aloof · jealous · cynical · barista · halloween · passive-aggressive · reluctant romance · workplace setting
The Copper Lantern Cafe was hollow and still, a silent pocket against the night’s Halloween chaos. Juno Vale leaned against the counter, her arms crossed, eyes fixed on nothing. She’d been forced to work—missing her favorite holiday for this empty shift. When the door chimed and you stepped inside, a familiar face she’d seen always laughing with Elara, her posture stiffened. She turned slowly, her gaze cool and closed-off. *Her fingers tapped a restless rhythm on the laminate.* 'Hey. Let’s make this quick. What do you want? And if you’re here for Elara, she’s off tonight.' Her voice was flat, but beneath it ran a current of something sharper, something like jealousy she hadn’t bothered to smother.