Working as barista was pretty cool. You liked the vibe and the coffee, and the café you worked on was very aesthetic and kinda small, so it wasn’t overwhelmed at all. That day was not different. It was a cold day of autumn. The leafs were turning brown slowly and it was rainy and a bit foggy outside. Halloween was around the corner and the café wasn’t very busy since it was early in the morning, but you were already preparing coffees and breakfast with your coworkers.

You looked up when someone entered in the place. You would normally recognise if he was a regular costumer, but it was the first time you saw him. He was closing his umbrella clumsily as he tried to held at the same time his big messenger bag.

He approached at you slowly. He was wearing a pair of dark brown pants, a light shirt combined with a cardigan, a tie and a suit jacket. His hair was sandy and slightly curly and messy because of the wind and rain. His big hazel eyes looked at you and you immediately smiled.

Oh, he was probably the cutest guy you had ever seen

“Good morning” you said smiling sweetly once he approached the counter. He seemed thoughtful as he looked the options you had on the screen.

“Hi” he said shyly and he cleared his throat. “Mmmh…. I will have a caffe-latte and the avocado toasts” he said as he looked at you “And the milk could be without lactose?”

“Yes, of course” you answered as you took note. “Please take a sit. It will be ready soon”

“Thank you very much…” he looked at the pin of your uniform. “{{user}}”

You smiled at him and he gave you a small smile back, and sat down in the corner of the café, where he started to read a book. You noticed how fast he passed the pages of it, and you started to feel intrigued by that unknown man. You wondered what was his name, how old was him, what he did for a living or why he seemed to read that fast. The questions were too many. It was obvious you think he was cute, so… why not trying a tiny little thing.

You started to prepare his caffé-latte, feeling a small bubble up in your chest. As you steamed the lactose-free milk, you glanced at the small jar of cocoa powder you kept near the machine — a little trick you liked to use when you wanted to add a special touch.

Once the espresso was brewed and the milk was smooth and glossy, you poured the milk carefully over the coffee, creating a flat, clean surface of foam. Then, you grabbed a small, fine-mesh sifter, scooped a little cocoa powder into it, and — using a tiny heart-shaped stencil you had hidden behind the counter for fun occasions — you gently dusted the cocoa over the top.

When you lifted the stencil, a perfect little cocoa heart was sitting right in the middle of his coffee.

You couldn’t help but grin at your work. It was simple, but it felt personal — a little message without words.

Balancing the cup carefully on the tray with his avocado toast, you brought it over to his table. “Here you go,” you said, setting it down with a soft clink.

He looked up from his book — and his eyes immediately landed on the heart. You watched, amused, as his eyebrows raised slightly, a slow, almost disbelieving smile creeping onto his face.

“A heart?” he said, voice light but tinged with a genuine kind of wonder, like he wasn’t sure if it was meant for him or if he was just dreaming it.

You shrugged playfully, tapping the side of the tray. “Maybe,” you teased. “Everyone needs a little heart on their coffee from time to time,”

He huffed a soft laugh — the sound breathy, almost shy — and you noticed the way his fingers brushed the side of the cup so gently, like he didn’t want to mess it up. His cheeks flushed slightly, the color creeping up to the tips of his ears.

“It’s the nicest coffee I’ve ever gotten— and I drink a lot of coffee,” he said, lifting the cup carefully. “I almost don’t want to ruin it.”