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He's watching her.
She can feel it. He's usually more subtle than this. He adjusts himself in his seat and her hands stutter, almost drops the coffee she's preparing.
Rey has never met his stare, not even when he orders his usual black coffee. What is it with finance bros and their aversion to milk and sugar? Is milk girly?
A cheery 80's hit plays on the themed café's speakers and it's so empty she can hear him tapping his foot to the beat. It's a bit ridiculous, she thinks. This tall man in a suit, cramped into a brightly coloured booth next to his briefcase tapping his foot to Take on Me.
She blushes through the next two coffees she prepares, still feeling his stare. She's so focused on not even glancing in his direction that she misses it when he gets up and brings his mug to the counter.
"Thank you-" he rakes his gaze over her chest looking for her nametag, as if he didn't already know her name, "-Rey". He smiles, crooked, and slides a bill towards her.
She only allows herself a fleeting glance at his mouth and then averts her eyes while mumbling something that could've passed for a goodbye.
The bell over the neon pink door dings as he pulls on the handle and leaves. She pockets the tip, grabs his mug and takes it to the kitchen. Rose is taking a break, it's the afternoon lull after all, so there's no one to see her as she licks along the seam of the mug. She pictures his sharp smile. Thank you, Rey. A little breathier, perhaps. Mmmh... thank you, Rey.
"-and he only ever tips her, I'm telling you Finn, he..." the door swings open, and Rose trails off when she sees Rey. Thankfully, years of rough living, have taught Rey to think on her feet. She pretends to inspect the mug, chooses to ignore Rose's raised eyebrow and places it in the sink.
Finn joins her at the till a moment later, adjusting the wig of his Elvis costume. What kind of an 80's themed restaurant has an Elvis? He pretends not to notice her strange behaviour and she's thankful for small mercies.
He comes back every day.
She's managed to look up as far as his nose. A couple more weeks and she could be making eye contact, who knows.
Poe had insisted that she dress up as Madonna in "Material Girl", he says Madonna Mondays are gonna boost sales. She's itchy beneath the wig and the dress is a fire hazard in the kitchen, so she's stranded at the till.
When he comes in, she sees his feet pause at the door. Maybe she sneaks a peek a bit further up, but who can blame her?
"Madonna, huh? The usual, thank you." She looks at his right cheek and no further while he orders. Does he think it's weird?
She grabs a mug but he interrupts her. "To go, please, Rey."
He always sits in the corner booth, the one with a view of the till. He sits there for 15 minutes every morning and he watches her work. She pretends not to notice while blushing with the heat of a thousand suns. Then, he leaves a very generous tip for her and takes off. Always.
Rey's so stunned she actually replies. "To go?"
"Yes, I have an early meeting." He sounds apologetic, but does he look it? She doesn't meet his eyes.
The bell dings on his way out and she feels oddly bereft, nothing of his to take with her to the kitchen.