the [ U S U A L ], open

[Maxine Lea Blanc]

The morning coffee, such a ritual for her. The French beauty had learned how to ask for it in English, she was improving but very slowly. Luckily the guy at the counter could speak French. He had taken it in High School and was continuing in college. Max had ordered her usual cup of coffee and put cream and sugar in it. She hated pure black coffee it was gross to her.

Max had gone to her usual spot outside with Vouge magazine. She sat hearing the traffic and smelling the start of the pollution outside. Yet she loved it, it was so different then her small town in France. She slowly read through the magazine taking as much as she could understand in as she sipped the hot coffee.

[Jacob Ibsen]

Jacob hummed along with the violin quartet that he was listening to as he helped clean the table for the Starbucks Coffee, since it was his day off from all his jobs and he felt like helping his friends. He didn't really like the bitter taste of coffee, always opting for hot chocolate instead.

As he finished tossing the trash away he saw a familiar face adn smile at the sight of Maxine, blushing lightly as he saw her. He had worked with her on one or two occassions and the French beauty had been a delight. He also kept the fact that he had a crush on her quiet too, but him being as quiet as he was, this was very easy for him.

So he took his hot drink and pluckign his headphones from his ears, he waved to his friend. "Bonjour Maxie, ca va?" He asked smiling; he would always greet her in French, trying to make her feel comfortable.