The Italian customer

Grab the lipstick Lil thought as she picked up her handbag and smeared the sleep out of her eyes. She found the keys for The wanderer behind the remote control of the hotel tv in her room. She ran down the heavy staircase whilst fingering the knots out of her thick hair and holding the bag handles between her teeth. Nico was standing at the bottom of the stairs as she sped past him.
'Wow girl, better urry, don't want to be late for your first shift, I hear its today!'
'Yeah, thanks Nico,' she shouted behind her sarcastically and continued down the cobbled lane to the shop. It was only just light outside as she got to the big windows and she felt pretty satisfied about opening up somewhere on her own. It was something she'd never done before. The key slid and clicked satisfyingly in the lock and she stepped up into the shop, still wearing her flip-flops and ran her fingers through her light hair. Out of breath she looked at her watch and she had made it just in time.

TING

A customer already? She thought to herself.

'Ello? Ello? Are you open yet?' An Italian voice broke in from behind her. Her heart jumping she whizzed round.
'I'm not ready yet, it's my first day. Just give me... a minute.'
Lil looked at the coffee machine which looked like an armoured dragon which would yield unwillingly to her little hands.
'Uh', she stuttered.
'Excuse me, it's eight o'clock unless you aav not noticed and Paulie e' a usually as' my espreeeso ready for me.'
'I'm not Paulie,' she said. There was a pause.
'Ah, you are joking, very funny. I'd like it now please... I'll just av a look at the papers while you get yourself sorted.'
Shit, what papers? Lil thought to herself.
'Aand, no papers. Hah, more joking. '
'I wasn't told to get newspapers,' said Lil, getting flustered. The Italian turned round, his hand on an attractively broad hip, revealing an expensive leather belt under a well-cut jacket with an open neck shirt. He cocked his head:
'You are either stupid or a very useless barista, not like the girls in Italy but no matter because you av' the face of a little angel. You are Scottish, yes?'
'Yes'
'Beautiful, yes, different...pale.' There was an awkward pause.
'Ok, so I make my own coffee today,' he said, elbowing her out of the way gently and turning to the machine. Again it purred and spat under his cool guidance and left a creamy little half cup of espresso.
'This is it, take a look at it, you av' it?' Lil laughed a little despite herself.
'Good...[he swung back his tanned neck in one go] and it is gone. I av' to go now... goodbye little pale one, I see your freckles tommorow?'
'Yes, I'll be here, thanks for setting things up.' The Italian picked up his leather satchel and opened the wooden door into the sunlight which was now peeling through the windows heating up The Wanderer and making Lilith blush.