[revised: Dec 2020]

Thump, thump, thump went Drew's sneakers against the pavement as he ran the winding road from his school down to Crest Coffee Shop. Despite the light breeze of spring, hot beads of sweat rolled from his temples to his cheeks. He wasn't running late for his part-time job, but he needed time to prepare to make a good impression.

The chimes clinked against each other, and a sweet-smelling scent enveloped him as he pushed the glass door open. Five patrons occupied the shop—an old man reading a newspaper and sipping his hot cup of coffee, two middle-aged men having a discussion over their laptops, and a couple chatting quietly near the plants in a corner.

A gratified smile snuck its way on Drew's face. This was what he loved about this family-owned establishment—it was always so quaint, so calm, so peaceful.

His cousin and coworker, Andy, was operating the cash register and greeted her with a nod as he headed to the break room at the back of the shop. His gray T-shirt was damp from his running earlier, so he took it off and used it to wipe his face and armpits. Then, he fished out a can of body spray and sprayed it all over himself without care, filling the room with a musky scent, before he changed into a clean white polo shirt he had in his backpack.

A cough came from the door, startling him.

"What the hell?" Andy coughed again, flapping her hand in an attempt to clear the air. "If you think dousing yourself with so much cologne is attractive, you're dead wrong."

"Get out of here, Andy." Drew made a face before throwing the body spray back into his backpack and checking himself in the mirror on the wall.

"What's going on with you? First, you asked Aunt J to change your shift to Wednesdays and Fridays. Second, you've been coming a little too early. And lastly... this." Andy scrunched up her nose and waved her hand all over his unusually fresh look. "It seems like you're trying to impress someone. Are you?"

"Nosey as always," he grumbled, putting on the dark green apron that he got from a hanger.

"Oh my God. Is it the redhead who always asks for vanilla milkshakes? She comes here every Wednesday and Friday."

"Shut it, Andy. Go back to the counter."

She cackled teasingly. "Just talk to her, dude."

Drew rolled his eyes and sighed, trying not to look flustered or else his cousin would tease him even more. He spent the first ten minutes of his shift taking orders and cleaning tables until the chimes rang at exactly four o'clock, indicating an arriving customer. A special customer.

The world seemed to pause as he turned his head and saw her sauntering into the shop. Once again, her bright scarlet hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. She was wearing a dark blue shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans that hugged her petite frame pleasantly, a pink bag hanging from her shoulder.

She might not be a head-turner, but she was pretty. A simple and quiet sort of pretty. She always had a pensive look on her face, which made Drew wonder what she was thinking. The way she moved across the room toward her usual corner by the window seemed almost magical to him.

He felt a nudge on his side, and he blinked several times, his rose-colored daydreams popping like a bubble.

"Hey, wipe your drool and quit staring," Andy hissed behind him.

Drew knew he wasn't drooling, but his hand automatically wiped his mouth just in case he did drool. This was it. He was going to talk to her. So far, they had exchanged small words, and it was just him asking her for her order and her thanking him. This would be their fourth time talking; still, he couldn't help feeling nervous. While marching toward the girl, he took a quick inspection of his appearance. New shirt, check. Minty breath, check. Neat hair, check. Taking a deep breath, he pulled up a vibrant smile, which he hoped would charm her.

"Uh, hi. W-welcome back," he said, then mentally scolded himself for stuttering. So much for trying to be charming. He swallowed and tried to speak normally. "May I take your order?"

The girl turned her gaze from the busy street outside the window up to him, and he felt like his heart dropped to his feet. She looked lovely up close, and she seemed to be getting lovelier every time she came. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she avoided making eye contact with him.

"Two milkshakes, please. Vanilla. With cherry and sprinkles," she murmured.

Drew's eyebrows shot up. Cherry and sprinkles. That was new. She usually ordered plain vanilla milkshakes. He smiled at this little change and waited for her to add another food to go with these drinks, but then, she only cupped her cheek with her hand and returned her attention to the window.

"Okay... Two milkshakes coming right up," he said.

Andy had already begun working on the drinks by the time Drew went to the counter.

"Got it. No need to tell me," she said.

"Don't forget the cherry and sprinkles."

"Interesting." Andy wore the same astonished expression he had earlier. They kept their voices low so the girl wouldn't hear them. "But I'm still confused who the other milkshake is for. As far as I've observed, no one's ever come to meet up with her. She hardly even drinks the other one. It's such a waste."

"Maybe... it's for a dead loved one?" Drew guessed.

Andy snorted. "What?"

"I saw it in a movie!" he said defensively. "In this one scene, the girl orders two cups of coffee and puts the other one aside for her mom, who passed away. People have different ways of coping, you know?"

"Yeaaahhh." Andy frowned, confused about whether to believe him or to laugh at his imagination. "Okay, you know what? Instead of assuming things about her, why don't you go back there and talk to her?" A teasing smile danced on her lips as she placed a cherry on each whipped cream-covered milkshake to finish the look.

"I dunno... She doesn't seem to like to talk," Drew said, shrugging. He grabbed a couple of paper napkins from the container and placed them on the tray.

"Or maybe you're too much of a shy guy to try making a conversation with her."

Face warming, he rolled his eyes again and took the tray, carrying it with care as he marched back to the girl's table.

"Here's your order," he said in a cheery tone, setting the milkshakes on the table. "Enjoy."

The girl turned, still not looking directly at him. "Thank you," she replied with a smile, which made his heart sigh with contentment.

Say hi to her, a voice in his head urged. Introduce yourself. But worried that such a gesture would weird her out, he swallowed a lump in his throat and walked away to greet another customer.

During his whole shift, hundreds of questions sprinted around his skull. Why did she always sit in that spot? Was it because it has the perfect view of the outside? Why did you always ask for two milkshakes?

Not that it was a bad thing. Their shop's milkshakes were the best. Perhaps someday she and he could talk about the menu and other things.

As Drew drifted from one customer to another, he thought about the first time he'd seen the girl. That was two weeks ago. His friend Ivan had been talking about this pretty transfer student, and Drew had asked him to point her out. She had been talking and laughing with a friend at that time, and her sweet smile hadn't left his thoughts since.

"Don't think about it, dude," Ivan had said.

"Why not?"

"I could start with your greasy hair and stupid shoes."

"Come on. It's not that bad, is it?" Drew had asked in dread.

"Doesn't matter. She looks like one of those mean girls who are out of anyone's league."

That didn't stop Drew from being intrigued by her. However, Ivan seemed to be correct about one thing—that she was out of his league. Drew wondered if she had noticed him at that time in the cafeteria. Probably not, he believed. He was just an ordinary guy. Another face in the crowd.

He looked at her across the busy room. She was still looking at the window as if she was waiting for someone. A friend? A boyfriend? The milkshake on the other side of her table remained untouched.

Just who was it for?