God's Gift

"Hey, can I get a tall iced coffee in a grande cup with extra ice, three pumps hazelnut, two pumps classic, an inch of non-fat milk, with a dome lid and a venti straw?"

"No."

The pretty red-haired girl stared at me and I stared right on back.

"Excuse me?" She tittered nervously and I inhaled deeply, forcing a smile onto my face.

"This isn't Starbucks, sweetheart. I can give you a coffee in small, medium or large. I don't do pumps, I don't do venti straws and I don't do dome lids. So why don't you go back to the back of the line and rethink your order and maybe, if you're lucky, when you get back to the front I'll be able to give you some kind of drink." I said as sweetly as I could.

The girl continued to stare at me. I rolled my eyes and turned to the next customer, a guy wearing a beanie and thick-rimmed glasses that didn't have any lenses in them.

"Can I have an espresso?" He asked weakly and I winked.

"Lose the hipster glasses and I'll consider it."

I turned to prepare his drink and by the time I'd turned back around, the glasses were gone and he took the drink, gave me a five dollar bill, mumbled something about keeping the change and vanished.

I liked customers like that. Quiet and easily intimidated.

"Bella…" Sue's voice was in my ear and I sighed.

"Sorry, Sue."

"At least try to sound like you mean it." She snipped, serving a woman and child, smiling down at the kid, "How about one of our fresh cupcakes, sweetie?"

My shift at Clearwater Coffee was almost over and as the line ended (red-haired girl mumbled out an order for a cappuccino which I graciously served) Sue handed me a damp rag to wipe down the counter.

"I hate these little hipster kids too, Bella. But they have money, same as anyone else, and as long as that money ends up in the till, I don't care what they order." She told me sternly. I didn't take it to heart. The woman loved me really.

After I'd tidied up the counter, Sue excused me to take a five minute break. We'd been left short-handed when Seth had come down with food poisoning or what Sue, his mother, called 'a bad and well-deserved hangover'.

I went to the bathroom and retied my hair after I washed my hands. I had dyed it recently, a very dark brown and I kind of liked it. My skin was pale and my eyes dark. Each ear had a number of silver rings in and I could just see the hint of ink peeking out from underneath the collar of my black shirt that was part of my uniform.

I went back out to the counter and stretched. It was quieting down as the lunchtime rush finished. I'd be done in an hour, long before the afternoon crowd came in. Just time to go home for a nap, a shower and to change before heading out to job number two at the restaurant.

Two men came in as I restocked the pastry case. Both were wearing suits and I went back to the cash register.

"Hi, can I take your order?" I said, as perkily as I could manage (which wasn't very).

They continued to talk in low voices. They were both tall, one with bright blue eyes and blonde hair, a little too long and shaggy for the suit that he was wearing. The other had bright brown-red hair and a hard square jaw.

"Can I take your order?" I asked again but they continued to chat away, their tones a little urgent.

Another eye roll and I went back to the pastry case. I had better things to do than stand around waiting for them to be ready. I had refilled all of the muffins when one of them cleared their throats.

"Excuse me? We're waiting to order." He said pointedly. It was jaw-guy and I straightened, strolling over to the register.

"Oh, are you? I figured since I asked you twice if you'd like to order anything and you just ignored me, you were here for the fine ambience of this establishment." I said dryly. Jaw-guy narrowed his eyes and I smiled blandly, "Now, what can I get for you gentlemen?"

"Two black coffees."

"Of course."

"We'll be sat in the corner." Jaw-guy added icily and I raised an eyebrow.

"Good for you."

"Is the attitude necessary?"

"All part of the service." I winked and he blinked, looking flustered before a sour expression settled on his face and he gestured to his friend.

I made the coffees and put them on a tray, Sue eying me as I carried them over to the table where the two men were now animatedly discussing something.

"I want Hunter out, Jasper. I don't trust him and I want his accounts looked through." Jaw-guy said, his tone harsh. Jasper rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Edward, to get rid of him now would look suspicious. Besides, you don't have any evidence."

"Yet. I don't have any evidence yet." Edward A.K.A Jaw-guy said pointedly before turning his gaze to me. His eyes were shockingly green.

"Two black coffees. That's seven bucks."

"Thank you… Bella." Jasper said, reading my name. Jaw-guy reached into his wallet and took out a twenty, handing it to me.

"No problem." I went back to the cash register.

I didn't give the men another passing thought until it was almost the end of my shift. A group of three guys, around my age, ordered drinks and stood at the counter.

"This isn't what I ordered." One of them complained obnoxiously and I ground my teeth.

"What's the problem?"

"I ordered an Americano. This is a long black." He said snidely and I resisted the urge to punch him.

"It's an espresso with extra hot water. What's the problem?"

"An Americano is an espresso with-"

"It's an espresso with extra hot water. Drink it, choke on it, use it in a weird sexual ritual, I really don't care." I told him, noting the two men standing out of the corner of my eye.

The customer looked pissed off and I sighed, tucking my pen behind my ear. It clinked against the silver rings.

"Look, either way you're getting the caffeine that you desperately need. Is this really a cause to complain or are you feeling weirdly inadequate in front of your friends?" I waved in the general direction of the guys he'd come in with and he flushed as they sniggered.

"Whatever."

"Good boy. Off you go."

I shooed him away from the counter as Jasper and Edward passed by. Edward paused as Jasper headed for the door. His bright eyes scanned me from toe to face, his mouth set in a slight pout as he examined me carefully.

"Can I get you anything else? Some subtlety maybe?"

"Excuse me?" He seemed put-out and I smirked as he ran a hand through his hair. It was very thick, his hair, and his hands were large with long fingers. He was tall, around 6'2 and slim beneath his suit jacket.

God, he was attractive. I kind of wanted to hump his leg.

And then other parts of him.

"Would you like to order anything?" I said slowly and he met my eyes, his gaze piercing.

"No."

"Edward, China is calling in twenty-five minutes." Jasper called from the door and I gave Edward another smirk.

"Wouldn't want to keep China waiting."

"Are you here every day?" He asked, his voice low.

"I tend to show up to my job, yes."

"So if I were to come here tomorrow, you would be here." He asked again.

"I'm really not sure which part of this you're having trouble with." I said flatly. Hot, he may be. Fast, he was not.

"I'd very much like to see you again. Perhaps you could join me for a drink tomorrow."

The clock on the register hit the hour and I plucked off my name badge, tossing it in the drawer.

"I'm out, Sue."

"Bye Bella." She called and I strolled past Edward to the door, pulling my coat out from under the counter.

"Too bad, Edward. I guess China will have to keep you company instead." I said cheerfully.

He wouldn't be back. I was sure of that. Everyone hit on the cute coffee girl. No one actually came back.

Especially not gorgeous, humpable men in suits who had conferences with China.

A/N: Welcome! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. This story is very, very loosely based on the song 'God's Gift to Women' by Katie Miller-Heidke, which has been going through my head non-stop.

Please let me know what you think.

That English Writer.