I see her three times a week. When I go get coffee and sit on my computer. The line is always long and the rushes last longer than my coffee, so I don’t get to talk to her much. Today, though. I notice something a little different than the normal, soft music coming through the speakers in the shop.

        I'm hard to love, hard to love,

        Oh, I don't make it easy,

        I couldn't do it if I stood where you stood

        I'm hard to love, hard to love,

        You say that you need me,

        I don't deserve it, but I love that you love me good

        Any other day, any other coffee shop, I would’ve been annoyed. Instead, I smile to myself and turn around to see Eve waving at me from behind the counter. Then she turns back to the customer in front of her. I pick up my phone.

        “I love that you love me”. He doesn’t actually love the person he’s singing to. Just their attention

        I know she won’t be able to respond for a while, so I turn back to my computer. I am startled when a hand lands on my shoulder.

        “Dude, relax. It’s just me.” I turn around to see a familiar face. Green eyes, dark stubble, a round nose and lips that seem to always curl into a smile. My best friend, Derek.

        “You can’t just sneak up on me like that. That’s how you get elbowed where it really hurts.”

        “You wouldn’t hurt a fly.” He plops down in the chair next to me and tears himself off a piece of the croissant in front of me.

        “Dude! Get your own. You know how much bread means to me.”

        “Yeah, but the girl behind the counter isn’t staring at me. She’s staring at you. So, you should go buy a second one and let your good pal Derek have this buttery beauty.” He helps himself to another bit of my croissant.

        “I hate you.” But I stand up and walk over to stand behind the person ordering now. Eve smiles at me when the woman in front of me walks away.

        “You’ve never come back for seconds before.”

        “It can’t be seconds if I didn’t finish my first.” She leans her elbows on the counter.

        “Yeah, I saw that guy steal your food. Want me to kick him out?”

        “Nah, that’s my friend Derek and I’ll just get another…. wait. yes. That would be hilarious. Please go make him think you’re kicking him out.” She smiles mischievously and walks over to my table, where Derek has almost finished the croissant. I pulled my phone out and started recording.

        “Excuse me, sir. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” He looked up at her with a face that was full of confusion.

        “Why?”

        “We have a strict policy against customers stealing food from others. You violated it when you stated eating that croissant without the permission of the customer who purchased it.” She gestured over her shoulder at me. He turned to me, glaring as I waved at him. He turned back to her.

        “There’s been a misunderstanding. Jesse here is my friend, and- ”

        “Jesse is my friend, too. I’m Eve, nice to meet you.” She stuck her hand out for him to shake. He stared at it and her with a blank look, then erupted in laughter and took her hand.

        “Joking, huh? Good one. I’ll get you back, though.” He spent the next hour sitting with me and joking about different ways he could get revenge on Eve and I. He and I eventually packed up and left the shop. I got a text from eve an hour or so later.

        ~You couldn’t let me have one song? One? and how did you know it put that song on? ~

        If I let you have one, the game would be over. And your face was a dead giveaway.

        ~fair enough. ~

        ~it was nice meeting Derek. ~

        Yeah, he said he enjoyed meeting you too.

        ~was it as funny as you hoped? ~

        Not quite, but it was still good. I took a video. Look.

        I sent her the video and we ended up talking the rest of the night.