Page 14 of Once Hidden
April’s dark hair, pulled back in a practical ponytail, still managed to cling to her damp neck as she worked.Her black Brick House Beanery T-shirt clung to her back, and her feet ached in her well-worn sneakers.But after nearly a month of working in the café, she’d gotten used to the rhythm of these rushes.She moved swiftly, grinding beans, tamping espresso, steaming milk.The familiar routine anchored her amid the chaos.
A crash from her right broke her concentration.April looked up to see Darcy, the new hire, standing frozen beside an overturned cup, coffee spreading across the counter in a dark puddle.The girl’s eyes were wide with panic, her freckled face flushed red with embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry,” Darcy stammered, reaching for a towel.“I don’t know what—”
April glanced at the queue of drinks on Darcy’s screen—seven orders deep and climbing.The girl was drowning.
“Hey,” April said, quickly finishing the latte she was making.“It’s okay.Take a breath.”
Darcy tried, but her hands trembled as she mopped up the spill.
April looked at Molly, who was handling the register efficiently.Their eyes met for a moment and Molly gave a slight nod—she’d hold down the front while April helped the newbie.
“Let me jump in for a minute,” April said, moving to Darcy’s station.“Watch what I do, okay?”
Darcy stepped back, relief clear on her face.“Thanks.I just got overwhelmed and then everything started piling up and—”
“Happens to everyone,” April assured her, already scanning the backed-up orders.She grabbed a cup and began preparing an iced caramel macchiato.“The trick is to group similar drinks together.See these three iced coffees?Make them all at once.And don’t waste time between orders—while one espresso is pulling, you’re already prepping the next cup.”
Darcy watched intently, her breathing slowing as April worked through the backlog with smooth, economical movements.
“And don’t be afraid to call for backup when you need it,” April continued, handing off two completed drinks to waiting customers.“We’re a team, right?”
“Right,” Darcy said with more confidence.
April guided her through the next three orders, offering quiet corrections and encouragement until Darcy’s station was back under control.
“You’ve got this,” April said, squeezing Darcy’s arm before returning to her own station.“Just remember—breathe.”
Back at her position, April found that her own orders had accumulated.She dove back in, her hands moving almost automatically as she frothed milk for a cappuccino.She called out names, handed off orders, and started the cycle again.The rhythm was punishing but satisfying in its own way.Here, at least, success was straightforward: make the drinks, make them well, keep the line moving.
After twenty straight minutes of non-stop drink making, the digital order screen finally showed just two pending orders.April allowed herself a moment to stretch her back, to release some tension.She glanced at the clock—1:13 p.m.The worst of the lunch rush would be over soon.
“I’m going to help Molly at the register,” she called to Darcy, who now seemed to have found her footing.“You okay here?”
Darcy gave a thumb-up, her earlier panic replaced by determination.
April wiped her hands on her apron and made her way to the front.The line had shortened somewhat, but still stretched to the door.Molly shot her a grateful look as April opened the second register.
“Next customer,” April called, forcing brightness into her voice despite her fatigue.
A middle-aged woman in a business suit stepped forward, rattling off a complicated order that April dutifully entered into the system.As the woman moved away, April looked up to greet the next person in line—and felt her heart stutter.
Two customers back, standing with his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed on her, was Ethan.
What was he doing here—in the midst of the midday rush, of all times?He’d gone to Philadelphia to visit his sick grandmother; had told April he’d text before heading back to Fredericksburg.But she hadn’t heard a word from him in two days.The sight of him stirred a complicated mix of emotions—relief that he was back, confusion about his unexpected appearance, and a distinct thread of anger that he hadn’t bothered to let her know he was returning.
April forced herself to focus on the customer in front of her, an older man ordering a simple black coffee.Her voice sounded strange in her own ears as she processed his payment, her awareness split between the task at hand and Ethan’s approaching presence.Behind her, she could hear the clatter of Darcy dropping something again, followed by Molly’s gentle coaching.
Then the older man moved away, and suddenly Ethan was there, standing before her, his dark hair falling across his forehead in that typical careless way that she found so attractive, but she couldn’t quite read his expression.Embarrassment?Shame?Something deeper?
“Hey,” he said, his voice soft enough that she had to lean forward slightly to hear him over the café noise.
“Hey yourself,” April replied, trying to keep her tone neutral.“I didn’t know you were back in town.”
Ethan shifted his weight, his amber eyes not quite meeting hers.“Just got back this morning.”
A customer at the pickup counter called out, asking about their order.Molly hurried over to help, leaving April and Ethan in their awkward bubble amidst the chaos.
