A MACCHIATO FOR DON ENZO

"Good morning" Valeria's cheerful voice chimed across the staff office as she slipped into her cubicle, her smile as bright as the morning sun. She dropped her tote bag on her desk next to her colleague's and friend, Kyra.

"You're here" Kyra said with a tight yawn as she leaned back into her seat. The shadows under her eyes told their own tale.

"Rough night?" Valeria asked gently.

"Yeah. Bingeing a series" she confessed, her grin widening as the flashes of the movie danced in her mind. She rubbed the bridge of her nose softly. "Each episode left me at the edge of a cliff. Couldn't let go".

Valeria shook her head with a giggle. She took out a small mirror from her bag and set it in front of her. "You know this isn't good for your health yeah?" She asked as she tied her hair into a bun, leaving two strands beside her temples.

"I know...but the movie was worth it" Kyra teased. She quickly linked her arm with Valeria's, blinking her eyes dramatically. "That's why I have you to cover for me while I crash here for some minutes".

Valeria couldn't help but laugh softly. She smoothened her bangs before facing her friend who was looking at her as though her life depended on her answer. "Hey! You always rope me into this" she gave Kyra's nose a mild poke.

Kyra grinned. "Please" she pouted.

Valeria couldn't help the cuteness. She sighed, already relenting. "Fine. But this is the last time".

Kyra gave her a quick peck on her cheek "I promise".

Valeria shook her head with a smile, her eyes glancing at the table clock that was at some corner of her desk. 7:15 wasn't far off. Any moment now, he would show up. That one customer who never misses his morning coffee. Her smile subconsciously softened at the thought of him— his cold demeanor he always carried like a steel blade. Funny enough, it didn't seem to scare her. To Valeria, he was simply another customer. No more, no less.

"Alright, I'm off" Valeria said, as she stood. "Don't let the manager catch you".

"I will just say I ate something bad" Kyra smirked as she rested her head on the desk. She gave Valeria a sweet wink before shutting her eyes.

Valeria took her position at the counter, doing what she does best. Taking orders, smiling at the customers and spreading her warmth across the room. She took one order after another with such finesse that was captivating. But while she did that, she couldn't help sneaking looks at her wrist watch, hoping she hasn't missed the time— 7:15.

Just then, the door to the café chimed attracting her gaze. It was him— that customer that never misses his morning coffee. A smile flared across her face, her eyes catching his every step towards that particular seat close to the window. She grabbed her notepad and pen and beelined for him.

"Good morning sir. Welcome to Eden's Café. What's your order?" she asked, her tone as professional as ever.

The man raised his head, his face shrouded in that scowl that was like his second face. His dark gaze met her warm own, lingering slightly longer there.

"Macchiato. No stain". His tone was cold and precise.

"On it!" Valeria replied in a bubbly tone, a stark contrast to his own. She walked back to the counter to get his order, the sound of his voice still swirling in her head.

"Here's your Macchiato" Valeria announced, placing the piping hot cuppa on the table with ease and calm. She spared him a smile as she slipped two biscotti beside the cuppa.

The man arched a brow at her. "I didn't order this" he said.

"I know. It's on the house" she grinned. Without waiting for another word from him, she walked back to the counter in fast steps afraid he would say he doesn't want them.

While she took orders from other customers, she snuck glances at him. Two to three times that she did that, she noticed he hadn't touched the biscotti. She pursed her lips. With a shrug, she forced herself to focus on the next order, writing neatly on her notepad as the coffee machine hissed behind her. 'He probably doesn't like sweets' she thought, though she couldn't ignore the tiny pinch that tugged at her chest.

By the time she glanced up again, he was sipping his macchiato, his posture sharp and unyielding even in the soft atmosphere of the café. His hands were steady, deliberate like a man who measured every step before taking it. Yet, his gaze flickered to the biscotti lying next to his cuppa.

And she caught it.

Valeria's lips twitched to a small smile of victory before she turned away quickly serving another customer who was waiting for her order.

"Your smile is so beautiful" the female customer praised.

Valeria brushed it off with a soft laugh. "And yours is enchanting too".

They shared another small laugh before Valeria returned to her spot. 'A beautiful smile' she thought. If only they knew how much this has become a habit now.

The morning rush thinned out slowly, the café softening into its late morning lull. That was when she noticed him stand. The man's tall, dark figure cast a shadow across the counter as he approached. Valeria's heart skipped once— just once before she steadied her tone.

"Leaving already?" she asked in her normal bubbly tone.

"Mm" he answered, sliding a folded bill across the counter. Crisp and clean. Valeria looked at it. That cash was enough to cover for five macchiatos.

"You forgot to charge for the biscotti" he said, his deep voice reverberating through her chest like war drums. There was something new in his eyes— curiosity maybe or annoyance.

"Well... it's on the house" she replied. "Consider it an extra sunshine for your morning".

He gazed at her. Longer. Unreadable. "Mm" was the aloof reply before he turned on his heels and left. The bell above the door chimed softly in his wake.

Valeria exhaled, realizing that she's been holding her breath for a while now. She pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear. 'Steel blade or not, he's still just another customer, right?'

Just then, Kyra pulled up behind her, yawning widely as she stretched her arms. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing" Valeria smiled, turning to face her.

"That back is quite hot. What's his name?" she asked, leaning against the counter.

Valeria shrugged. "I don't know. My only business is just the orders and nothing else. Names doesn't matter".

Kyra arched her brows at her. "You explain quite broadly don't you?"

"Huh? No...I was just..." she chuckled when she understood what Kyra was trying to say. "Hey, stop that. You know the boss won't allow that".

"I didn't say anything" Kyra said.

Valeria just laughed as her gaze darted towards the table he just left from. And that's when she noticed. One biscotti was gone.