her place. But all the stress was forgotten when Aubrey said hi and walked into her apartment. The cup of coffee turned into wine glasses as Emily shared her collection of records and books. She would remember forever just sitting there listening to music and talking to Aubrey. When Aubrey left, she spent hours telling Beca about the date.
Days turned into weeks. Cups of coffee became wine glasses into the night, smoothies after runs, and apple juices during picnics at the park. But every morning they would meet at the coffee shop. Now Emily didn't have to wait excitedly for Aubrey. Now she knew exactly when the woman would arrive, and smiled when she heard the door opening. Now the smile they would exchange turned into a soft kiss, and Aubrey would lay her head on her shoulder while picking up calls. Now they would leave together and kiss goodbye before work. And when Emily had meetings, Aubrey would send coffee to her office.
It was exactly inside that coffee shop, that Emily asked her to be her girlfriend, where they had a few disagreements, where Emily finally found out that the redhead girl smiling at her so long ago, was actually Chloe, Aubrey's best friend. Was where she watched Aubrey and Beca meet for the first time, and the blonde received the shovel talk from her best friend, making Emily laugh at her spoked face. And where they thought that maybe they should introduce their best friends. And it was from the outside window that they watched the two girls talk for the first time.
Weeks turned to months, that turned to a year, and when fall arrived again. The renovation of the building had been over for quite some time and Aubrey's boxes were all over the living room. The following fall found them moving to another building nearby because they wanted to make an office that both could use And a place big enough for all their books.
"Babe, let's go. We're already late" Aubrey called for her in the living room of their apartment. Emily still smiled when she heard Aubrey calling her that. She made her way to the living room. " Sorry, I was looking for the book I promised Chloe" She kissed the blonde softly and smiled at her as they left for their coffee shop holding hands and talking.
“I never knew just what it was about this old coffee shop I love so much
All of the while I never knew
All of the while, all of the while
It was you…”