Chapter Text
Another crisp chill early morning downtown, the city is starting to wake up and with that comes the need for coffee. The savior of our mornings is standing behind a counter, the café barista, a young lanky man who has a nervous demeanor. Pushing up his glasses, he finishes the set up at the register. From a small kitchen to his left enters his manager and friend (who got him this job) Claudette.
A pleasant petite girl who cares about everyone, she really is an angel, Dwight admires her a lot and wishes he can be just a little like her. “You’re getting better at that Dwight!” she praises while giving him a nudge, he gives her a small chuckle “Thanks, I’m pretty sure I have the system memorized by now.” he replies looking down at the register, Dwight tends to have a hard time with eye contact. Claudette smiles warmly at him, patient as ever, “How are the early mornings treating you?” He groans “Waking up at 5 AM is really kicking my ass but I’ll get over it, and I have all the coffee I could ever need right here.” He gestures behind him at all the machines and cupboards. She laughs and responds in a sarcastic tone “Oh Dwight you could live off the MacMillan's Band Coffee!” she swoons at the word ‘live’.
He rolls his eyes and sighs “My mom thinks I’m working in a fancy office, she’d freak out if she found out I’m just working in their lobby café.” Claudette looks at him mortified “No way. You didn’t tell her?” Dwight starts fidgeting with his fingers avoiding Claud’s terrified expression “Listen when I told her I got a job at the big MacMillan building downtown she just jumped to conclusions and thought it meant I finally got a good paying job using my degree from college. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was just another dead end customer service job, no offense Claud, but the pay ain’t that bad! It's better than PizzaWhat.” Before she can respond to any of that their first customer walks in.
A tall, well-built bald man walks into the café from the lobby, Dwight recognizes the man as he is always the first one here and the last customer they get at the end of the day. Dwight will argue that his recognition has nothing to do with how attractive he finds him… and yet he can’t help but think about this stranger when the days slow down. It doesn't help the fact that most of the men that work here are either old as dust or just not his type.
Claudette walks back into the kitchen to pull more pastries out of the ovens.
As he comes up to the register Dwight cowers slightly at this hulking man, his suit doesn't hide his extraordinary muscle and his face is intimidating with scars scattered across it. Regaining his composure he brings out his customer service smile and starts “Good morning! How-” The man cuts him off “Just a Red Eye” he is stern and doesn't make eye contact instead he looks down at his phone typing away. Dwight keeps up his smile “Of course sir, that’ll be $4.65.” He's handed a platinum card, scans and hands it back. The man steps to the side waiting on his drink.
Dwight wastes no time and starts prepping a double shot of espresso accompanying the drink with straight coffee into a cup, geez this guy is really intense. He’s way too handsome for his own good and probably has a lot of money based on the card that Dwight got to get his grubby hands on. How does he have time to stay so fit while working here? What does he do here to make the money he is making? He pours in the double espresso. Damn this man really must be doing a lot to order this drink every day- shit- once again Dwight forgot to get the man's name. He's the first one in and the last one at closing so there's no other customers and he always gets a red eye. Dwight just forgets to get his name.
“Sir your Red Eye” he calls to the tall man with a smile. The man walks up unimpressed, takes the drink and leaves. Dwight sighs letting his smile fall, this is gonna be another long day.
During his break he sits at the table closest to the counter and eats a small sandwich from the café (some vegan thing he thinks) while Claudette speaks to him from behind the counter. “You’re gonna tell her the truth right?” she asks with her face propped up by her hands. “Eventually Claud, I don't know, I want her to be somewhat proud of me for now I guess…” He mumbles the last bit. She signs “That's sad Dwight. Just make sure you tell her.”
Then a mischievous grin appears on her face “So are you gonna take Nea up on her offer to set you up with one of her friends?” She gives him a raise of her eyebrow. He rolls his eyes “I’m not interested in dating anyone right now Claudette, I’m just trying to get by. How can I expect to date anyone when I’m broke?” Claudette responds in a dramatic roll along the counter “But Dwight what about the romance? The romcom vibes? Come on Dwight!” He laughs at her as he stands up and tosses his trash, getting behind the counter to a sink, he responds “Claud I got enough shit happening I don’t need romance.”
He’s looking down washing his hands, she stands next to him “Not even if it's that guy?” she subtly points to the cafe’s entrance. Dwight turns and sees the man from before, it's a bit early for him to be here. Maybe he needs another drink? He dries his hands and stands at the register “Hello sir how may I help you?” He says with a smile. “Ristretto.” the man's deep voice rumbles. “Oh, that will be $4.” Dwight is a little taken aback this guy has never ordered anything other than a Red Eye, I wonder what's changed.
The customer hands him a card and Dwight hands it back after a bit. He steps up to the espresso machine and changes the grind size letting it run. Dwight can't help but be curious what happened to the man to come in early and get a different cup. He puts in the espresso and pours it in a cup. Handing the man his cup Dwight is shocked to see a piece of paper being slid to him. Dwight looks down at the paper with his dumb customer service smile and a hint of confusion then back up at him.
The man with no real telling expression just walks out of the café with his drink as if nothing happened. “What was that?” Claudette asks despite witnessing everything. Dwight picks up the paper, “Evan” followed by a phone number.
Walking home Dwight fiddles with the paper in his pocket. The guy, Evan, didn’t come by during closing hours like he usually does. Claudette hasn’t stopped teasing him, she’s begging him to give Evan a call. What is even happening? Dwight has never been in this situation before, no one has ever hit on him at least not like this. Should he go through with this? Is this a joke or prank? It did make his heart skip a beat thinking that a man like that would ever be interested in him, but come on can he really be that interested? Evan never showed any type of interest in Dwight, they’ve barely even chatted. Would it be the death of him to even try? Surely not?
It would be awkward if he didn't send him a message then having to face him the next day. Maybe he should at least say hi. Dwight reaches his apartment, it's empty and cold that's what the winter months do though. He sighs as he drops his satchel to the floor; heading into the kitchen he starts to prepare a microwave dinner. This is a sad life; alone, depressed and unfulfilling. He looks at his phone on the kitchen sink as he stands in front of the only light in his place. Contemplating all that's brought him to this point; his failures, his very little successes and the people in his life.
The beep from the microwave, like a gun at the races, signals him to pick up his phone.
He clicks on the newly added number ‘Evan’ with a great sigh “Fuck it.'' He sends a text. Immediately Dwight is hit with regret, what if he doesn't respond? Should I have just waited? Do I look desperate? Fuck fuck fuck. He can't unsend the message. Maybe he won't see it, he must be a busy man working at that company, right? Was messaging him just a ‘hey’ too stupid or child like? With another beep from his microwave reminding him of his dinner, his phone vibrates in his hand ‘Hello. Dwight right?’
Dwight’s face goes red, He responded. Wait, how does he know his name? So he asked ‘Yeah. So how do you know my name?’ he gets a text back faster this time. ‘Name tag.’ Oh well he feels stupid and nervous ‘oh yeah haha’ what does he even say? That's such a lame text back, this guy is gonna drop him so fast.
Another beep from the microwave. ‘When is your next day off?’ Really? After that awkward text back he is still asking Dwight out, damn, maybe he does have a chance. They set up dates and times. Dwight forgot about his microwave dinner but he fell asleep comfortably.