Pay Off

Wake up and smell the Coffee

I always knew my first night on campus wouldn’t be like one you see on TV with wild girls nights and parties. But I always assumed I would do something. See the sights. See the campus lit up and glittering under the moonlight. Get my bearings so I wouldn’t look so lost when all the hustle and bustle started. At the very least I always assumed I would get acquainted with the campus coffee shop and choose my new favourite coffee shop sugary snack that will be on hand to inevitably get me through the late nights I’ll be needing once classes start.

I never expected that my first night at college would be spent sitting in my room listening to Cole Talbot pile my boxes on the other side of the door. Or that I would be feeling so anxious over how I would survive the night never mind the year. I even skipped dinner preferring not to eat at all than have to face Cole. Would I have to be a complete b***h to him every day? Could I even keep that up for a week?

But I also thought a lot about Travis Talbot and how this whole situation made zero sense. Why would Mr Talbot move me in with his son if he didn’t want me talking to him. Why not put me up the other side of campus where he could minimise my chances of seeing his son. None of this made any sense to me. I could ask him, but I’d rather not see him at all.

The next morning I was woken by my alarm ready for a job hunt bright and early. Had I known how late I would eventually have fallen asleep I probably wouldn’t have bothered but it was too late now I was awake and I really should get out there. The early bird catches the worm and all that. It was still a few weeks till school officially started and it would be a lot easier to secure a part time job before all the students got here.

I left my room at 8am sharp expecting Cole to be still asleep, so I was startled as I heard him shout ‘Morning Roomie, I can make us breakfast if you’re hungry?’ He scratched his head as he seemed to be thinking. “I’m not sure you ate last night after you got here”.

“Good Morning Cole, I wasn’t expecting you up so early. I’ve got to go on a job hunt so I’m afraid I’ll take a rain check on the breakfast this time, sorry” I left out the part about it being a permanent rain check.

“A job hunt?” Confusion crossed his beautiful face.

“Yes, you know that thing you do where you spend a few hours a week fulfilling a particular task at a certain establishment and at the end of the month the owner of that establishment pays you for it in a pretty little pay check?”

“I know what a job is doofus” he laughed and I had to try so hard not to be distracted by that smile, “what I don’t understand is why you need that job. Your folks are friends with my father right? Well my father doesn’t have ‘friends’ per se he has business acquaintances who benefit him somehow and thus have money. Enough money to pay for their daughter to go to college without needing a job to help her through it?”

Oh.

“I guess your dad knew my family a while back. A lot has changed in recent years and things are a little different, although we like to keep up appearances that they aren’t so much. I don’t want to be an extra burden on my dad, so if I can earn something to be self sufficient whilst I’m here then I guess I’ll sleep a little better at night here instead of there helping like I should be.” I figure I’m not really lying if I keep in the most important element of truth. I do need this job to help my family.

Coles shock is evident on his face but I don’t know why? He thinks a moment before saying, “wow Lia. I don’t think I ever met another person who comes from money willingly volunteer for something to help their family. That’s kinda cool of you, you know?”

I look at my shoes to distract me from the butterflies caused by Cole calling me ‘cool’ and bite my lip to stop a smile spreading across my face. I need to remember we can’t be friends. I need to put on my big girl pants and walk away.

“Ok, so I’ll see you later yeah?” Before I hear his response I’ve grabbed my jacket and headed out the door.

It’s not even been twenty four hours since Travis’ warning to stay away from Cole and already those pesky butterflies from middle school were already back. Man, this was going to be hard.

Focusing on finding a job was now a priority. The more time I spent working, the less time I would spend at the apartment with Cole.

I decided to start with the coffee shop. It was bound to need staff and the staff discount would help reduce the huge amount of money I’m inevitably going to end up spending there anyhow!

Luckily Smokey Beans was only down the road and wasn’t difficult to track down. I literally just followed my nose from the moment I stepped out of my building. At this time of the morning it was quiet and I had time to stand outside and admire its quaint beauty without being noticed as the weirdo who stared at coffee shops.

One side of the window was filled with an undercounter display of the most mouth watering pastries that appeared to be freshly baked that day. Oh My! The other side had a bar with some stools tucked neatly underneath. Behind that, just around four or five tables. It looked like there were only a few customers currently inside. I was just about to survey the area behind the counter when I noticed a young barista staring at me, smiling. Deciding that was my queue to stop ogling a coffee shop I waved and opened the door.

“Sorry, i just get such a kick out of new coffee shops especially early in the morning when not many people can notice the weirdo sniffing the air! I really am sorry for staring” I said on a shy giggle.

Stacy, as her name badge read kept smiling, “well hello fellow coffee shop nerd, tell me how did we do?”

“So good! Your display made my tummy rumble so loud and I think I may actually die if I don’t get a danish in the next five minutes! Oh and that coffee I could smell from the moment I left my building smells like a scent created by heaven itself. I can practically taste that latte already”

“ So I take it that’s an order of strawberry danish with a latte then?” I could see her struggling to hold back a laugh.

“Oh Stacy, you are a mind reader. Yes please?”

We both giggled at that. I dug for my purse as Stacy got to work with my order. I decided now was as good as any time to ask, “Stacy, do you happen to know if there’s any jobs going here, I could really use one and I already know I will be spending a lot of time here already so…”

“Sure, Tim the owner always takes new students on at this time of year so we will be ready for the rest of the students coming back. If you pass me your Resume I’ll put it top of the pile as a reward for arriving so early, but also because of your passion for all things coffee related, you’d fit in well here I think!”

I suppressed my squeal, I hadn’t actually quite got the job. But if I did, I knew I stood a good chance in having my first friend here in Stacy.I pulled out my Resume already prepared and passed it to Stacy, and held my credit card over the card reader in exchange for my order. After saying goodbye I took my coffee and pastry to eat in the park I’d noticed on my way here. I’d given up my job hunt. I knew Smokey Bean is where I was meant to be. I could feel it in my bones. It wouldn’t be long until avoiding Cole would become so much easier. Or so I thought.