This is another extremely random idea I had. I just ran with it. And it was kind of fun. It may or may not continue. Thank you in advance for checking this out!

A purple-haired girl looked up from the spot she was wiping in front of the espresso machine, when she heard the familiar musical chime of the café doors opening. In he walked. The first customer of the day. Everyday. Like clockwork. Each morning he showed up, as soon as she turned the CLOSED sign to OPEN. Sometimes, even before. And even though, she knew probably shouldn't, she would let him. He claimed he couldn't function even one day without caffeine. But, secretly she hoped him coming to see her everyday, was something more. Even though she would never admit it out loud, it always brightened her day to see him in the morning.

"Good morning, Rachel. How are you on this fine Monday morning?" As always, his dazzling emerald eyes were sparkling with joy and warmth. She could feel butterflies colliding in her stomach at just the sight of him.

And she thought she was a morning person.

That is, until she met him.

"Hello, Garfield." She nodded at him kindly, as they exchanged their usual pleasantries.

Garfield Logan. That name alone, now made her weak at the knees.

Garfield Logan worked at a shop just a few doors down from her. A specialty vegan deli shop, called Wild Thyme. It was a casual eatery that catered to vegan tastes and plant-based palates. All in all, it had been pretty successful so far. And Rachel still couldn't believe it. She remembered being skeptical when she had first heard about it. She didn't think they would be around for long.

And she hadn't been the only one:

"A whole store dedicated to vegan food?"

"Just vegan food?"

But wasn't veganism just a trend? Another diet craze in a long, never-ending list of fads? How long would it be until it fell out of vogue like the rest of them? And market trends aside, who would even buy it? At least that's what she had thought initially.

Rachel quickly realized just how wrong she had been. Very wrong, indeed. Despite seeming out of place at first, it certainly fit in well around here. Garfield and his business partner had begun renting the retail space after the Mae-Eye Pie shop had mysteriously closed down a while back. It seemed that both veganism and Garfield were here to stay.

From what she could tell, the vegan shop had become something of a fixture around here, these past few months. Now there was no doubt, that they had to be talented entrepreneurs. She firmly believed it. But she also suspected their business success had a little something to do with the two attractive men who were running things.

Even she wasn't blind.

She could remember how she had been taken aback by him, when he'd introduced himself to her. He didn't look at her strangely, like some did. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to get to know her. Rachel had never met anyone like him before. To say the least.

For starters, she couldn't imagine anyone who was around seitan and soy cheese all day who could act like that. He was so carefree and sweet.

The way he came across, it was so...sincere.

It was true, she found him charming. But did she ever like the sight of him, too. She was still a woman, after all. She didn't mind it if attached to that personality was an amazingly good looking man. Not one bit. Garfield was evidently unaware of his effect on her. It almost took her breath away, the moment she first saw him. That tanned, firm skin. That tousled blonde hair. And his eyes that made her melt. Those brilliant green eyes.

Now every morning, he came into her shop full of smiles and sunshine. He seemed like he went out of his way to be nice to her. He talked to her. He made jokes, trying to get her to laugh. He asked her about herself, how she was doing, and how things were going at the store. And she made him a latte. With soy milk. And extra foam. She liked to pretend it was a routine all their own. One that they shared together. Just the two of them.

"I'm thinking of mixing it up this morning."

He was always full of surprises. She wondered what it could be...

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm one for living on the edge, aren't I?" he chuckled, his eyes closing in laughter.

She tried not to stare for too long, but she was utterly mesmerized by it. The beautiful and wondrous sight of Garfield wearing an expression of pure pleasure.

"What'll it be, then?" she asked him, keeping her voice steady.

He perused the board of drink options, pensively for a moment. "I was thinking...a hemp milk cappuccino. You know, instead of my usual soy?"

"Coming right up."

Except in the early mornings, Rachel wasn't usually out here. To put it mildly, she wasn't really one for the client-facing side of things. She was one who fared better taking care of things behind the scenes. She was a part-owner of the Cafe/Bookstore on the corner. A Brew'd Awakening it was called. As part-owner, she did a little of everything. That entailed managing staff, stocking shelves, maintaining the inventory of books, coffees, teas, and various treats. She didn't just expect the employees to do their fair share. She led by example and the staff respected her for it.

The espresso machine whirred to life. Grinding the fresh espresso beans, and pouring over the hot water. As it dripped into the stainless steel espresso shot containers, she began steaming the fresh hemp milk. He asked her about the arrival of some new comic books and vegan cookbooks in stock. Still smiling at her. She blushed lightly. Rachel could feel her heart beating faster now. She couldn't deny, he made her nervous.

How could he not?

"So, have you considered my request?"

"And just which one might that be?" she asked, softly.

"You know, Rachel... The same one I always make." He shrugged and looked sheepishly at her.

"To...start stocking more varieties of non-dairy creamer?" she asked, quirking an orchid-colored brow.

"No - no, not that. I mean, yes. But what about my...other question?" Garfield stammered.

She stared blankly at him.

"The one that I asked you, the other day..." he trailed off, looking nervous.

He continued when she didn't respond. "To come check out the shop, maybe...?"

"Maybe, to try one of your sandwiches?" she finished for him.

"Right..." he replied.

Oh. That again.

He ran a hand through his hair. "So if you had any time today to come by, we just got in some new, egg-free wasabi mayo. It's delicious. Trust me, you would love it."

At times, it seemed like he was flirting with her. Like all he really wanted to get to know her, and spend time with her. And she found herself wanting to get to know him, too. But she couldn't. She had seen the various women who came into his store. The ones claiming to be "curious" about the "plant-based lifestyle". And she had seen how he interacted with them. Rachel could see why there was never a table free in the house on Tuesdays Tempeh Taco Nights.

Rachel knew all those women had no real interest in meat alternatives. They hadn't come for the chickpea burgers, sweet potato mousse, or shredded jack-fruit crab-cakes. They just wanted to try his zucchini pound cake. She knew this because secretly, she did too. But she wasn't naive enough to think she was the only one to whom he was giving his attention.

"I - I'm sorry. The café has been taking up all my time. As usual. I just haven't had the time to stop by."

"Yeah, of course. I understand," his smile had faltered a little bit. As it always did when she turned down his offers. It hurt her to say no. But, she had to protect herself.

"It's just, I've been extremely busy around here. And I'm training someone. We hired a new guy, and he's just not getting the hang of things yet."

It was another excuse, sure. But at least it wasn't a complete fabrication this time. The guy she was training did happen to be hopeless, she was, however, grateful for an out.

Nevertheless, she was intrigued by Garfield. Rachel couldn't think of a girl alive who wouldn't be. But she knew she wasn't special. She couldn't allow herself to fall for his charms. No matter how much she wanted to.

"It's okay, you can swing by another time. Maybe...sometime this week, if you're free?" he asked, hopefully.

"Maybe." He probably made that offer to every girl he saw.

"Just don't wait too long. Wasabi mayo always tastes best when it's fresh," his lips turned up in another grin.

She gave him a small smile in response.

Rachel could only assume it did. Too bad. She would never have the pleasure of finding out.

Finishing up his beverage, Raven poured in the shots and the steamed plant-milk and added her special flourish. The personalized art that she did for his lattes alone.

"I'm always so amazed when I see you do that," he marveled, gazing in wonder over her shoulder, as she drizzled the foamy milk-substitute. "You're such an artist. It's almost a shame I'm the only one who gets to enjoy your barista skills on a regular basis."

"Please. Any run of the mill barista can do that." She rolled her eyes. Truthfully, she enjoyed his compliments.

"I keep telling you, you're too modest, Rachel." He shook his head in playful disapproval.

She bit her lip nervously when his hand grazed hers, as he handed her his card in exchange for the Eco friendly paper cup with the sleeve. He locked eyes with hers, and took a long sip. She watched him with bated breath, eager to see if he liked it. Her heart skipped a beat, when he murmured, "Mmm... Perfect, as always."

"You say that every time..." she huffed. "It's just the espresso talking." She felt her cheeks redden further.

"But it is perfect. I hadn't had a decent cup of coffee until I started coming here." He gave her a meaningful look. "I hope that you have an amazing day today, Rachel."

"Thanks, uh - you, too."

"Maybe... I'll even see you later. Bye."

With his back to her, he raised his hand in a casual wave. She watched him walk away, longingly. Until he was around the corner and out of sight.

"Good bye, Garfield."

She sighed as she rinsed the stainless steel pitcher. She wondered if she was being stubborn, by not stopping by. They were acquaintances. Fellow small business owners. Would it really mean anything for her to stop by and say hello once in a while? He stopped by her place everyday. The least she could do was to give him the same courtesy.

The thing was, she knew it would mean much more to her.

She was probably right, he just saw her as barely an acquaintance and nothing more. She knew that. He was nice to everyone. And why shouldn't he be? It was clearly great for business. She wasn't special to him. It would be naïve of her to think otherwise.

Still... when she she saw the look in his eyes or felt her heart ache when she heard that the musical sound of his laughter. Raven knew that she desperately wanted to be.

Never wrote a BBRae before! I truly do love all the various Raven-centric pairings. I had this little idea and I kept going. I thought maybe the vegan thing might be a cool angle for BB. Also, I was a barista once, so... there you go! But there are SO many places I could take this if I continue it and I have tons of ideas. Please let me know what you thought! Feel free to check out my other stuff too! :)