Syn Rosenfeldt

Seeing that a customer had arrived by the counter, the employee hurriedly washed her hands off of the soap from cleaning a couple of glasses. They then wiped their hands dry with a towel hanging on the cabinet handle, and without any delays, walked towards the register.

"Good afternoon, what is your order?"

"A cup of Espresso con Panna please."

"Certainly, will that be a single or a double?"

"Double, and do add an extra serving of whip cream."

"One Doppio con Panna with extra whip cream it is. Do you have additional orders, ma'am?"

Upon hearing the employee's question, the customer shook their head and said, "No, that's all."

"Then, your total is €3.45" The employee announced thereafter tapping on the necessary buttons on the register. "Will it be by cash or card?"

Instead of giving a verbal reply, the customer simply handed the coffee shop employee a bill.

"Alright, I received €5."

The employee inputted the necessary details to finish the transaction, proceeding to arrange the receipt and some coins on the tabletop.

"Here is your receipt and change. Please wait on the side while I make your coffee."

"Thank you so much."

"You are very much welcome."

As the employee greeted them back, her service smile enticed the customer even though they were both women, making the latter respond a tad too late.

In the meanwhile, the employee sauntered in the direction of her workstation. She reached for a mini plastic cup and positioned it under the mouth of the coffee grinder. Measuring just the right amount of the choice of coffee grounds on the electric scale, she then transferred them into the portafilter, stamped them, and planted the filter in the espresso machine.

Latterly, she arranged for two 3-ounces cups beneath the open tubes of the filter. What's left her to do with the machine was to wait for it to finish extracting the coffee.

The manager took this as a chance to approach his subordinate who was busy with her work.

"Syn, you can clock out after you finish this."

Syn turned to where the manager was standing, meeting her superior's eyes in the process, before giving a rejoinder, "Manager, I still have an hour left on my shift though."

"It's fine. The new part-timer is here anyway. I will ask Reina to assist them."

"Well, if you insist, then I'll take you up on that offer."

"Sure, good work for the day."

"You too, manager."

The man, who was in his late 40's, started to walk away from the lady. However, he stopped halfway down his path to address Syn.

"Do not push yourself too hard. Your mother might worry unnecessarily."

"I will keep that in mind," Syn uttered her reply like she had already prepared it before.

Her tone was so impassive that the manager could only nod his head, leaving the lady to her own devices.

All of a sudden, the espresso machine beeped, signaling that the extraction of coffee was done. Syn decided to focus on her task at hand and paid no heed to the man's words.

'My business is my business. I don't need anyone to tell me that.'

Syn reached for the whipped cream dispenser inside the fridge, placed right behind where she was standing. Following that, a hefty amount of cream was set on one of the coffee cups containing double shots of espresso.

With the cup in hand, she made her way to the counter dedicated to giving out orders. She gently lowered the cup, brought out a tray with a low pile of tissues, and put it on the countertop. Then, she placed a saucer in the middle, laying the coffee cup on it.

"A Doppio con Panna for Charm."

Granted that there was only one pending order, it was a directive for the employees to recite them out loud. Well, Syn didn't have to abide for long since the customer was afore her, ready to receive her beverage.

"Miss Charm here is your coffee. Enjoy!"

"Thank you!"

"That's to my pleasure. You're welcome."

Syn bowed her head towards the customer as she watched them settle down in their seat. After a few seconds, she fixed her posture prior to turning her back against the dining area. As if on cue, her replacement came out of the staff room with the new worker in tow.

"Oh Syn! You heading home?"

"Yes, Reina. Good luck with the training, and-"

Syn stopped from speaking to look at the nameplate of the lanky teenager standing timidly behind her co-worker. She held out her hand, wary of frightening the young man, to acknowledge his presence, "Tommy, my name is Syn."

"Hel- hello, Syn. Y-yes, I am Tommy. It's n-nice to meet you."

Although he was shy, Tommy readily returned her gesture. His deeply furrowed eyebrows and the crinkles in the corner of his eyes expressed his fear of disrespecting Syn.

"You will get used to the job really soon, that is if you are able to follow instructions really well."

"T-thank you!"

Syn merely answered by showing him a smile, going back to her stroll towards the staff room thenceforward.

Once the door to the backroom had fully closed, any inch of cordiality on her countenance instantly disappeared. It was then replaced by a rather vacant expression.

'Let's see. I have three classes this afternoon. I still have the time to visit that deviant of a professor before my first class.'

As she was about to open her locker to gather her things, a bulky hand slammed on it. The act earned the lady's ire, yet she remained unmoving.

"Hey Syn, mind joining me for lunch? Or maybe, do something fun?"

Syn didn't bat an eye at the provocative statement that the man just uttered. It simply goes to show that it was either she was used to his behavior or plainly uninterested.

"Brian, how many times should I tell you that if you pay the right amount, I'd be more than enthusiastic to deal with your withering manhood."

"Ouch! That hurts!"

Brian, another employee, acted like his heart was aching as he clutched his chest with both of his hands. Unfortunately for him, Syn couldn't care to direct any attention to his pettiness. She merely wanted to finish her business as quickly as possible.

"Move aside. I'm in a hurry."

"You know I can't afford a gem such as you."

"Move aside."

"Common, for old time's sake."

"Move."

"Fine." The man said as he threw his hands up in the air as a sign of surrender.

Although, what came out of his mouth next was quite the contrary of giving up.

"Why are you so f*ck*ng desperate for money, huh? Or you just can't sleep at night without someone banging you? Sh*t of a wh*re. As always, like mother like daughter!"

Syn was not the type of woman to be bothered by trifling insults from strangers, seeking to degrade her confidence. Withal, it seemed that this poor excuse of a man wouldn't let her go until he acquiresd what he wanted. Thus and so, she opted to confront Brian.

Syn closed in on him, her face merely an inch away from his. She went on and said her piece.

"Why are you so f*ck*ng desperate for s*x? You are an a*sh*le right? Can't you just suck your d*ck yourself? Maybe after that, you can finally give pleasure to something -- your d*mn ego that is. Now, if you'll excuse me, this sh*t of a wh*re will take her leave."

She turned her back against the locker, took off her apron, and wore her black hooded winter jacket and beige wool gloves. She didn't bother to change out of her uniform so she could quickly exit the establishment.

On the other hand, Brian lingered on his spot with his mouth agape.

Syn Rosenfeldt never failed to show an unruffled behavior, albeit being an aloof character from the start, to people uninvolved with her private life. Anyone who had interacted with her would certainly suggest that even a bit of her attitude was ungraspable, for the reason that she always drew a clear cut line for everyone not to cross.

That was the reason why Brian was thrown off after earning a tirade of her mockery. He initiated the lady's outburst anyway. He didn't have the right to raise any complaints.