It's five o'clock on a Saturday morning. I don't want to be awake right now. Whose dumb idea was it to open a coffee shop, anyway?

I roll out of bed and check my phone, seeing a message from Willow. She wants to go out tonight. I have nothing to lose, so I agree. I can't help but think of Florence as I type out a response. She never leaves my mind, but she has a boyfriend so why should I feel guilty?

This past week has been so confusing. Last Friday she was being all touchy with Zach, but then she acted all jealous when I was talking to Willow. When we're alone, it's like nothing else even matters. It's just me and her, and an undeniable tension that forms whenever our eyes meet. She flirts. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but Ash confirmed it. 'Dude, she definitely wants to fuck' as Ash put it. I wouldn't quite say that, but to each their own.

Scarlett keeps pushing us together, too. She's come to the shop with Florence every day this week, and she never fails to slip not-so-subtle innuendos into the conversation. I just wish someone could be my balance of reasoning—someone who gives me their honest opinion and helps navigate all this bullshit. Ash is a great friend, but not the best at giving advice.

Groaning into my pillow, I begrudgingly roll out of bed and trudge into the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water cascades down my face, enveloping my body in a bath of calm. My thoughts aren't silenced, but they're quieter now.

I slip on some baggy ripped jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt, layering it with an oversized flannel. One major perk of being my own boss is that there's no dress code. I tie on my Doc Martens and brush my teeth as I walk to Syd's room, opening the door and telling her to wake up. After making some breakfast, we're ready to leave by 6:30, and we arrive at the shop around 6:45.

"Fifteen minutes to spare," I mumble as I unlock the doors and usher Syd inside. Ash shows up within a few minutes and we crank up the music, starting the day with laughs and excessive espresso shots. Syd grabs a book off the shelf and sits on the floor, reading in the middle of the aisle, but I don't have the energy to tell her to move.

We easily deal with the morning rush of early birds getting their coffee. Florence shows up around eight, but she's not alone. Walking in behind her are Scarlett and...Elizabeth Olsen?

"Good morning, Y/N," Scarlett calls.

"Good morning, darling," Florence says absentmindedly, waving to Syd. I nearly melt at the nickname 'darling' but manage to hold it together.

"Morning, guys. I see you brought a new guest."

"Yes, hi! I'm Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzie," she introduces herself with a kind smile, shaking my hand.

"Hi, Lizzie. I'm Y/N," I laugh lightly. "Would you like to order?"

"I'll have a chai tea latte with oat milk?"

"Coming right up! And I'm assuming the usual for you both?" I ask Scarlett and Florence, both of whom nod in response.

"And it's for here," Florence adds. I smile to thank her for already knowing what I was going to ask.

"Tu feras le thé? Je ferai le café et le café au lait," I tell Ash, divvying up the orders. She gets to work on Florence's tea and I make Scarlett's and Lizzie's. We quickly have the drinks made and served.

My phone vibrates and I check my phone, seeing a message from my dad.

Dad: I booked a flight up next Monday and a flight back on the following Saturday. Does that work for you?

Well it's a little late to ask now, considering you already booked the flight, I think to myself.

Me: Yeah, that works. See you then.

I slide my phone back into my pocket and sigh, refraining from rolling my eyes. Syd will be excited to see him. I'm doing this for Syd. It's just for a few days.

"Hey, everything okay?" Florence murmurs, resting her hand on my arm.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just my dad," I assure her.

"So, Y/N, what made you want to open your own coffee shop?" Lizzie asks genuinely.

"Couldn't afford college," I joke, although that's pretty much the truth. She laughs and Florence gives me a boyish grin, locking her gaze onto mine. "What made you want to act?" I ask Lizzie in return.

"Ooh, good one. Um, I guess it's always something I knew I wanted to do. There were times when my sisters' fame made me want to back out, but I love acting. It's a way to escape everything, I guess."

"Damn," I pause. "That's a much better answer than mine."

"You know, I think I like her," Lizzie tells Scarlett and Florence.

"Join the club," Ash mumbles with a sarcastic smile.

"Let me see your phone," Lizzie commands. I do as she says, raising an eyebrow as she types away. "There, now you have my number. And I put yours in my phone, too."

"Hey, that's not fair," Florence whines. "She was my friend first."

"I can give it to you," Lizzie tells her.

"No, no. I wanna make her work for it," I demand, staring into Florence's eyes as I speak. She swallows and breaks eye contact, chuckling nervously. I smirk lightly to myself, celebrating a victory in our nonexistent competition.

"Oh, I see," Lizzie says with a half-smile.

"Hey, we should all go out tonight," Scarlett suggests. "There's a new club, super low-key. Y/N, you'll love it."

"As amazing as that sounds, I can't. I, uh, I have a date tonight." Florence's smile falls and she looks down at the floor. I nervously play with a napkin and try to swallow my guilt. She has a boyfriend.

"Damn, another time then. Have fun on your date though," Scarlett says, wiggling her eyebrows. I playfully roll my eyes, wondering why I'm not the least bit excited.

"Yeah, have fun on your date," Florence says quietly, the smile still absent from her face. "We should get going." She abruptly gets up and walks away, waiting at the door.

"Oh, uh, I guess we're leaving. Have a good day," Lizzie says. Scarlett waves and sends me an apologetic smile as they walk out of the shop.

"Wait, I didn't give you a song...recommendation," I call after them, trailing off because they were already gone.

Ash whistles lowly, draping her arm around my shoulder. "That is quite the situation you've found yourself in, my friend."

"What do you mean?"

"She's got a boyfriend but you're totally infatuated with her, and she gets jealous when you have a date."

"Well what do you suggest I do?" I inquire helplessly.

"Honestly, I don't know. Show her what she's missing. Use that jealously to your advantage," she advises, poking my ribcage.

"That's a horrible idea, Ashlynn. Like, astonishingly horrendous. And immature. And toxic."

"I'm just saying, going to a club with them would be the perfect opportunity."

"Ash, no."

Well...maybe. No, definitely not. Unless...no, I can't do that. Can I?

~~~

a/n: totally wasn't planning on uploading today but I sat down and wrote a chapter so here we are🧍‍♀️

I might write another one tonight but we'll see