Work Text:
Working closing shifts right after school is something Lucy Gray wish she didn’t have to do, but this was the only job that would hire her with her school schedule. It wasn’t so bad working as a barista at the Reaping Roast Company, she was grateful for the opportunity. But working on a Friday night was not how Lucy Gray wished to spend her evenings.
Money was tight at the Covey House, especially after Old Man Chord passed away and when Billy Taupe had decided to up and leave to live with wrecked Mayfair. Since she was sixteen and able to work part-time, it was time to help out with the bills. It was the least she could do to help out with their finances.
Tam Amber and Bard Azure both worked full-time jobs to keep them all afloat, and CC and Maude Ivory were able to both walk home with each other from school now. It just made sense now, since she was the third oldest to at least contribute in some way. Plus it wasn’t all that bad, tips were good if Lucy Gray was charming at the register, free drinks, and she was able to bring home pastries for Maude Ivory and CC.
Lucy Gray lingered behind the coffee bar, sipping on her iced oat milk dirty chai. The afternoon rush had just ended and she could finally move some dishes to the back of house for washing.
Her coworker, Marcus, was sweeping the floors and watching the register.
“Lucy Gray, got any plans for this weekend?” asked her coworker as he finished sweeping.
“Besides working this weekend, my cousin wanted me to help her write her lyrics for her talent show,” Lucy Gray said, while checking the dates of the milks in the fridge.
All of them were fine, except she needed to stock on more 2% milk. And she needed to bring her dishes to the back.
“That’s sweet of you,” he said, moving the dust pan and broom.
“Hey Marcus, I gotta get more 2% percent and start dishes,” she said, grabbing her pitches and spoons.
“Go on right ahead,” Marcus replied, as he moved back to the register.
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Placing the dishes in the sink, Lucy Gray started up the sanitizer and sat on one of the crates checking her phone. She wanted to make sure Maude Ivory and CC made it home safely from school.
Looking at the group the Covey made, CC texted “we’re home” at 3:45 pm.
She replied “okay. I’ll be home after work.”
Tam Amber would be off work soon, so the kids would be able to have dinner with an adult at least.
Putting her phone back in her pocket, she stared at the sink as the sanitizer filled. Junior year at District High School was tough with some of the homework assignments she was given. Lucy Gray wasn’t the best student when it came to math or science, but she excelled in the arts and English.
Choir class was her favorite, along with AP English Literature. Besides working Friday nights and weekends, she was excited about the auditions for the upcoming school musical of Les Mis. Auditions were on a Friday night in a few weeks so Lucy Gray needed to see if someone would trade shifts with her.
She turned off the sanitizer and let the dishes soak for a bit. Walking to the back fridge, she grabbed a few gallons of 2% milk jugs.
When she walked out to the front, Lucy Gray saw Marcus at the register talking to two customers dressed in Academy uniforms. Sliding the milk into the fridge, she waited for Marcus to finish their order so she could make their drinks.
“Hey Marcus, do you remember me? We went to elementary school together before I moved to the Capitol,” said the boy with brown hair. His friend with the curly blonde hair looked annoyed at him. He seemed kind of cute, Lucy Gray thought.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Marcus said.
“Can I get a medium drip coffee with an add shot, please,” said the Academy boy with blonde hair. “And for my friend, he would like a medium vanilla latte.”
“With almond milk, please,” the brown haired boy added. “Under the name Sejanus. It’s alright if you don’t remember me. I know it’s random to bump into you like this at your job.”
Lucy Gray watched the blonde hair boy roll his eyes, as she ground coffee into the portafilter to pull espresso shots. She couldn’t help but laugh at the awkwardness of the situation. Looking up, she caught the blonde hair boy staring back at her with amusement.
Marcus stood there for a moment, confused and mustered a look like he was trying to remember him.
“Weren’t you the kid that shut the door on his finger in class and I tried to collect snow or something to help you in first grade?” Marcus questioned.
Sejanus looked excited, while his friend sighed and walked away to sit on one of the empty tables.
“Yeah, that was me,” he exclaimed, grinning like a little kid. “Besides that, how have you been doing?”
Marcus, just trying to play it cool. “I’ve been good, just working and school. Sooo… would you like anything else or would that be it?” he asked, inputting their drink order.
“No, that’s it for me,” Sejanus said, inserting his card. “Unless Coriolanus, you want anything to eat?”
“No, thank you. I am good with coffee,” he said from his seat. He shot Lucy Gray a glance, curiosity filled in his eyes.
She gave him a smirk when she started pulling espresso shots.
Ain’t he a cutie, Lucy Gray thought to herself.
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Coriolanus couldn’t help but be intrigued by the cute barista behind the counter. Her smile, it seemed charming and beautiful.
He had come with Sejanus to the Reaping Roast Company to get some coffee and then head onto the library to work on their group project for Dr. Gaul’s annual games competition. Whoever won this year’s games competition would win a scholarship to whatever college they would get into. And with Coriolanus’ dire financial situation, that scholarship would be his only hope of getting through university.
But right now, besides Sejanus’ being annoying talking to his “childhood friend,” the girl behind the coffee bar was all he could think about.
“Order for Sejanus,” she called, her voice carrying a sing-song quality that caught even Coriolanus’s attention from his seat.
Sejanus was still talking to Marcus. “I got it,” Coriolanus said, already standing up and walking over to the counter.
“Sorry about my friend back there. Sometimes he doesn’t know when to stop talking,” he said, grabbing their drinks.
“No worries,” she replied. “Just Marcus here is a bit slow sometimes, but once you get him talking. He also doesn’t know when to stop either.”
Coriolanus took a sip of his coffee, tasting the extra shot of espresso. On her apron had a nametag, Lucy Gray.
“I was wondering uh- what kind of beans you use for your espresso shots?” he asked, attempting to make small talk. If he could try and casually ask for her phone number, it would make his day if there was a possibility of ever getting to see her again.
“Well, we use espresso beans roasted at the main roasting plant near downtown Capitol. I think the beans are sourced from the Indo-Pacific region,” she said. “It’s a dark roast and normally every coffee bar will use espresso beans for espresso shots.”
He smirked, intrigued by her intellect on coffee. Well given that she was barista, he wasn’t surprised by it.
“Yeah, that espresso shot made the drip coffee stronger,” Coriolanus added, taking another sip of his redeye.
She raised an eyebrow at him, playful curiosity dancing in her expression. “Anything else I can get you?” she asked, leaning slightly over the counter.
The way she looked at him was like she was seeing right through him, waiting for him to make the next move. Maybe, just maybe, she found him attractive the way he thought of her.
“Umm yeah, I was wondering if I could get your number?” he finally inquired, raising an eyebrow back at her.
“Well, aren’t you the cake with the cream!” Lucy Gray stated, happily smiling, her dimples were prominent.
She took her Sharpie from her apron and wrote on the back of a coffee sleeve.
“Here you go,” she said, handing him the coffee sleeve. “My name is Lucy Gray, by the way. I go to school at District High, the one near Eleventh and Twelfth Street.”
He looked at her handwriting, loopy with cursive. With a big grin on his face, “My name is Coriolanus Snow.”
Hopefully one of these days, he could greet her with some roses from his grandmother’s garden. And she would make them some coffee drinks, for a coffee date of course.