Vernice
It was already late in the afternoon when Alex locked the door of her office and headed out for the day. She was tired, yes, but that was nothing new. What did make the day different from most others was that it had been a mildly jinxed monday with a dozen small things going wrong. Misplaced files, spilled coffee, all minor nuissances that slowly piled up. When work was done with her, the woman had neither will nor energy for her usual gym or pool session. It was then that the leaflet she'd carelessly chucked on the passenger seat of her car caught her eye. Who was it that gave her this? She couldn't remember the person but it had to be someone from work as the flyer came with a comment that she needs to unwind a little.

*Now how will a cafe make me... Unwind? It's just a place for coffee and cake, isn't it?* Then again, Alex absolutely loved coffee. And cake. Couldn't hurt to check the place out, could it?

She entered the establishment, poking around a little, trying to get a feel for it. It was very... Civilian. But also rather pleasant. Soft and soothing. Eventually, the woman hung her uniform coat and hat on a coat rack, taking a seat at a table next to it. Now for that coffee and cake... Did one have to call for service? She cast her glance about, looking almost comically confused.

"Uh... 'scuse me," She said to nobody in particular, her voice in the lower range, slightly hoarse.
Pete
*Asuna had already started her shift a couple of hour ago and she hadn't done much. Everyone knows Mondays are not really very busy days for cafes and restaurants, so... Basically Asuna didn't even bother standing around in the main lounge waiting for customers.*

*To her surprise only a couple of hours later her first customer of the day walked in and as she called out to her, Asuna sticked her head out the staff door and with he signature wide grin she said~*
"One second!"
*After that she sent out a playful wink and went back in the room to grab her tray along with a glass of water and the menu catalogue. She walked out with the tray in her right hand and made herself towards the table.*
"Welcome to Serenity! May I take your order?"
*Asuna then placed down both the glass and the menu before straightening her back again and holding the tray with both of her hands. She maintained her wide warm smile and said~*
"You can take your time! As you can see... I'm in no rush~"
Vernice
As it turned out, a big ol' grin was the very thing Alex was in dire need of, first and foremost. She visibly relaxed in her chair, perhaps no less lost but at least far more comfortable. The glass of water was very welcome too - turns out she needed it just as badly. She reached for it before even glancing at the menu, taking a few large gulps. "Ah, better," She said, most of the hoarseness gone from her voice. "Thank you miss."

She then reached for the menu, staring blankly at the many words on it for a moment or two before setting it aside. It was far prettier than the documents she had to deal with at the office but the woman's brain simply refused to read or process written word at this point. "I'll just have the largest cup of coffee you've got, black, no sugar. And a slice of whatever cake has the most chocolate in it."

Having placed her order, Alex looked around, adding, "...It is rather quiet. Then again, it's my first time in a cafe like this, I'm not sure how busy they usuall get. I'm... Not even sure if coffee and cake are the proper things to order." She lifted her gaze back to the cafe maid before her with a slightly embarassed smile. "Let me know if I'm way out of line, okay?"
Pete
"First timer huh? Well... We don't really get people like you often except for a few soldiers from time to time... Looking to have some easy fun. It is on the menu after all~♡"
*A soft chuckle slipped through her lips as she hoped that her sneaky tease would leave some impact on the serious yet surprisingly tall woman.*
"But yes... We usually have quite a few people around but on Mondays things are usually very tame and laid back... That's why I am the only maid working today since we don't really need more than 1 around these times unless of course I get busy all the sudden~"
*Asuna would then reach in to grab the menu and place it underneath her armpit as well as the wooden tray along side it...*

"Black large cup of coffee and some chocolate cake coming right up Ma'am~"
*After turning around to walk back towards the kitchen to turn in the order she stopped half way and looked back with that same naughty grin... And said..*
"And... You don't have to call me miss~ I'm your maid after all~♡"
Vernice
Oh, Alex caught the tease alright, right on the chin. She blinked a little, casting a confused glance towards the menu. "F-fun is... On the menu?" She didn't stammer often but it felt as if a metaphoric rug had been pulled from under her already unsteady feet. She felt the urge to reach for the menu once again even as her eyes rested on the rather stunning maid but that would've been too damn obvious even for the officer's current floundering state.

"Unexpectedly busy, huh? Well then," She said, the slightly embarassed smile returning, "...This rookie's going to need a bit of guidance, so you just might end up with your hands full." Yeah, she was about as subtle as a brick through the window. Before continuing the conversation, she'd let Asuna fetch her order with a slight nod, just to show she'd heard the maid.

"What *Do* I call you though?" Would be the first question posed after Asuna returned. Alex was clearly overthinking things a bit.
Pete
*And then not long after Asuna returned with Alex's complete order on top of her wooden tray*
"Here you go~♡"
*Asuna had shifted her tone purposely to a more soft and calming one to fit the mood and so, she placed down the large warm coffee mug and the white porcelain plate with the tasty chocolate cake piece resting on top...*
"I specifically asked for just chocolate since you don't quite seem like that complicated gal, just chocolate and nothing else~"

"Now then..."
*Out of the blue, Asuna decided to sit down at the opposite side of the booth instead of walking away again while also placing the tray on her lap~*
"I figured you might want some company, assuming that's what you meant earlier~"
*A faint rosy blush was formed on her pale cheeks as Asuna played it dumb. She clearly understood the subtext of Alex's earlier comment but she wanted to force her to request for it directly and not via any implications just to tease her customer even more~*
Vernice
The coffee smelled delicious and the cake... Oh stars, the cake! Alex' eyes lit up when she saw it. The genuine joy was, perhaps, a little at odds with the tall woman's martial appearance. "Thank you, it's perfect," She breathed, wrapping a hand around the coffee mug, taking a slow, long sip, then closing her eyes for a moment as she savoured the taste. A bite of the cake came next, evoking a similar reaction and an almost sensual "Mmmnnn..." Of sheer delight.

The woman then let her eyes rest on Asuna. "Yeah, I'm a pretty simple sort," She agreed between sips of coffee, a slight smirk half hidden behind the mug, all the while taking in the maid with an appreciative gaze. She did attempt to not be *Too* Obvious but failed rather miserably.

"You know," She said, "...Company sounds pretty good. You're gorgeous and I'm lonely. And money's not an issue either." She raised the mug to her lips again, taking a bigger gulp of the coffee as she felt warmth in her own cheeks. "...I-I'm sorry if that was crude. I'm not too good with words."
Pete
*Hearing such words only caused Asuna to crack up a little bit and chuckle on her own while maintaining eye contact.*
"I thought that people like you don't get flustered that easily but here you are in uniform and all, but I was still able to get you to stutter~"

*Asuna leaned in and almost laid on top of the rather large table while keeping that chin up and flashing that cocky grin at the chocolate-covered customer. In response, she brought her own thumb up and reached out to pick up some cake remains from Alex's right cheek...*
"Heh pretty careless too... Do you need me to help you out with that?~♡"
*I then proceeded to... Lick my own finger in a rather suggestive manner and cleaned it off completely from the cake~*
Vernice
"Hey, the only uniform that means something in here is yours, little maid. Besides, I'm less of an officer and more of an office worker... At least nowadays," Alex responded, a soft laugh lacing her words. "And then again, they don't teach you how to handle maids in basic training. Or at the academy for that matter." Whether she was about to say something else or not, the unexpected contact made her pause, cheeks slightly flushed as she finally set her mug aside. It hadn't been a very reliable bit of cover anyway.

"Y-yeah, I'm not the tidiest eater," She said after a short pause, stammering again as she watched Asuna lick her finger. The girl was hitting all the right buttons. "Although I guess that depends on what I'm eating." Alex didn't even try to hide the innuendo, not that she could if she wanted to.