Rhythm & Brews

Christina had lucked out in yesterday’s round of Rock Paper Scissors with Lauren to see who would open today. Loser opens. Guess who was the loser today?

In her opinion 5 am was entirely too early to be awake, not to mention at work, but the fact that there would soon be a random combination of business people, soccer moms and college kids parading themselves through the door for their morning pick me up meant that she had to be here this early. The coffee was brewing, the shelves were restocked and the glass case at the counter was filled with the assortment of vegan baked goods that Harry always ordered from his favorite bakery. Christina looked over her shoulder towards the door to Harry’s upstairs apartment, making sure it still stood closed before pulling out a large container filled with freshly made muffins. The smell of melted chocolate slowly wafting up from the warm muffins. Sometimes when she opened Christina went out of her way to bring in something for those few special customers who she knew just couldn’t stomach another breakfast cookie made with gluten free flour and carob chips. She quietly set them on a covered glass cake stand and put them on the counter next to a basket of wrapped protein bars that had every nut she’d ever heard of in them and a few she hadn’t too.

Looking up at the clock, she noticed it was already 5:30 and time to get the rest of the shop ready for people. A normally easy job turned into a catastrophe when Christina accidentally bumped into a four top sending two of the chairs tumbling down onto the floor in the loudest crash she’d heard in awhile. She stood still for a moment, ear cocked towards the back, waiting to see if Harry would come barreling through the door, but she heard no movement and went back to work that is until another chair fell, landing directly on her foot.

Christina gasped and yelled out in pain. “Fucking hell! Piece of shit! Fuuuuck!”

Up in Harry’s apartment at the top of the shop, Niall woke with a start when he heard a loud crash come from below, followed by a string of curses from a female voice. He sat up on the couch, his blankets falling from his chest. Waiting for a moment, he expected Harry to rush out in a panic but he didn’t. He laid back down, trying to go back to sleep, but he couldn’t help worrying about whoever was below and if they were alright. So Niall threw the blankets off of him, pulled on his denim shorts and grabbed a shirt to throw on. He made his way downstairs, opening the door to the cafe and looking out.

The smell of fresh coffee and baked bread hit him in the chest like a train and suddenly Niall felt incredibly homesick. He stepped out onto the old wooden planks of the shop floor, pulling his shirt over his head as he did so.

From her spot on the floor, Christina got an eyeful of bare chest and had to bite her lip to silence herself from making an extremely awkward noise that no one needed to hear. Niall took a few steps forward before he spotted her, walking quickly towards her..

“Was that you I heard? Are you okay?” He asked as he crouched beside her.

Christina blushed slightly to her own dismay. “Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. I just knocked a chair over onto my foot. That’s all.”

Niall stood and offered her a hand up. She took it and allowed him to lift her easily from the floor.

He watched as she dusted herself off and tried not to be embarrassed by his presence. He thought to himself that this was an interesting turn of events. Yesterday she’d been making fun of his clothing choices and today she was blushing. He shrugged to himself, concluding that maybe this place wasn’t so bad after all.

“Um, do you want a cup of coffee. It’s really early and we don’t open for 30 more minutes, but I’ve got two fresh pots of the breakfast brew ready.” She started to make her way towards the counter and Niall followed behind.

“Sure, I mean, since I am up and all.”

She grabbed a worn mug from the rack behind her and poured him a steaming cup full. “This is Harry’s signature house breakfast blend. He created it himself. Calls it ‘Wake me up before you go-go’ after the Wham song.” She caught Niall’s chuckle under his breath. “Oh, just wait. He’s got crazy names for a lot of things. When a guy like Harry owns a coffee house called Rhythm and Brews you can expect a certain degree of eccentricity.”
Niall nodded. “Oh, believe me. I know it. Remember, I was the guy who experience his self discovery first hand.”

Christina laughed out loudly and then leaned forward, touching her hand to his forearm. Niall felt a small shock radiate from her fingertips at the touch. “I’m not sure how you survived that, but you probably deserve some sort of war medal. What’s the one for bravery on the battlefield?”

Niall cocked his eyebrow up, thinking for a moment. “The bronze star?”

“Yup, that’s the one!” She pointed at him in excitement, a towel waving in her hand. “Bronze Star for dealing with Harry’s first years of self discovery and not murdering him in his bed.”

The bell of the door jingled and they both looked up to see Lauren walking in.

“Morning!” She said as she hung her coat up on a rack by the door and then surveyed the room, half the chairs still on the tables. “Why are the chairs not down yet. It’s 6 o'clock.”

“Oh Jesus! I didn’t realize it was so late.” Christina explained as she came rushing out from behind the counter and began putting chairs down as quickly as possible. She called back over her shoulder to Lauren, her tone full of laughter. “Blame Niall. It’s his fault. His jorts were distracting me.”

Lauren clamped her lips between her teeth trying not to laugh. “I can see why that would happen.”

Niall rolled his eyes, remembering what Harry said about them just wanting to see if he’d take it or push back a little. But Niall knew he could play this game too. So with a smile on his face, he smoothed his hands down the legs of his shorts, saying, “I thought since you guys loved them so much yesterday you’d want to see them again.”

Lauren giggled. “We did. We really did.”

“It’s okay. I can teach you to be as fashionable as me. But it will take time.”

Christina snorted from across the room. “Fantastic. I’ve always wanted to be a fashionista. Thank god we’ve got Niall now.”

A voice of disdain came from the doorway that lead to the back office. “If those are fashion I might throw up a little bit.”

Niall took a deep breath as he watched Zayn pull a stack of papers from beneath the counter. He leaned forward so that he caught Zayn’s eye. “Don’t worry man. You can borrow them anytime you want. Just as long as you wash off the pretentiousness when you’re done wearing them.”

Christina laughed loudly while Lauren’s eyes went wide. She looked from Zayn to Niall, wondering what exactly was going to happen next. Luckily, Zayn only rolled his eyes and turned back to the office. “I’ll be in the back if anyone needs me.”

Christina called from the very front, “No one will!” Then laughed when her proclamation was punctuated by the door slamming.

Louis walked in a moment later, signaling the start of the morning rush. Christina made it back to the counter just as Lauren finished filling his travel mug.

“Where’s Liam?” She asked, tying an apron around her waist and pulling a muffin from the glass case. She put it in a brown paper bag and slide it across the counter to Louis who grabbed it and smiled.

“Is this what I think it is?” He asked as he tucked it into his worn leather satchel.

“If banana chocolate chip muffin is what you’re thinking, then, yes.”

“Sweet! Better give me one for your brother too. He had to be at school early for a meeting and he’ll murder me if I don’t bring him one of these.” Louis tucked the second paper bag into his bag and took a sip of his coffee.

Niall watched the scene unfold and wondered how on earth he was going to keep all these people straight. It seemed Christina also had a brother who worked with Louis. He had to make sure and remember to ask Harry the back story on this random assortment of friends, maybe even start a mental inventory.

Louis’ voice brought him back to the present. “Ya know, the jorts are starting to grow on me. What do you think Lauren? Should I get a pair?”

Lauren smiled fondly at him, blushing a tiny bit at being singled out, but she quickly hid it behind a mask of serious contemplation. “That’s a tough one, Tomlinson. Niall’s already offered them to Zayn but I’m sure you could take them for a test run if you ask nicely.”

Louis echoed Christina’s earlier outburst of amusement at the thought of Niall offering Zayn his shorts. “I would’ve paid good money to see his face after that one.” He turned to Niall. “Cross between a sneer and a look of complete and utter boredom?”

Niall nodded. “Yup. That pretty much describes it.”

Louis screwed the lid of his travel mug back on and clapped Niall on the shoulder. “Niall, you’re my kinda guy. Come by the house after school today and I’ll show you the room and you can start moving your stuff in.”

Niall’s eyes shot up in surprise as his face broke into a grin. “Really? You’re sure?”

“Of course. Harry vouched for you. Any friend of his is a friend of mine. I’ll see you later on. Gotta go. Major test today. Time to torture my poor innocent hellions.” He nodded at the counter and then noticing Christina’s back turned, shot Lauren a quick wink. “Ladies…”

Christina turned around, took one look at her friend’s pink face then at the retreating back headed out the door and grinned. “I’m not sure you could look any more heart eyes than you do right now. Something you’d like to share with the class, Ms. McLeod?”

Lauren laughed nervously. “What? Who? Me? No. Nothing. I’m good. Niall, coffee?”

Harry appeared from nowhere, causing Niall to startle when he spoke. He looked pointedly at Lauren, smiling. “There is no remedy for love but to love more.”

Lauren flushed red and made herself busy cleaning up an imaginary spill on the counter, but her head jerked up when she heard her name being called.

Louis stood in the doorway, looking like a modern day Peter Pan with his shaggy brown fringe hanging in his face. “Don’t forget that you promised to help me with the kids soccer team I’m coaching. First meeting is tomorrow. See you guys later.”

Lauren glared at Christina just as she opened her mouth to speak and she promptly shut it again letting out only a small giggle.

Niall left shortly after, the sounds of Christina’s gentle taunts following him out the door. He spent the day wandering the city and getting to know his new home. He drove through downtown, past the Ryman, his heart beating faster the more he thought about the giant move he had made all on a whim. This was his dream and he was going to make it happen, come hell or high water. That night as he sat in his new bedroom, listening to the sounds of his new roommate as he cooked in the kitchen, Niall felt that same little pang of homesickness he’d felt earlier. He missed his old bed in the room he’d grown up in, the walls covered in posters of his childhood heroes. He missed the noise of his mother in the kitchen, her voice as she sang along with the radio. He even missed his two little sisters barging into his room without even knocking. Niall laughed to himself. He never thought he’d miss that. With the thought of their small sweet faces in his mind, he pulled his phone out and within seconds there were those same sweet faces right in front of him, squealing with delight.

“Niall!” They both yelled, causing his speaker to crackle. “We miss you! Tell us everything! Are you famous yet? Have you met anyone famous yet? What’s it like?”

Niall chuckled to himself, shaking his head and thinking, some things never change.

Notes