Whatever It Takes

The lunch rush had just finished up around two-thirty or so when you finally had enough of a lull to send your baristas on their much needed breaks. You were used to working through yours and stealing bites of food where you could, but since you were the only available manager at the moment – you needed to be around as much as you could.

Now would be a great time for you to make yourself a shot of expresso so that you would be awake enough to at least read your son his favorite bedtime story. You felt bad, not being around as much as you would have liked, but you couldn’t afford to scale back on your hours.

You watched at the dark liquid poured into a little paper cup that employees had to use. Just as you were about to toss it back, the front door chimed, signaling that there was a customer.

“Good afternoon,” you started you usually greeting while pushing your cup aside to come back to shortly, not looking up at the guest while adjusting the way your apron was sitting on your shoulders. “What can I get you today?”

“Uh,” a somewhat familiar, gruff voice spoke. “Just a plain coffee?”

Looking up, you were greeted with forest green eyes, catching you by surprise. “Oh.”

Those eyes started to crinkle at the edge while you watched as a smile unfold across the man’s wonderful features. “Oh?”

“Oh,” you shake your head, trying to make sense of what was going through your head right then. You took a glance around the coffee house and saw that no one was even paying attention to who had just walked it. “I guess, I’m just surprised to see you.”

His smile grew wider before he let out a low laugh. “I know it’s not dark outside and I’m not hiding out from a group of girls, but just like everyone else I do need a caffeine fix.”

“Right,” you nodded, still in a bit of shock. The cool and collected Lydia from the other night seemed to be out for the day. “A plain coffee, cream or sugar?”

“Just black, please.”

You focused on pouring the coffee into a to-go paper cup and securing the lid as tightly as you could. “Here you go, Jensen.”

His name rolling off your tongue, felt odd and satisfying at the same time. Jensen reached his hand out to grab his cup, his fingers grazing over the top of your hand causing a warmth to start to spread. With a clearing of his throat, he spoke again. “Um, how much do I owe you?”

“Nothing,” you said, quickly. Probably too quickly. “I mean, you don’t owe anything. This is for not being able to give you anything the other night.”

He looked over at you and you watched as he looked you up and down for a moment, making you super aware of the fact that you decided not to wear any make-up today. “You don’t need to do that. If anything, I should be the one giving you something.”

You shook your head, which made him start to speak again. “No, really. You did me a huge favor the other night, the least I can do is pay for a cup of coffee.”

“Not allowing it,” you said with a smile. You could tell that he wanted to pay for his drink, but it was a two-dollar cup of coffee that wouldn’t even make a dent in your sales for the day.

Jensen sighed before bringing his coffee to his lips and taking sip. Something in his face relaxed for a moment, “Okay, well when is your break? Maybe I can take you out to lunch.”

You chewed your bottom lip, thinking about his offer, but no matter how you tried to work out in your head going to lunch with Jensen Ackles himself, there was just no way you could get away long enough from the store. Not until the owners hired you an assistant manager.

“I’m sorry, I can’t.” You watched as his face fell, making you feel like the biggest asshole in the world. “I don’t have anyone to cover for me. I usually have to work through my breaks.”

“Isn’t that kind of breaking all sorts of labor laws?”

That caused you to laugh a little bit, “Sort of, but it’s only temporarily. My last assistant manager was stealing, so the new interview process is taking longer than expected.”

“Damn,” he shook his head and shuffled his feet a bit, almost like he was stalling for something. “Well, I really want to make it up to you. Somehow.”

You couldn’t help, but give him a small smirk. “Please, you don’t have to.”

: // Jensen

It had been bothering him all day that she couldn’t get a break. He knew what it was like to have a job that overwhelmed your life, something that happened with a lot of actors. They struggled with finding a life balance. But it was something else entirely to not be able to properly do something as simple as get a lunch break.

When he had come back to the set to finish a scene that needed a tweak, Jared had asked him how his meeting had gone and if he had the balls to head back into that coffee shop. Jensen explained that he went in with the intentions of taking her out to eat, even though he knew it was a bold move to make, but it just kind of slipped out.

He explained that she had said no within reason, but he felt like he couldn’t take that as an answer. Especially because it was over something that she had very little control over.

That was when Jared gave him the idea.

So, with a warm box of cheese pizza, that could feed about two people quickly, he made his way to the dimly lit coffee house once more; only this time much more grateful that he wasn’t hiding from something.

It was another bold move, but one that he felt would be universally appreciated.

He knocked on the door, rocking back on his feet feeling a random pang of something start to flutter about in his stomach. When she came to the door, he saw how exhausted she looked. “I know you couldn’t step away for lunch, so I thought I could at least supply you with dinner?”

“Um -” Lydia chewed her bottom lip just like she had earlier. It caused a flurry not so innocent thoughts to cross his mind. “I don’t even know what to say to be honest.”

“How about instead of saying anything you help me eat this?”

He watched as a slow and tired smile crossed her lips. “I suppose you won’t take no as an answer.”

Repeating back what she had said to him earlier, “Not allowing it.”