Chapter Text
Decked out in a black apron and visor, Vi carefully poured a blonde roast into a to-go cup. Behind the counter of League Café, the espresso machine whirred and the refrigerators hummed.
Her sister, Powder, who went by Jinx now that she was in her teens, slouched by the register. Her smile was long gone. “Anything else for you today?”
The customer shook their head, paid, and went to the other end of the counter to wait. Jinx scrawled the order on a cup and started frothing the milk.
The bell over the door jingled, and a tall woman in sunglasses strode in, wearing a crisp cropped suit that looked laughably out of place among the hipster-grunge décor. Her sleek dark hair gleamed in the fluorescents. She had flawless skin and perfect curves, with both a chest and an ass that wouldn’t quit. The coffee shop patrons whispered to each other and stared at her as she waited in line.
“Caitlyn—?”
“That’s Caitlyn Kiramman—”
“The Sheriff is here?!”
A few of the ruder ones actually pulled out their phones and snapped pictures of her. Glowering, Vi snapped her hand towel in their direction. Meekly they pocketed their phones. Vi had never watched The Piltover Enforcers, the cop drama that Caitlyn Kiramman starred in… but she protected her customers. Celebrity or not, Caitlyn deserved to feel safe here.
The line of customers shuffled along, and Jinx conveniently had to run to the bathroom when Caitlyn approached the counter. Vi stepped up to take her sister’s place at the register. “How’s it hangin’, cupcake?”
Caitlyn’s lips thinned, and she removed her sunglasses to reveal angular eyes in a startling light blue. “My name is Caitlyn,” she said in that smooth British accent that had brought all of America to its knees. “You know that, Vi.” She didn’t have to look at Vi’s name tag, which sent some distinctly unwelcome butterflies in flight in Vi’s belly.
“Sure I do,” Vi said flippantly, “but where’s the fun in that?”
Unamused, Caitlyn took a long breath through her nose and looked up at the menu, a massive chalkboard that Jinx had decorated herself. She always studied the options and then ordered the same thing, which was— “Could I get a large iced caramel macchiato with oat milk and an extra shot of espresso, please?”
She did always say please, too. That was a point in her favor.
Vi scrawled the order on a clear plastic cup. “Sure thing. Anything else?” There was never anything else, but she always asked.
“No, thank you.” Caitlyn brushed that long, silky hair behind her ears. With two slim fingers she pulled her platinum credit card out of her wallet and swiped it.
Vi hurried to press Pay with Credit. “How’s your day going?”
Those electric-blue eyes flicked to Vi. “It’s fine, thanks. Busy.” This seemed like a conversation cut-off, except it was followed by a tentative “How is yours?”
“Uh, good. I mean, I’m here, so…”
Caitlyn visibly processed this. “Is ‘here’ good or bad?”
Vi snorted. “It’s work. They pay me, but not enough.”
“So, bad, then.”
“Eh.” Vi shrugged. How to explain minimum wage and customer service to a millionaire? But Vi got to help make people’s days a little better, so that part was nice. And she got to see Caitlyn every afternoon at four on the dot. That part was pretty nice, too. But she needed to say something. “It’s not bad for what it is.” Genius.
“Hmm.” Caitlyn slipped her card back into her wallet.
“You want your receipt?” Vi waved the slip of paper in the air, not quite handing it over, more teasing—
And Caitlyn plucked it right from her hand. Their fingers brushed, and a spark skipped between them, an electricity that Vi hadn’t expected. Heat flared inside her, but before she could process what had happened, Caitlyn yanked her hand back. “Thank you,” the actress muttered, and she hurried down to the receiving end of the counter.
Vi watched her go, just standing there stupidly.
The next customer approached the register, but Vi shook her head. “Just a sec—sorry—let me—” Completely discombobulated, she backed away, bumped into the milk minifridge, and started making Caitlyn’s iced macchiato.
As if from nowhere, Jinx appeared behind the counter, long braids swinging. “I can take your order.”
Vi had memorized this drink months ago. It was a pain to make, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to hate Caitlyn for it.
Swirls of caramel sauce.
Vanilla syrup.
Cold oat milk.
The hiss of espresso.
A matrix of more caramel on top.
Caitlyn wasn’t watching Vi. Was pointedly not looking at her. But Vi was looking at Caitlyn, and her hand still burned where Caitlyn’s fingers had touched her. Not because she was a celebrity, but… because she was Caitlyn. Sweet and predictable and, okay, really fuckin’ hot.
But she had to keep it together.
Teasing. A little innocent flirtation. That was all it was. It didn’t mean anything.
“Order for Cupcake,” she called with a smirk, as if nothing had happened, as if her insides were all where they ought to be.
Caitlyn took the cup and frowned at the nickname scribbled at the top. “You actually wrote that?”
“Sure did.”
“Why?”
Vi winked. “’Cause you’re sweet. Like a cupcake.”
“You’re ridiculous.” Caitlyn’s lips twitched, though. As if she were amused. As if she liked it.
Vi’s grin widened. “Have a good day now.”
Caitlyn opened her mouth, then closed it. “You too,” she said as if she wanted to say something else, and Vi wondered what that was. But before she could poke at her some more, Caitlyn left with her drink, and the café somehow seemed less interesting.
Whatever. Not that it mattered. A customer was a customer was a customer, hot or not.
Vi got back to work, but her mind still whirred with thoughts of Caitlyn Kiramman.