I sat alone in my tower
You were just honing your powers
Now I can see it all…”we sang along, our voices low but filled with exuberance.
“Excuse me,” Emi called for the attention of the lady behind the counter. “Can I place an order, please?”
“Yeah, sure,” she answered. “Just ask Alexa.”
Emi’s eyebrows rose in astonishment, and she glanced at me, surprised. “All right,” she murmured, then faced a black, shiny metal jar. “Hey, Alexa, can I get a large iced caramel latte…?”
“Oh, my God,” I whispered to myself, slapping my forehead in shame.
Emi literally thought she was talking to an AI.
“Ma’am,” the girl behind the counter began.
“What?” Emi raised her head.
“That’s a milk pitcher,” she said, staring at my best friend in disbelief.
Emika straightened, her brows knitting together. “You said to ask Alexa….”
“Yeah, I meant her.” She pointed to the lady on the other side of the counter. “She’s Alexa.”
For a few seconds, no one said a word, and I watched the glint of awkwardness wash over Emi’s face. I pursed my lips and lowered my head, struggling to hold back my laughter even as my shoulders shook.
“Well, that’s not embarrassing at all,” Emi blurted out, shamelessly. “How was I supposed to know you weren’t talking about the AI Alexa?”
At this point, I couldn’t hold it in any longer, and a stifled laugh slipped from my lips.
“Oh, you think this is funny?” She cast a playful glare at me.
“It kinda is. I’m sorry,” I replied, amid chuckles.
She turned to the girl behind the counter. “Be more specific next time.” With that, she walked over to the actual Alexa to place our order.
About a minute later, we slid into the booth by the window and sat across from each other. Emi reached for her backpack, which sat beside her. She unzipped it and withdrew a small box. “Here,” she said, setting it on the table between us.
“What’s that?” I asked, curiosity lacing my tone.
“Just a little something,” she teased me with a smile.
I picked up the box and lifted the lid, revealing a shiny bracelet with pearls that glittered in the light. My brows rose in surprise. “Emi, this is beautiful….”
Her lips curled into a gorgeous smile. “It’s nothing, really,” she said, trying to sound modest.
“No, it’s everything!” I blurted, my voice filled with excitement. “Especially because I didn’t get you anything.”
“It’s the thought that counts.”
My heart melted, and my expression softened by the second. “Thank you.”
She hesitated for a bit. “Don’t make this weird.”
A barista appeared at our booth. “Here you go,” she said, setting our orders down with a curt smile. “One caramel latte for you.” Her eyes flicked to Emika as she placed it in front of her. “And a double espresso for you.” She handed me mine.
“Thank you,” we chorused.
