"Good Morning David!" Eleanor said as she walked up to the counter on Thursday morning.

"Good Morning Eleanor" he replied cheerfully, "The usual?"

"You got that right." She responded with a laugh.

"So, Mondays and Thursdays huh?" David queried as he went through the usual process of writing her order and receiving the payment for the Mocha with extra foam.

She nodded, "Yup, Mondays and Thursdays are my usual days."

"How come?" He asked as he put the money in the cash register.

Eleanor quickly glanced behind her and saw the growing queue of two people who were beginning to look impatient at how long she was taking. With a sly grin, she said to David,
"You'll have to find out next time."

He shook his head with faked exasperation,
"Darn. I suppose I will."

She gave a quiet giggle as she walked away.

Wow. David thought to himself, and I thought her smile was beautiful.

☕

"Well?" David asked almost immediately the next Monday, "Why Mondays and Thursdays?"

"Because those are the days I visit my clients who are in this area."

"Clients?" He raised an eyebrow, "do tell."

"For my job."

"Which is...?"

"Hmm." She said with a mildly mischievous smile, tilting her head as though considering whether or not to tell him.

Their almost-banter was interrupted as an impatient customer in the ever-growing queue grumbled,
"Hurry up!"

A wrinkle of annoyance appeared in Eleanor's face but disappeared just as quickly as she said, with a soft rap on the countertop as she began to move,
"Next time."

"I look forward to it." David smiled with an small incline of his head.

"Me too." Was Eleanor's soft answer, delivered with a smile.

☕️

"Okay, I've been dying to know all week. What do you do?" Asked David as Eleanor walked up and leant against the counter with a comfortable familiarity.

"I'm a dog walker and trainer."

David tilted his head for a moment, looking at her, then said, "Yeah, I can imagine that." And then, "so I guess it would be stupid to ask if you are a dog or cat person right?"

"Well..." replied Eleanor as she quickly glanced behind her to make sure she wasn't holding up the line, only to see that there wasn't one. "I love both equally."

"Me too!" David chirped, "I hate it when people say you have to choose only one."

"Exactly. Thank you!" Eleanor exclaimed as she gestured enthusiastically with her hands. "It's like, why do you need to pick just one? They're both amazing in their own ways!"

The bell ringed as the door swung open, and they turned to see a new customer enter, both disappointed that their conversation had been cut short.