Franziska von Karma is perfect; at least that’s what she tells herself every insomniac night when she’s curled under the lush duvet with the thoughts of every mistake she’s ever made thundering through her head. She was a disappointment. von Karma Coffee wasn’t as good as it was as when papa was alive. There were a few regulars who stopped coming, and sure there were a few new regulars like the girl with the weird purple dress and top knot, but that’s not the point. She’s a failure. She fell into a restless sleep with that thought being the only clear thing in her jumbled brain.
She was up at 5:00 in the morning, the room shrouded in darkness. She slid out of bed and put on her slippers. Her stride graceful, Franziska walked out to her kitchen, making herself some fragrant tea. Taking that back to her room, she proceeded with her shower, then the rest of her morning routine. Blue button up, black pencil skirt, black jacket, black shoes, the foolish necklace her foolish little brother got her. She was ready to go by 6:30, and even though she didn’t open until 8:00, she would need to make sure everything was perfect. If she had time left, she’d practice her violin skills. On her way out, she grabbed her precious case, whip, and her keys and left.
Franziska von karma arrived at von Karma Coffee at 6:50 sharp, and immediately set to work, wiping down tables until they shined, mopping the floor until it sparkled, polishing the counter tops until they gleamed. It didn’t take very long, though, as her little brother already performed the same acts last night before he closed. At 7:20, the fierce lady found herself with nothing to do. She opted to head into the work room instead of playing in the open cafe. Pulling out her Violin was natural by now, as she had been playing since a very young age. A clear C rang through the small room, and her mind cleared. She played the scale up and down, warming up her hands for the pieces to come. Then she played. She played pieces she had memorized in the past, songs she had kept at the shop for this purpose, anything that came to mind. Glancing at the clock after a particularly hard piece she had been working on revealed it was 7:57, and she needed to stop. Quickly, she put away her violin, and rushed out of the room, putting an immaculate white apron on as she went. She waited for the clock to hit 8:00, then flipped the sign. Perfect.
At about noon, in strolled the particularly beautiful regular.
“Miss Fey,” she nodded.
“Hiya Franzy!” The overly cheery girl bounced up to the counter.
“I’ve told you, Franziska is fine.” She really hoped Maya wouldn’t actually take her up on that. Her nickname held a place in her heart she hadn’t even known existed before meeting the energetic regular.
“Sure thing. A Caffè Mocha please.”
“I already know what you want. You order that foolishly sweet drink every time you come here,” her voice held no venom, only a sort of soft fondness that was extremely foreign to her.
“So, uh, Fran. Would you, I don’t know, be willing to maybe come to the park with me later this evening?” Maya stuttered out, blush obvious on her dark skin.
She paused in making the warm drink, startled by the proposition. Her mouth and vocal cords and tongue acted on their own, “That seems,” She paused, accepting her fate but not wanting to sound too uptight, “Nice.”
“Yes! What time works best for you?” The adorably ecstatic girl replied.
She mulled over it. She was planning on going riding later that day, but that could be put off till tomorrow. “Anytime past four o’clock should be fine.”
“Okay then, five it is,” She grinned excitedly. Franziska handed her the warm drink, and Maya held it to her chest with a blissed smile on her pretty face, “Thanks, Fran,” She paid for the beverage, sitting down at the counter. Maya would then start talking about her life, and her friend Phoenix (“Nick is super mean. He wouldn’t even go to the special mountain resort my family with Pearly and I. He says it’s too cold.”), and her cousin Pearl. Franziska would listen with interest and reply when it was polite.’
“This is so good!” She went on about the drink in her hands. “It’s perfect! You're perfect!” She gushed.
‘Perfect.’ Franziska smiled, “I’m glad you like it.”
After saying that, Maya smiled too, then grabbed a napkin out of a small bin nearby.
“Hey Fran, do you have a pen I can borrow?” She asked innocently.
“Here,” She handed the girl the pen from her still perfectly white apron.
Maya proceeded to scribble something on the napkin, taking care to not rip it. “Well, I’ve gotta go make sure Nick isn’t messing up his whole life. See you at five,” She smiled, getting up and leaving the pen and napkin there.
The barista watched the customer go, the small bell on the door ringing, signalling her leave. She picked up her pen, and curiosity got the best of her. Franziska glanced at the napkin. In small scribbly writing, it read ‘We didn’t make enough details to have a functional date <3 so text me at 270-846-3915 -Maya’. Franziska smiled. A warm feeling filled her chest, and she tucked the napkin into her apron pocket.