Nova & Arthur

 Chapter One: The Spill Heard ’Round the Café

The door to Caputo’s Coffee jingled like it had a secret to tell, ushering in the next wave of exhausted office workers and aspiring artists seeking overpriced lattes and a quiet corner to brood. Nova Johnson, balancing a tray of mismatched ceramic mugs and dodging a toddler wielding a croissant like a weapon, barely noticed the tall, gangly figure lurking near the pastry case.

“Excuse me,” a deep voice said, startling her. She turned sharply, her sneakers squeaking on the tiled floor, and in one swift motion—crash!—the tray tilted, sending a tidal wave of cappuccino straight onto the man’s open messenger bag.

“Oh no!” Nova gasped, staring at the soggy mess. Sheet music, notebooks, and what appeared to be an actual metronome were now drenched in frothy foam.

The man blinked at her, stunned, his dark-framed glasses sliding down his nose. His expression shifted between disbelief and a kind of resigned despair. “That’s… my entire week,” he said flatly, as coffee dripped from the bag to the floor.

Nova immediately grabbed the nearest napkin dispenser and started blotting his belongings. “I am so sorry! It’s been a long shift, and that croissant-wielding toddler is out for blood.”

“That… doesn’t really help,” he said, taking a soggy sheet of music from her hands. “This was for an audition.”

“Yikes,” Nova said, grimacing. “But on the bright side, it’s probably the most caffeinated sheet music in the city?”

The man’s lips twitched, but he quickly suppressed whatever retort had been brewing. “Great. Thanks.”

Nova wasn’t one to let people simmer in irritation. “Listen, let me make it up to you. Coffee’s on me. Well, not on you—okay, technically it is, but I mean I’ll buy you a new one.”

He exhaled, clearly trying to summon patience. “That’s not necessary.”

“Sure it is!” Nova insisted, ushering him toward a corner table as though she was some sort of caffeine fairy godmother. “Sit here, dry off, and I’ll grab you a new drink.”

She didn’t wait for his response, disappearing behind the counter. Mr. Caputo, the café’s perpetually grumpy owner, shot her a glare. “Spilling coffee on customers isn’t part of the job description, Johnson.”

“Noted,” she said, waving him off. She quickly whipped up a latte, ignoring Caputo’s muttered complaints, and returned to the man’s table.

He accepted the drink with a quiet, “Thanks,” and began reorganizing his damp belongings. Nova hovered awkwardly, her curiosity outweighing her embarrassment.

“So,” she said, sliding into the chair opposite him. “What kind of audition requires a metronome?”

The man glanced up, his brow furrowing slightly. “A jazz audition. I’m a pianist.”

“Fancy,” Nova said, raising an eyebrow. “Let me guess—deep, tortured artist vibes? Writing soulful melodies about lost loves and rainy days?”

He gave her a look. “I play standards at weddings and corporate events. Soulful melodies don’t pay the rent.”

Nova chuckled. “Fair. I’m Nova, by the way. Aspiring stand-up comedian. Which, let me tell you, pays even less.”

“Arthur,” he replied reluctantly. “Arthur Flex.”

“Well, Arthur Flex, consider this your lucky day. Coffee-spilling incidents make great origin stories for friendships. Or comedy routines.”

Arthur didn’t smile, but the corner of his mouth twitched again. “Noted.”

Before Nova could dig further, the café’s door jingled again, and Lila, her best friend and self-appointed comedy manager, burst in like a hurricane. “Nova! Did you sign up for the citywide talent competition yet? Deadline’s tonight!”

Nova winced. “Oh… right. That.”

“You haven’t signed up?!” Lila groaned. “It’s literally your shot at getting noticed!”

Arthur glanced up, suddenly interested. “Citywide talent competition?”

“Yeah,” Lila said, noticing him for the first time. “Comedians, musicians, weird performance artists—everyone’s competing for a cash prize and, you know, glory. You should sign up too. What’s your deal?”

“Pianist,” Nova supplied before Arthur could respond. “And also a coffee enthusiast, as of five minutes ago.”

Lila’s eyes lit up. “Perfect! You two should team up.”

“Absolutely not,” Arthur said immediately, standing up to leave.

Nova smirked, watching him gather his things. “You’ll come crawling back when you realize I’m the best partner you’ll ever have.”

He paused, giving her a pointed look. “Let’s hope I never have to find out.”

And with that, he left, leaving Nova with a grin she couldn’t quite explain. “He’ll be back,” she said confidently.

Lila raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

“Because fate loves a good punchline.”