Leighton could barely keep her head levelled as she made the blonde espresso. Sure, call her boy-crazy, but that's most definitely not true. After all, she'd only talked to this Lex guy over the phone (note: the restaurant's phone) a few times, and who knows if Lex was actually his real name? Thinking about it just made her doubt everything she'd ever known. She placed the scorching coffee cup on the counter and cleared her throat.

"A blonde espresso for Lex?" She called out, struggling to keep her voice level. Leighton looked around the coffee shop, searching for a face that she could match to the voice she'd heard. Nobody.

Perhaps he's just late, she reminded herself, walking back to her spot by the phone. There's probably some traffic. He made a promise. He's going to come.

The door swung open, the little bell on top jingling as someone moved through the doorway and towards the counter. Leighton could feel her heart bobbing at her throat. Is it him is it him is it-

"Leighton!" a familiar voice boomed, full of emotion. She looked up, dreading the sight. It wasn't Lex, but it was someone else she knew.

"Father," she responded, voice as bitter as the coffee all around her. "What a surprise to see you here, after all these years."

He was the last person she'd wanted to see. All the noise around her blurred into one, and all she could see was the face of the man she'd once trusted with her whole heart. Instead of protecting her like any other father would, he had chosen to be up and gone the moment Leighton's mother went into debt. What a parent figure.

"Well, you know me. Work, life, travel; it brings me everywhere. And now, it has brought me to you, my little pumpkin." He reached out for her, but Leighton turned away, choosing instead to focus on the coffee machine at the back of the room.

"I'm not your pumpkin," she forced out between gritted teeth, "and your life is none of my concern anymore. Now, get out of my store unless you have an order to make." She was clenching her fist so hard that it was starting to turn white.

Her father looked at her with a look of utter sorrow, turning back towards the door. "Wait," he said, approaching the girl once again, "take my card. In case you need something. I know I wasn't there for you five years ago, but I promise I'll help you with whatever you need. Just say the word." And with that, he touched her cheek in a fatherlike manner, and he was gone in a swoosh of wind and a sad twinkle of the bell.

"Argh!" Leighton groaned, shaking herself to get rid of the uneasy feeling. Despite what her instincts were screaming, Leighton tucked the little rectangular cardstock into her apron pocket, and she looked towards the spot Lex's cup should have been.

It was gone.

▬▬ a/n: yes, i'm continuing this story! and yes, it's in a different format, but i wanted to put some of these little bits of actual writing into it. please tell me if you liked it, and what i can improve on!