Chapter Text
Slow mornings.
Amber loved those.
Opening the café alone used to be something she greatly despised. She was not a morning person and waking up at 6:30am just to open the whole place alone used to be her nemesis. That was until a certain someone started to appear. She still vividly remembers the first day she saw this mysterious customer.
It was one of those “kill me I really don’t want to talk to anyone” mornings. And then, something that made her especially furious happened. Someone entered the café when she was still setting everything up and they were very much still closed.
“Hi can I get a caramel macchiato?”
She heard an unfamiliar voice echoing through the empty café. She looked up preparing to say something like she usually said to customers who apparently couldn’t see the huge red sign on the door that said CLOSED. But before she could say anything she stopped.
Stunned.
Unable to say anything.
Because what she saw in front of her, especially for her still half-asleep brain, was literally an angel in flesh. Before her stood a girl who was wearing a baggy Nike outfit carrying a huge bag that looked way big for her tiny body frame and yet she had a huge smile plastered across her face.
And her face is what left Amber too stunned to speak.
This girl was beautiful.
Her smile uncovered a smiley piercing that made her look like a hyrax, which was Amber’s favorite animal she was currently obsessed with. But what really made this girl look like an angel that descended to Earth was her hair. It was brown, surrounded by angelic halos that literally sparkled in the light of early morning sun. Or maybe the sparkle was just a hallucination, and Amber was a few minutes away from getting a migraine. Not that it mattered to her then.
She blinked twice, trying to get her composure and customer service act back. “Good morning, how are you doing? What can I get you?” She didn’t glare, she didn’t give her this look that said, “Don’t bother me before we open the café.” No. She didn’t do any of that.
She just smiled.
Politely.
Gently.
And then the girl replied “Hi hello good morning it’s another day in paradise! I am good and as I said when I entered, could I please get a caramel macchiato?” Amber mentally face-palmed. Of course, she immediately forgot the girls order even though barely a few seconds passed after she entered. Very charming amber very customer service.
“Oh yeah you already said that…sorry I tend to be a bit out of it this early but caramel macchiato coming right up!” Amber says in defeat and starts making the coffee when she hears the girl say: “oh shit I just saw that you guys are not open yet, you should have told me I know what it’s like to be bothered in the morning.”
Amber stops making the coffee and looks at the girl again “It’s fine, I will be honest with you though, usually I would kick the person out right away but today is different I guess.” Amber smiled, tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and resumed working on the coffee. “It’s my lucky day then, I really hope this is just the beginning of my luck and if everything goes well, I will have to believe you were the one who started my lucky streak.” The girl smiles gently.
“I don’t want to pry but now I’m curious, do you have something big going on today?” Amber asks while mixing caramel into the coffee and putting the finished beverage on the counter. “I guess you are not into figure skating because if you were you would probably know me, but I was or still am a figure skater. Retired 2 years ago because I was completely burned out but I recently decided to go back to the skating world and today is my first day back on ice. I wouldn’t say I am necessarily stressed out or anything like that, but I want it to go well. Little luck won’t hurt.”
The girl takes her drink, takes a sip and continues “Damn that’s tasty I guess I will become a regular here, this caramel macchiato is exactly what I need every morning before practice, thanks!” The girl smiles and leaves before Amber could say anything back to her.
Retired figure skater?
Going back on ice? There are so many things she wanted to ask but the girl is gone now and the only thing that remains is the sparkly golden sunlight that was just a few moments ago illuminating the halos on her hair.
She did not even ask her what her name was.
She wishes she did.
It seemed like the figure skating girl would keep her word and become a regular at the café where Amber worked, because the next time she appeared was already on the next day after they first met.
Sunlight illuminating the wooden floor.
Slow morning.
Sound of the coffee machine starting.
The bell on the door makes a tiny sound and Amber lifts her head to chase away the customer who came before the café has opened.
And then she stops right in her track.
It was her.
The sun was no longer only illuminating the wooden floor, it fell on the girl’s halo making her look like an angel once again.
“Well, hello there new regular, I see you kept your word, what can I get you? Let me guess…caramel macchiato?”
Amber smiled more than she would usually smile at this ungodly hour.
“Damn right…I made a good decision choosing this café. First you bring me crazy luck, then you remember my order…thank you.”
She returns Amber’s smile and Amber can catch a glimpse of her sparkly smiley piercing.
“Oh yeah that’s what I wanted to ask you about, did the lucky streak continue?”
“Damn it did! You are a lucky girl. My coaches were trying to discourage me at first but all has worked out in my favor, and I am back on track. Starting my official practice this morning.”
Amber almost blushed at being called a lucky girl. She mentally reprimanded herself. Blushing at something like this at her grown age of 26 is crazy. That’s what she told herself and yet she felt her pulse slightly rising. To distract herself she didn’t reply for a passing moment and started working on preparing the macchiato.
“Lucky girl huh?”
Is the only thing Amber managed to say.
“Yeah, lucky girl, which reminds me…can I ask you for your name lucky girl? I mean I could keep calling you that but…”
Before the figure skater girl manages to finish her sentence Amber finishes the macchiato, puts it on the counter in front of her and says
“Amber”
Smile.
Smiley piercing.
Morning light that makes halos sparkle.
“Hi Amber.”
“And you figure skater girl? I mean I could keep calling you that but…”
Blonde hair.
Illuminated.
Smell of coffee.
Smell of a quiet morning.
“Alysa.”