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The first time she comes in it's at the beginning of your shift, and you all but throw Eridan out the door so that you can be the one to serve her. She orders a matcha tea latte in a voice that sounds like summer and when you hand it over she gives you a smile sweeter than honey. Her hair is inky dark and her eyes are leaf-bright gems and by the time she walks out you're pretty much done for.
The second time she comes in she's with Rose, and you nearly throw up your insides from the white-hot jealousy that surges to replace them. You remember how irrational you're being when Rose's fashion girlfriend--Kanaya Maryam, 22 years old, works at the garden centre and met Rose in a bookstore, your mind supplies for you--enters after them, and by the time they come up to order you've regained enough of your cool to exchange snark with Rose, remember Kanaya's usual drink and give their friend the smallest of coolkid smiles. You learn that her name is Jade, that she's a friend of Kanaya's from her astronomy elective (honestly, who takes astronomy as an elective?), and that her method for dealing with Rose's sharp wit is to take it in stride and treat it as a joke, which you can tell throws your sister for a loop.
Oh, and that she's utterly enchanting.
The third time she comes in, she leaves with your number scrawled on the outside of her to-go cup.
The sixth time she comes in, she's meeting you after your shift for your second date. You take her to the jazz club a few blocks down and the two of you tear up the dance floor, her in a cute little black number and you in a crisp red dress shirt and unbuttoned vest. You get the band to play something lively and learn, to your absolute delight, that she knows how to jive. At the end of the song when she's grinning breathless up at you, you can't resist the urge to pull her close and press a gentle kiss to her lips, the first of many. When you pull away she's shocked and blushing and before you can stammer out an apology for your boldness she's gone up on tiptoe and she's kissing you this time, wrapping her arms around your neck and humming happily against your mouth. You bring her back to your flat afterwards and the two of you drink hot chocolate and talk until dawn. She turns down your offer to let her crash on your couch, but graciously accepts when you insist on walking her home. You take her all the way up to the front door of her apartment complex (not too far from Rose's flat, you note) and she leaves you at the door after pressing a kiss to your cheek and waving before vanishing inside. You walk home with a spring in your step (practically frolicking by Strider standards) but are too elated to sleep when you get there, so you work on a couple new mixes until it's time for work. You don't even threaten to punch Eridan in the face when he tells you that you look like shit, which makes him ask what you're so damn happy about, and all you can think to do is flash him a nearly manic grin. He literally takes a step back at that, tells you that you're 'really freakin me out man' and makes himself busy at the espresso machine without another word.
The four hundred and thirteenth time she comes in, it's been a year and you both think that's worthy of celebration. Rose insists she and Kanaya join said celebration, because 'it's a year and a half for us, I think that's good enough' and you don't argue as soon as you find out that Kanaya's never been bowling before because seriously you can't go your whole life without going bowling at least once so, double date at the bowling alley it is. You roll four gutterballs and act like you did it on purpose because otherwise there'd be no contest you'd decimate those losers and when you say as much Jade just giggles and kisses your cheek and proceeds to score a strike. Rose hides a smile behind her hand and Kanaya claps in admiration. You buy her a milkshake. She tells you you're the sweetest guy she's ever known. You're glad your shades hide your blush. They do nothing for you from their spot on the bedside table later when she's telling you how amazing you are, how good you're making her feel. You've never slept sounder than you do that night, long limbs tangled possessively around her.
The five hundred and fourth time she comes in, she tells you she loves you.
The five hundred and fifth time she comes in, she tells you again, and this time you say it back.