That Thursday, Deb called in sick. Which meant that David was left with the 'joy' (note the sarcasm) of having Thomas subbing in for her today.

Why did he have to be here, today of all days? Thought David as the boastful boy sauntered in, fifteen minutes late as usual.

Thankfully their shift started twenty minutes before opening, so David hadn't been left to play both cashier and barista, but he was still annoyed. By this stage, he had already prepped almost everything for the day, which left just the task of turning around the 'We're open!' sign for Thomas.

"Thanks bro for sorting everything out." Said Thomas, "It was a struggle to get out of bed this morning... if you know what I mean." Aka, I hooked up with a hot girl last night.

"Sure." David muttered, disappearing into the backroom under the pretense of getting more coffee cups before Thomas could elaborate, unprompted as always.

As he sorted cups in the stock room, putting off putting back out the front for as long as he could, David mulled anxiously over the plan he had been steeling himself to do since that conversation with Debbie. In fact, he had already pre-written his message on a cup.

But now? He wasn't so sure...

If Deb had been there, he probably could have been brave enough to do it. But the change in circumstances was making him doubt.

What if Thomas saw? He thought. He'd mock me relentlessly, I just know it. I'd never have a moments peace.

The bell above the door into the coffee shop dinged. With a sigh, David plastered a pleasant expression on his face and went to cover the register.

To his surprise, Thomas was already there, chatting with ease to the businessman who had entered.

Oh, guess I'm on the machine today then. Thought David, a pang coming with the realisation of, That means Thomas is going to talk Eleanor.

There was an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach as he reached for the cup Thomas passed to him and got started on the large flat white. Not quite queasiness, but something else he wasn't quite familiar with.

You'll still get a chance to chat whilst you make her mocha. He tried to remind himself. But he was not quite able to supress his uneasiness over the whole situation.

A few more customers came in, and David's rising concern seemed to worsen with each ring of the door's bell. To his surprise, he found himself almost hoping that Eleanor wouldn't come today. He didn't quite know what to make of that.

A ding and flash of an emerald green overshirt - which had replaced a certain winter puffer jacket a few weeks ago - in the periphery of David's vision caught his attention.

Eleanor! His heart leapt, then twisted as he watched her join the line, two customers in front of her.

Eleanor looked at the cash register and Thomas who was standing behind it, then crinkled her brow, confused. And perhaps with a hint of concern? She cast her gaze towards the coffee machine and her expression softened as she saw David, offering a smile which he returned.

Then another cup was handed to him, and he was forced to break eye contact with an apologetic shrug as he focused on making this next order.

As he handed the current order to the waiting customer and grabbed the next cup waiting for him, he couldn't quite keep his mind from straying towards the cash register. Unfortunately he had to watch what he was doing, so he couldn't see what was happening there. Another cup with an order written on was slid his way, and then-

"Hey beautiful."

David tensed as Thomas spoke, no doubt delivering this line with his usual charming smile.

"Um, good morning." Eleanor replied.

"What can I get for such a lovely lady?" Thomas purred, his voice suave.

As nonsensical as it was, David couldn't help but feel some sense of satisfaction in the fact that Thomas didn't know Eleanor's order. But that didn't stop him from grinding his teeth at how easily Thomas was flirting with his- with Eleanor.

"A mocha with extra foam, please."

"So, you're a bubbles kind of gal, huh?" Said Thomas smoothly, "What say you and me go for a drink later?"

David almost stopped breathing. He felt so unbelievably angry that Thomas had the audacity to just so slickly ask Eleanor out that for a brief moment his vision blurred.

Quickly passing the now-ready drink to the waiting customer with a strained smile, the barista whipped around to set eyes on the scene he had been overhearing. He didn't care that he was technically meant to be making the next drink now, it could wait.

There was a customer, now two, waiting behind Eleanor, but Thomas - who was grinning lazily at Eleanor - had no consideration for holding up the line.

Meanwhile, Eleanor had gone red. Usually by now she would have noticed the two waiting people behind her and quickly moved out of the way after paying. But obviously she was too distracted by Thomas today.

She briefly glanced David's way, who awkwardly avoided her gaze, before looking back at Thomas. He looked as smug as could be, as though any answer other than 'Oh yes, of course!' was an impossibility.

David felt his heart sink. He had seen firsthand the effectiveness of Thomas' technique, rarely had he been turned down.

Realising distantly that he really ought to begin working on the next order - honestly it was a miracle they hadn't yelled at him yet - he instinctively put the grouphead under the grinder and pressed the button, holding the handle and moving it slightly forwards and backwards so that the coffee didn't all pile up in the middle. But he kept his eyes on Eleanor.

In response to Thomas' invitation, Eleanor passed him the cash for her drink, quickly dropping it into his hand with a distinctly confused, but uncomfortable, smile, "Um, no thank you."

Thomas barely blinked, and amidst his relief David couldn't help but envy how unphased he was, the way rejection seemingly rolled off him like water off a duck's back.

"Your loss." Thomas shrugged, before smirking, "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Giving only a small nod in response, Eleanor moved out of the queue, allowing the next customer to start ordering.

Aware that the coffee had stopped grinding, David turned his attention to making the orders which were beginning to pile up.

He was relieved, immensely relieved that Eleanor had turned Thomas down.

But at the same time, her refusal of Thomas made David feel somewhat despondent. He sighed as he looked at his warped and rather plain reflection on the top of the coffee machine. After all, if she turned down the charming, confident Thomas, what chance did he have? His shoulders sagged.

"Here you go Ma'am, apologies for the wait," he spoke automatically as he passed the coffee cup to the waiting customer before starting on the next one.

Besides, David mulled it over as he tampered the coffee, I don't want her feeling pressured. What kind of guy sees a girl reject another guy and then asks her out anyway? Maybe she's not even looking to date anyone right now. For all I know, maybe she's not even into guys!

Having handed the coffee to the next customer, he automatically reached for the next order, only to pause as he read it.

'Mocha, Xtra foam'

For a moment, David still considered it, his other hand lingering around the pre-written coffee cup he had prepared that morning - hidden in his apron pocket, for he hadn't wanted Thomas to see it - before crushing and shoving it back inside.

As he heard a "Hey David." He grabbed the cup that has Thomas' messy writing on it.

He looked up, "Oh, hey Eleanor. Sorry about that, I was lost in thought."

She eyed him for a moment, looking thoughtful before saying, "So I see." Then, curiously, "No Debbie today?"

"No, she's sick sadly." Said David as he put the chocolate syrup in the bottom of the coffee cup, "Caught that bug which has been going around."

"Oh dear!" Said Eleanor, "Shame, I hope she feels better soon, it's a pretty awful one." She looked at David's face, "I hope you're not coming down with it too."

"Oh?" Said David, as the coffee machine whirred and poured the coffee into the waiting cup whilst he started frothing the milk.

"Well, you're not looking so good today."

"Oh." He said, touched by her concern, "I'll be alright, hopefully. Just a bit out of sorts this morning, you know."

Having poured the frothed milk - with extra foam of course - into Eleanor's cup, he handed the mocha to her.

"Thanks David, I hope your day gets better." Eleanor said, before sipping her coffee and letting out an appreciative, "Mmm, your foam is always so sublimely silky."

"I'm glad you like it." David smiled faintly as he started making the next order.

Eleanor looked as though she wanted to say something more, but then her phone gave a ping.

She frowned as she glanced at the reminder which lit up her screen. "Blast it, I better get going. Bye David!"

"Bye Eleanor, have a good day."

"You too," she chirped as she headed out the door.

As David continued working on the orders which steadily streamed towards him - unusually busy for a Thursday - he cast his mind over the last few minutes again.

And again.

Maybe he should have given Eleanor the 'special' cup as planned, but then again, maybe it was just as well he hadn't.

He couldn't help but feel peeved at Thomas, even though he knew that Tom hadn't distrupted his plans on purpose - after all, he didn't even know about what David had planned to do - he was still annoyed. If only Thomas hadn't flirted with Eleanor like that and asked her out.

David took a deep breath, trying to settle that unfamiliar sense akin to queasiness which was rising up inside again.

To be sure, Eleanor did turn Thomas down - thank goodness - but it had dashed David's hopes and his plan.

David was already dreading the day that Deb was back. Of course, he would be delighted at the return of his trusted friend and subsequent absence of Thomas - for the playboy seemed to rub David the wrong way even more than usual today - but he just knew she would not understand why he hadn't given the cup to Eleanor.

In any case, since 'I like you a-latte' was grounded into his brain now, there didn't seemed much use for the list of poor puns he had written. At the next lull in customers, David grabbed his notebook and tore out the page, crumpling it up and chucking it in the bin.

Only for it to be deftly scooped up by Thomas. David froze.

"What's this then?" Asked Thomas as he stretched out the ball of paper.

Oh no. Thought David, "Oh, you know." He tried, but failed, to play it cool as he shrugged, "Just some dumb coffee puns."

Thomas flicked his eyes over the lines and started laughing.

Great. David felt his heart sink even more. Just what I need.

Thomas began teasing David, dramatically reading the lines aloud.

"Are you a mocha? Because we go together like coffee and cocoa." Thomas said in his usual sexy style, before letting out a condescending chuckle, "I like that one."

Of course you do. David glowered.

Thomas spoke in a baby voice, "You have cap-tured my heart." Then he rolled his eyes, his lips twisted cruelly as he said "That's so corny."

He continued to read through the puns - for all attempts David made to grab the paper were fruitless - and make fun of them all.

By the end of it, David felt thoroughly miserable, and even more sure that he had made the right choice in not asking Eleanor out.

At last, Thomas finished reading them all. But he wasn't done with David yet.

"So who's the lucky? Or rather, unfortunate girl?" He smirked.

Remember the girl you shamelessly flirted with and ask out this morning? The beautiful, kind one with the brown hair and green overshirt, that is? David thought bitterly, That's her.

But Thomas didn't deserve to hear any more about Eleanor. Besides, David didn't want to give him any more fuel to add to the fire.

"Quite frankly, it's none of your business, Thomas." David said coldly.

"Ooh, touchy touchy." Teased Thomas.

David bristled up, but before he could respond, the door dinged as a customer entered.

"You better get that." He said to his insufferable coworker, stalking over to the coffee machine.