Work Text:
There it was again. That obnoxious ringing sound that Annie Edison had become all too familiar with. She grunted, pressing “snooze” on her phone’s alarm with great intensity.
She looked outside her window. The sun had not risen yet. It was 4AM on a Tuesday, which meant she had to get ready for her opening shift at the coffee shop downtown. She had taken up a barista job to make ends meet after her internship fell through. Simply put, they were desperate for new people to hire, and everywhere else she applied to previously had either turned her down, or just never returned her calls.
A customer service job was not high on her list of potential careers, but for what it’s worth, she was pretty good at it. She passed her training with flying colors, and her coworkers, for the most part, enjoyed her company. The customers, however, were often less than amiable. Although she tried not to let them get under her skin, she couldn’t help feeling hurt by some of the unsavory comments people made towards her.
After a quick shower, she prepared for her commute to work. When she arrived, she was still drowsy. The shift manager on duty at the time noticed this.
“We’ve still got time before the morning rush,” he said. “I’ll pour you some blonde shots.”
“Thanks Rex,” she replied.
Rex could see that something was wrong. He was used to seeing Annie come in feeling tired, but she looked more than tired. She had a look of dejection on her face.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh,” Annie faltered, caught off guard. “Nothing.” There was a pause, followed by a heavy sigh. “Just… thinking of someone.”
“Girl, I know what you mean,” Rex replied as he poured espresso shots into a shaker. “You remember that cute British guy who always comes in for a Flat White?”
Annie was slightly agitated by Rex’s seeming inability to read the room, but played along anyway. “You mean Stephen?”
“Yes! Stephen. Anyway, I haven’t heard from him since we hooked up last weekend. I think about him a lot.”
“Yeah, I can tell,” chuckled Annie, who loved getting on her manager’s nerves.
“Men are garbage, period,” he finished, handing the finished espresso to Annie, who never got the chance to explain her situation to Rex, as it was time for her to clock in.
***
The day went by slowly, and was rather uneventful. Somehow, even with the influx of customers during the store’s peak hours, Annie, stuck on the cash register, felt bored out of her mind. People came and went, but she remained deep in thought.
“Excuse me, Miss?”
Annie, still not completely focused, said nothing. She continued staring into space.
“Hey lady!”
Annie jumped. An old man was standing at the front of the line, scowling at her.
“You’re holding me up! Didn’t anyone teach you how to take an order?”
Annie was taken aback by this. “I-I’m sorry, I just spaced out a bit.”
Rex overheard the conversation, and intervened. “It was an honest mistake, sir,” he said. “But you do not get to talk to my baristas that way.”
The old man gritted his teeth. “You don’t need to give me attitude.”
“And you don’t need to come into our store anymore if you can’t treat people with basic respect,” Rex continued. He may not be physically intimidating, but he was far from a pushover. Annie appreciated this, but she still felt terrible.
“You can go on your break,” Rex soothed her. “I’ll deal with this.” He glared at the old man, who looked like he was ready to climb over the counter and start an incident.
***
Annie slowly made her way towards her favorite seat in the cafe, feeling utterly defeated. She wanted to burst into tears, but she didn’t dare in case she was seen by anyone. She simply ate her lunch in silence.
Then, a tall man briskly entered the store. Annie looked up, only to see…
“Jeff?!”
He turned around. Sure enough, there was Jeff Winger himself.
“Annie? What are the odds!”
Annie’s frown promptly turned into a smile.
“Hold on, I’m gonna just get a drink. We’ve got so much to catch up on,” he said cheerfully.
***
Jeff, having secured his drink, pulled up a chair alongside Annie.
“What are you doing here?” he asked with a broad grin on his face.
Annie explained her situation. “What brought you to this neck of the woods?”
“Some conference the Dean is making me attend,” Jeff groaned. “Not even all-expenses paid…”
Annie giggled. “Sounds like Greendale hasn’t changed much.”
“Not at all,” smirked Jeff. “I’m sorry that your internship didn’t work out though.”
“It’s okay,” Annie lied.
“Can’t be that great,” replied Jeff. “I know that look.”
Annie sighed, and a tear began to stream down her cheek. “I hate it, Jeff! People are just so awful.”
“That’s humanity for ya,” he replied. “But the fact that you’re still standing proves you’re stronger than you may think. Who cares if some old fart thinks you’re bad at your job? I know you’re not, and you know that too.”
Annie sniffled. “Do… Do you really think so?”
“I know so,” Jeff consoled her.
Annie wiped the tears from her eyes. She was grateful to have someone who believed in her, no matter what.
“Thanks Jeff,” she smiled. She leaned in and hugged him. “I’ve got to get back to work now, but let’s keep in touch, okay?”
Jeff smiled, and nodded in agreement. He and Annie said their goodbyes, and she quickly went back to the break room to retrieve her apron. By the time she returned to the floor, Jeff had gone, but he had left behind a newfound sense of confidence in Annie. She couldn’t wait to see him again, and would continue putting her best foot forward at her job, regardless of what was thrown at her.
“That guy you were talking to was pretty hot,” Rex whispered to Annie.
Annie sighed euphorically. “Yeah.”