When the rush picked up, so did Cora and Kevin. With both the espresso machines and blenders to herself, Cora was in her element, darting between all of the stations without having to worry about bumping into anyone or someone taking the spots she needed. Without Darlene hovering in the background, Kevin was clear and confident, taking orders and completing transactions with a level of experience Cora had never seen from him before. He even managed to fulfill the food orders at the same time, and after the first three bagel orders went off without a hitch, Cora focused on her realm of beverages.

Sure, whenever Cora glanced over the espresso machines, the line extended into the food court. But every time she committed the patron at the end of the line to mind, it wouldn't be long before she saw them again, receiving their order at the handoff counter. The line was moving, and it was moving fast. And for the first time in ages, Cora's customer service smile easily appeared on her face.

"Charlie, right?" Kevin asked the latest customer. "Is that...a medium iced mocha latte and a chocolate chip muffin?"

Cora froze, then spun towards the registers. At the front of the line was a customer Cora vaguely recognized, but only because she would see them entering and leaving Cool Beans during her lunch break. Even then, she had only spotted them a few times. They were nowhere near what she would consider a regular.

The customer stared at Kevin with raised brows before smiling wide. "That's exactly it. I haven't even filled out a stamp card yet and you know my order."

Kevin shrugged, but his grin was proud. "You're pretty hard to forget. That, and my boss was on my case about struggling with your order a couple months ago."

When the customer chuckled and pretended to tuck some hair behind their ear, Cora concentrated on making their drink. After all the time Kevin spent listening to Cora gush over Farron, he deserved to flirt a little.

As soon as Kevin finished ringing up Charlie's order, his enthusiasm seemed to double, confidently exchanging pleasantries and making recommendations with the customers as if he had been doing the job for years. On a few occasions, and time permitting, he even cracked a joke or two, cuing a chuckle from both the ordering customers and Charlie waiting by the handoff counter. As much as Cora was thrilled by the development, she also expected it to disappear as soon as Charlie did. But even after Charlie left—leaving their phone number on the back of their receipt—Kevin's energy persisted, bolstering Cora's own passion.

Neither of them were ready for their streak of success to end.

"I want a large pumpkin pie latte, extra hot," a customer said.

Again, Cora froze and spun towards the registers. The previous time, though, it had been because she was excited. This time, it was because she was worried. It didn't help that the young patron in a business suit was already scowling at the front of the line, as if their drink should've been made as soon as they arrived.

Kevin's eyes darted to Cora before returning to the customer. "Pum-pumpkin pie?"

Cora's panic rose, and she scrambled to finish the soy vanilla iced latte in front of her. The pumpkin pie latte was a seasonal drink, and not only was it one Kevin hadn't made before, but it required ingredients they didn't have. In fact, they wouldn't have it until... Wait, shouldn't they have had the supplies by now?

"Sorry," Cora said, her hands moving on their own to mix vanilla syrup with espresso shots. "It's not on our regular menu, and we don't have the supplies for it yet."

The customer turned to her, deepening their frown. "I know it's not a regular item. I'm not an idiot."

Part of Cora chastised herself for unintentionally insinuating such a thing. The rest of her was annoyed that her words were being twisted to such an extent.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't my intention," Cora said as calmly as she could. "Unfortunately, we haven't received the supplies for that particular drink yet. We do have cinnamon, though, and that in a vanilla latte with a little honey—"

"Is there a brain in that head of yours, or is everything I say going in one ear and out the other?" the customer snapped. "I didn't say I wanted a cinnamon latte or whatever crap you're trying to force-feed me. I want a pumpkin pie latte. Large, extra hot, with whipped cream. And a cinnamon bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. And make that two cream cheeses for my trouble."

Cora took a deep breath, and while she could see Kevin staring at her from her peripheral vision, Cora knew that making direct eye contact with him would only make the customer more defensive. Instead, she trusted his instincts as she stepped away from her in-progress drink, and when she was a few feet away from his register, he scrambled to take her former spot at the espresso machine.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have that right now," Cora said as she heard the sound of the sweetened espresso being poured over the ice she had prepped. "I could, however, recommend another—"

The customer groaned over Cora's words. "You're not listening to me! I don't want anything else. I want my damn pumpkin pie latte. I've been getting it from my normal store for two weeks already, so why is it so difficult to get here? Is it because this is the trash store? Where all the rejects go?"

For a moment, Cora's mind went blank. All of the stores were supposed to begin serving products at the same time, and Cora was certain she hadn't seen any of the supplies or official drink recipes in the backroom. Had corporate forgotten about them? Had the delivery company? Regardless of the reason, how was she supposed to appease the furious customer over something outside of her control?

That was it: she couldn't control their inventory, just like she couldn't control the customer's anger. She could, however, do her best to alleviate their frustrations, and her efforts alone would have to be enough.

"I'm sorry," Cora said, doing her best to feign sympathy. "That store may have received their delivery early. Is there anything else I can get for you, though? We do have the cinnamon bagels, and extra cream cheese."

The customer released a bitter, short laugh. "What's so difficult for you people to understand? I just said 'I don't, want, anything, else.'" Each of their last few words was enunciated by their palm smacking the counter as they gradually leaned towards her. "All you have to do is answer one simple question: can you make me my damn drink?"

Cora resisted the urge to wipe away the spit that flew on her face, not wanting to hand them the satisfaction. As her pulse began to pound in her ears and her cheeks began to warm, she found some comfort in seeing the waiting customers shooting their predecessor dirty looks. She had an audience that supported her, and she was going to prove that their faith was not misplaced.

She took a deep breath, replacing her stiff smile with an empty expression. "We can't." No more, no less.

For a few seconds, the customer stared at her with nothing but a heated glare and furious frown. But as they continued to wait in silence, their hand on the counter shaking, Cora felt her heart rate lower with each passing second.

At last, they scoffed. "Now, was that so hard?" They straightened their posture as they turned to the menu board above Cora. "Then I guess I'll get...a caffe mocha with soy, whipped cream, and cinnamon. Extra hot."

Without a word, without a smile, Cora entered the order into the computer. No, "Would you like your cinnamon bagel?" No small talk or "thank you" or the required, "Could I get a name for the order." No people pleasing. Only business. That was already more than they deserved.

As Cora charged their credit card, the customer tsked, sending a mist of saliva splattering on her hand.

"Here I was thinking I could get my favorite drink at any random Cool Beans because why shouldn't I?" the customer grumbled. "You're the same damn company, aren't you? You should have the same damn drinks, right?"

Cora kept her stoic expression in place as she calmly ripped off the receipt, then slid both across the counter. She didn't bother watching them take it. Instead, she craned her neck over them and blindly waved Kevin over. "Next please!"

The customer continued to mutter angrily as they wandered off, earning them dirty looks from the patrons they passed. It was a relief to see the next person in line greet Cora with a warm smile, then to hear Kevin's footsteps at her side.

"Thank you so much for waiting," Cora told the next customer, hoping her sincerity could be felt. "Kevin here will take your order."

By the time Cora returned to the espresso machines and started the grumpy patron's drink, the menace themselves was nowhere in sight. Even when she completed and called out the order, the customer didn't pop up from behind the counter to scare her, nor did they spawn from a portal to the underworld. But that wasn't her problem. She shrugged and started on the next order, leaving the extra hot drink puffing out steam on the handoff counter.

She had a feeling about what they were up to, and as a surge of energy burned within her, Cora knew she wasn't going to let them take advantage of her. Not if she could help it.