John Watson does not resemble a hedgehog. (what_son) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-02-05 18:38:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, audrey, john watson |
Who: Audrey Baxter and John Watson
When: Morning sometime?
Where: Baxter Bakery
What: Meeting!
Rating: Low
Status: Complete
Audrey was behind the counter of her shop. It’d been a very, very busy morning, so much so that the baristas she’d had working with her behind the counter hadn’t had their breaks yet. While the line of customers coming in was slow, she sent them both on a lunch to recoop and have something to eat. It meant she was on her own behind the register and the espresso machine, though. She hoped she wouldn’t get a rush. It would suck to have to pull one of her employees off of his or her break.
She was wiping down the counter when someone new came into the shop. She glanced up from her rag and gave him a smile. “Morning.”
“Morning!” John Watson was up and about rather early this morning, and he was also in a fantastic sort of mood. Firstly, he’d avoided having to get Sherlock coffee and he hadn’t accidentally drank any of the refrigerator science experiments. Secondly, he had an interview for a proper job at the hospital later on today, and he was absolutely certain he was going to get it. Good stuff.
He’d never been to this particular coffee shop before, but he was still pretty new around here, and had yet to find one he was completely enamored with. It was nice to shop around.
The smile on his face was infectious. Audrey set her rag aside and straightened her apron, giving the new customer her undivided attention. She had a knack for faces--even though she was terrible with names--and she was quite sure she’d never seen him before.
“What can I get for you this morning?” She asked, suddenly having a strange desire to make sure her hair wasn’t messy.
This lady, he could tell, was a customer service queen of sorts. He’d never gotten such a nice amount of attention from a coffee shop before. Well, not most of them anyway. Finally completely at the counter, he rose his eyebrows and sucked on his upper lip for a short moment. “I-- uhm. I’m a tea person who’s trying to get more into coffee,” he said. “What’s good?”
“Hmmm.” Audrey said, taking a moment to think about it. She had a few recommendations, but first she needed to hear a little bit more about his preferences. “How do you take your tea? Cream and sugar? Honey? Lemon?”
John gave a little laugh and then rose his eyebrows again, considering the question. “Depends on the day,” he admitted. “How about cream and sugar? That one seems easier to translate.” He supposed, honestly, she might just very well hand him a cup of coffee in that case.
“Hmm.” Audrey repeated. She motioned for him to come around to the other side of the espresso machine, where there was a little counter for customers to pick up drinks from the barista making them. He could see what she was doing a bit better from there. She poured some milk into a caraffe and began steaming it. “We’ll try a Macchiato for starters.” She said. “One of the amazing things about coffee is how different it can taste when paired with different flavors. Espresso is a deep, rich, warm, full-bodied flavor. Goes really well with chocolate.” She finished up with the milk, then pulled a shot of espresso to make his drink.
John, having had moved to the counter that she motioned to, was leaning on it, hand settled under his chin as he watched her work. His smile from before, if anything, had only increased. “You’ll have to suggest some good chocolate bakery too, then,” he said, sounding, well, like a polite British man.
She spoke while she poured the milk over the espresso, designing his drink with well-honed skill. “Well, we’ve got some pretty amazing brownies, if I do say so myself.” Audrey, the baker, was pretty proud of her wares. “You could try pairing them together. Here, tell me what you think about this.” She slid the little cup across the counter to him. There was a design on the top of the frothy, coffee drink, like the branch of a fern.
John picked up the cup, glancing down at it before sipping, and noting the foam art. He lifted it to his mouth, but then did not drink. “It’s so pretty,” he said, bemoaning jokingly. “I’d feel awful to ruin it.”
Audrey gave a little laugh, flattered. “It’s edible art!” She shook her head. “Wait a second...” She pulled out her smart phone and turned the camera on, then snapped a picture of him holding the macchiato, getting a good picture of the top of the drink with the design. “There. Now you can drink it without guilt.”
John laughed, completely tickled. She was very nice, it was kind of refreshing to meet someone who seemed so pleased to be working in the service industry. “Good idea,” he said, pointedly, and then took a little sip of the macchiato. “Oh,” he said. It was good!
“Oh?” Audrey asked, setting her phone down on the counter. Later, she’d have to catch the guy’s name so she could plug it into her phone, and possibly email him the picture. It was absolutely adorable, she thought, as she clicked her screen off and looked up to him. She raised an eyebrow, wondering for a moment if that was a good oh or a bad one.
“Oh,” John said again, this time in response to the eyebrow. “It’s quite good. Just sweet enough, but not overpowering. I think this is what I’ve been looking for.” He smiled his thanks. “You work magic.”
“Well, I...” Audrey gave a little laugh, going rather pink. “I’m afraid I don’t have a witty comeback to that one. Magic, hmm?” She asked, smiling shyly. “I like that. Maybe that should be my new title. The witch at the bakery.” She slid her phone across the counter toward him. “You should punch your email in there so I can send you that photo.”
Watson gave a little laugh, even as he took the phone and began punching in his email address, along with his name for, you know. Purposes. “I don’t know how well advertising yourself was a bakery witch will go,” he admitted.
It would be really strange to have an email address without a name attached. “You’re probably right. People might get the wrong idea.” She took the phone back and clicked the email to him, sending the picture as an attachment. “I suppose I’ll just have to trod on as I’ve been doing. Things are going all right so far.” She nodded, smiling. “Can I get you something to pair the macchiato with?”
“You suggested something chocolate?” John asked with a smile. She was so good at this, he was pretty sure he’d just buy whatever she asked him to at this point. She must have practiced an awful lot.
Oh yeah. She worked all day every day, and was a Queen of up selling. But truth was, she liked the look of him and the sound of his voice. She didn't want him to leave just yet.
"Here, I know just the thing." She moved to the pastry case. "Are you allergic to peanuts?" She asked, kindly, collecting a peanut butter and chocolate cookie and a dark chocolate brownie bite to give him.
“Not at all,” he said, “but it was kind of you to ask.” Peanut allergies were no laughing matter, it was definitely interesting for someone who worked at a bakery to think to ask. “I like it quite a bit, actually.”
"Okay, good." Audrey said, moving back over to where he was standing, holding her plate with the treats on it. "Try this. Pair the coffee with the sweet. Hopefully it won't be overwhelming."
If it was awkward for John to be eating sweets and drinking his coffee right at the front counter, he certainly didn’t show it. He tried the bakery and sipped his drink, raising his eyebrows in approval. “Definitely works,” he said with a nod. He definitely knew where he was coming for coffee and things from now on.
Audrey beamed. She loved when she could introduce people to new experiences, and this was one of the best. “Good. I’m so glad you like it.” She nearly clapped, actually. It was sweet of him to be so open minded. “And that was on my first try, too. Wow. I’m getting really good at this.” She teased.
John laughed at that, finishing off the brownie. “I have a feeling you’re not giving yourself enough credit.”
“Maybe. But if I’ve got too much of an ego, people might not want to spend too much time around me.” She said, leaning back a little against the counter. She ran her hands over her apron, straightening it. “Can’t have that, can we?”
“No,” said John, solemn. “We certainly can’t.”