Maya's black stilettos clicked against the pavement as she hopped out of her BMW, iPhone pressed to her perfectly blushed face, scolding her assistant who was helping arrange her next fashion show.

"I told you the buyers had to be front row, Missy." She smoothed out her pencil skirt before stepping into the newest coffee shop in town, the aroma instantly calming her nerves. It was fairly busy for such a tiny space, and Maya had no time to waste standing in line, so she caught the closest barista's attention.

"Excuse me!" She waved her hand at the guy. He was at least a head taller than her, even in her stilettos.

The barista leaned over the counter he was currently using to pour two drinks at once. "Ma'am, the line's over there." He pointed his head to the opposite end of the café.

Maya didn't even take into account what the guy had just said. "Oh, I'll just have a large black coffee and a whole grain blueberry muffin, thanks." And she was back to chatting away into her phone.

"Miss, you can't just skip all of these people." No response. "Miss!" He raised his voice, causing Maya to almost lose balance in her heels.

She forged a smile at him. "I'll call you back, Missy." She hung up, keeping the phone in the palm of her hand. "Listen kid," She glanced at his burly chest in search of a name tag. "Lucas, is it? I'm debuting a new clothing line tonight and I really have no time to spare. In fact, in the time I've spent talking to you right now, I could have sold ten more pieces. So please, be a doll and make my damn coffee so I can be on my way?" Her eyelashes were moving a mile a minute, and her grin spread even wider than before.

Lucas huffed, setting his two masterpieces of drinks on the pick-up counter. "Fine, but just this once, and only because my boss isn't here." He turned around and grabbed a large cup and a marker, and before he could face her again, she was back at it with her assistant.

"No Missy! When did I ever tell you I wanted confetti?"

"What's your name?" Lucas mouthed, his manners keeping him from interrupting her call.

Maya was pacing at the entrance of the shop. "Maya." She didn't even look at him, speaking her name as part of her conversation with Missy. Lucas couldn't really make out what she had said over the chatter from other customers.

"No, I wasn't talking to you." Eye roll. "I swear to God if confetti falls during my show you're fired Bradford." More steam was coming out of her ears than any cup of coffee in the room.

Lucas chuckled to himself. She was the tiniest twenty-something he'd ever seen, and had a more firecracker attitude than most toddlers. Her attire, consisting of a peach colored pencil skirt and black sheer button-up, made up for her size. He noted that her long, dirty blonde hair was loose, instead of tied or pinned up like most professionals who came through the shop. Even from this distance, he could point out that her eyes were a soft baby blue. Taking all of this in, he realized how she had been so convincing.

Maya glimpsed at him mid-pace. "I know I'm quite the looker, but I'd like to get my coffee today please." Her petite foot tapped against the tile floor.

He hadn't even noticed he'd been gaping until she spoke. Hurriedly, he sprung into action, scribbling onto her cup a combination of letters that sounded closest to the gibberish he'd heard from her earlier. Tucking her muffin into a small paper bag, he set her order down and dinged the silver bell on the counter.

Maya was done with her phone conversation, and was now replying to emails on her small device. She blindly stepped up and handed Lucas a ten dollar bill, retrieving her food and drink. "Keep the change." She winked at him and turned on her thin stilt of a heel to waltz away.

Stunned by the tip and the wink, Lucas stood motionless, other than fidgeting with his uniform visor. "S-see you tomorrow?" He stuttered. This couldn't be the last he saw of her.

She pushed open the door, never facing him. "Probably."

—

"Layah? Really? Are you illiterate or something?" Maya had emerged in front of Lucas out of thin air, shoving an empty cardboard cup in his face.

Lucas's eyes crossed to look at the cup and he jumped back, startled by the shrimp-sized woman's company. "What? I thought that's what you said." He shrugged as he sprayed whipped cream on top of a sugary drink.

Maya's phone buzzed, initiating a groan. She dug one hand into her Louis Vuitton to fetch it. "My name is Maya." She humphed at the struggle of sifting through the junk in her satchel. "Even if my name was Layah, who puts an 'h' at the end like that?" She answered the buzzing iPhone. "Mr. Donahue, how are you?" Her tone switched from condescending to over-the-top amicable in seconds.

"Pffft." Lucas repressed a laugh, shaking his head, causing a few perfectly placed strands of brown hair to escape from the top of his visor.

Maya scowled at him, moving her phone away from her face. "Oh, can you just pour my coffee please? And spell my name right this time?"

"Coming right up, ma'am." He winked at her before starting away at her coffee and muffin, prompting a snarl.

Maya's call abruptly ends, so she watches him fill her order. Her attention is immediately directed to his arms. They're muscular, and tan, and bulging as he pours the black liquid into her cup. Her gaze wanders to his face, where she focuses on his lips. He's biting his bottom lip as he plays with the plastic top, fighting with it to fit around the cup. She scolds herself and looks back down at her phone right before he has the chance to look up.

"Enjoying the view?" He jabs, peering his seafoam green eyes at her with a smug grin across his cute face.

Maya approaches him, arms folded across her black fitted blazer, "you wish, barista boy."

Lucas clutched his chest. "Ouch, that one stung." His sarcasm rang clear in his tone.

"Good." She raised her eyebrows, letting out the slightest chuckle.

"Cute bun." He remarked, sliding her muffin across the flat surface between them and setting her piping hot beverage beside her.

"You better be talking about the one on my head if you ever want business from me again." Maya squinted her eyes at his, grimacing on the outside, but on the inside, she was thinking about what two colors made up the one that surrounded his irises.

Lucas matched her gaze, and stance, mocking her. "Of course, I'm not a pig."

"How am I supposed to know? We're strangers." Maya shrugged, tilting her head.

"How about we change that?"

"Huh?"

"Let me take you to dinner." Lucas uncrossed his arms and closed the gap between them by placing his elbows on the counter.

Maya snatched her muffin and coffee. "You're insane if you think you're getting a piece of this." She motioned up and down her body.

"You're insane if you think that's all I want from you." He retorted.

Maya's face softened, and she stayed silent, allowing him to continue.

"You're beautiful, yeah, but that's not why I want to take you out. You're quick and witty. You can keep up with me. And you're obviously very successful." He nodded at her bag. "Which means you're smart. And that you can pick up the tab, if needed." He was rewarded with a genuine laugh from the delicate woman.

Maya rolled the idea around in her mind for moment. "Fine. I'll let you take me out, IF, you can spell my name right tomorrow." She took a long swig of her caffeine filled drink and slid a ten dollar bill to him, just like yesterday.

Lucas couldn't wipe the simper off of his face. "Did I get it wrong today?"

Maya hovered around the exit. "There's no I. Better luck next time?" She pointed at M-A-I-A scrawled across the cup, pushing the door open with her back and sauntering out.

—

When Maya showed up the next morning, a tall white cup and brown paper bag sat on the pick-up counter, both having "Maya" written in big black letters on them. Grinning, Maya click-clacked her heels over to where Lucas stood, awaiting her arrival.

"Pick you up at eight?" He questioned, his lips trapped in a giddy smile.

Maya snickered. "What, did you Google me?" Her blonde waves swayed as her head bobbed from side to side.

"There are only so many ways to spell Maya, Maya. It was either this or add an 'h' at the end, which, I know from experience, you think is ridiculous."

She pursed her lips, nodding. "Aren't you quite the detective?" She perfected the Peter Pan collar of her crisp white shirt before gathering her breakfast.

"So, tonight?" Lucas's eyes lit up with eagerness.

Maya sighed, pausing dramatically long. She eyed the ceiling, appearing as if she was contemplating the decision. "I suppose. I'll have my assistant send you my address."

Lucas almost leaped for joy. "Your assistant? Why not just give it to me now?"

"Because I'm late." She paid for her order as per usual. "And if I did, I wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing that you'll be waiting around for it all day." She slowly crept across the counter, getting closer to his face by the second.

"See you at eight." She flipped her hair in his face and ambled out of the coffee shop right before their lips touched.

Lucas took off his cap to fan his face. "What did I just get myself into?"