Heart and Paw Cafe: A Nervous Newbie

Story by ReynartWrites on SoFurry

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I was really into urban fantasy at the time, and cats, always cats.


A winter chill had fallen on a busy commercial district located somewhere in the center of a city full of life. Soft flakes of snow fell from the sky onto brick streets and concrete paved sidewalks below the cloudy skies. People traveled with coats and jackets and more to keep the winter chill from biting their bones. The soft scent of coffee, chocolate, and other treats attracted many shoppers to a cafe with a cat's paw on the glass window with a heart right in the center of that paw and an open sign out front with the magic specialties of the store on display. Just below the cat's paw on the glass, a piece of paper had been hung that read, "Help wanted, must be willing to taste, experiment and stay overnight. Good pay!"

In the "Heart and Paw Cafe," the scent of coffee was much stronger and the hustle and bustle of people chatting amongst themselves could be heard like a dull song even from outside the door. There were felines, wolves, foxes and more sitting at the tables and booths with warm drinks in paw and little plates holding a variety of treats. Jackets were taken off as the warmth of the cafe was enough to stave off the winter chills as long as they remained inside. Behind the front counter, a cheery looking feline wearing nothing but an apron stood at attention answering questions and taking orders with a big smile. She had tan fur and white stripes around her arms and her eyes were a deep ocean blue.

With new order in mind, Anya turned around with a flick of her tail to begin filling it out. There were flasks and beakers behind her along with the usual machines in a coffee shop that made her little workstation look more like an alchemist's lab accompanied by an oven, a grinder, and a coffee machine. Anya ground the coffee beans herself and brewed the coffee, but as the machine poured out the smooth black drink, she took it from the cup and began mixing it in beakers and other glass objects with various little additives and her own special variety of flavoring. At the end of her little mix, she took one of the flasks in paw and with her free paw began to whisper a little spell that circled the flask as a glowing ring until it was nice and ready. When she finished, the drink had taken on a hue of purple along with the natural black of the coffee. That was what attracted people all year round, the fact that her drinks would not only give people a bit of life but give them a literal spark of magic that she herself added with every special order.

Humming, she took the electric brew she had just made and poured it from glass flask into a styrofoam cup watching it bubble and pop with electric magic while giving it a pleased sniff before sealing it and placing it on a tray. Taking the tray up in paw, she moved around the counter to deliver her brew to the table of the lupine customer who had made the order.

Gingerly, she planted the tray on the table and chirped, "Here you are sir. Your electric brew just for you. Now, if you need anything else you just let me know."

The customer took the cup in his paw and answered with a grin, "Thanks, Anya. You make good stuff, but how about you take a break from the shop to sit in my lap. It isn't warm enough in here."

Anya giggled and gave the lupine customer's cheek a gentle pinch through the fur while she gave her response, "Nice try. Keep sweet talking me like that and we'll see about it sometime, but right now I'm a little too busy for that kind of thing."

When she let go of his cheek, the lupine chuckled and turned his head to nurse his drink. Occasionally she would find herself with sweet talking customers that all pined for attention and she had to admit, it made her feel kind of good. They were free to flirt as much as they wanted so long as they weren't rude about it and of course, she had gotten a few rude ones, but those types usually ended up flat on their faces out her door. Once in awhile there were customers she would take interest in, and sometimes a bit too deeply. Those led to one night stands and maybe even public displays of affection that really put the heart in her cafe's name, but nothing that ever lasted long enough for her to truly enjoy it. What could she say? She was a hopeless romantic at times and she wished that she could get herself someone to really warm her bed during the winter nights, but at the same time, her store was her life and pride and she couldn't be happier with it. Love could wait while there was coffee to be brewed and enchanted.

Anya returned around to the front counter with a swell of pride as she saw the people around the little cafe enjoying her brews. Anya had spent years making her little cafe into something amazing. At first, she had only served coffee and baked goods, but that hadn't been enough to really put her on the map. It was her little magic touches that called people from all over and normally she was busy as could be, but the winter months were especially tough for her. The cold breeze brought in people looking for a warm place to sit while they worked on whatever they needed to and usually they'd buy something. Anya wasn't so cold-hearted that she couldn't see that some poor souls just needed to get out of the cold weather when things got tough and so she left her doors open to people who just wanted to loiter. That had only served to give her little cafe a good reputation and college students with little money to spend and a lot of work to do enjoyed hanging around her shop along with the few business folk that had their jobs to consider while grabbing lunch. Anya was glad that she attracted such a varied clientele to her store, but damn could it be exhausting.

The help wanted sign hanging outside of her store had been planted there for a good week or so without any takers at all. Anya had to wonder if it was perhaps the fact that she had put the advertisement with the express instructions that they would be used to test her new mixtures and at night even, but of course, it could also be the fact that not many people could handle the constant business during rush hours. Oh well, she could only hope that someone would bite and she could get herself a new test subject, rather, a new employee to help her with the constant stream of customers.

The door to the front of her store opened, the bell atop of it letting out a pleasant jingle as she looked on over to greet her new customer with a wave of her paw and a gi smile. Anya looked over to see a nervous looking feline with his shoulders drawn in and his bright pink eyes looking around as if someone was tailing him. The nervous cat's fur was white with frosted mint around his paws and a button nose of pink. He was wearing a hoodie and jeans and in one of his paws, he held her help wanted sign. Anya delayed her greeting at the sight of that paper and she looked him up and down to appraise her possible new employee. His fur looked soft as driven snow and he seemed more than just a bit nervous to be here. He was probably some college student desperate for a good paying job or maybe she was just taking too deep a guess. Either way, he was cute and she couldn't help but stare while her big smile turned to a little mischievous smirk.

When he stopped by the front to slide that piece of paper over the counter she leaned over and before he could utter a word she asked, "Welcome to the Heart and Paw. How can I help you, sweetie?"

His voice came out a tenor soft, a sweet tone of voice with just the slightest hint of silky femininity that had her heart melting when he addressed her, "I'm here about the job offering ma'am, uh, if the offer is still up of course."

"Sweetheart that offer has been open for weeks and I've been desperate for new paws around this place. The fact that you're here is my saving grace, so, how much experience do you have?"

The new boy answered with a stutter and his ears flicked back, "N-none at all really. I was just looking for a job and I uh, I saw this. I'd be willing to stay the night and try whatever you make, I mean, so long as it isn't poison or nothin'."

Anya chuckled and took the paper, "Well, if you're that willing to try whatever I make, then I might just have to take you up on the offer. Things get really busy around here. I don't only just make coffee around here, I do baked goods and I'll be expecting you to work just as hard as I do if not twice as much since you'll be the new grunt, so, you think you can handle that?"

He seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding his head. Anya reached over the counter and grabbed his paw giving it a firm squeeze and shaking as she purred, "Great! How soon can you get started mr...?"

"Uh, Elroy. Roy for short if you'd like and I can get started right now if you'd have me."

Anya nodded, "Right Elie, you can come around back to get yourself an apron and we can get started with your training. Oh, and you can call me Anya, or boss if you'd like."

"Um, right boss."

Ah! The darling actually called her, 'boss.' That was more than just a little adorable to her. In fact, every little thing he did had her giggling internally. He was a nervous and twitchy sort right from the get go and he gave her the type of respect one would give a superior officer in an army. Anya would have to remind him to never call her ma'am again, but other than that she'd enjoy training this one. Hopefully, he wouldn't mind the workload or what would happen at night.

Anya had to face the facts that she was hiring this one partly as a vanity pick, and partly because no one else had come to take the offer. Maybe some new eye candy would attract more customers to the store who were into pretty boys, she knew she was certainly going to be sticking to his side for quite some time.

Elroy took to working like a, well, he took to working like a busted and sputtering machine. Often he would fumble with whatever was in his paws and drop it. He'd also burned the first few brews that she had trusted him with, but most of this was to be expected with learning so much on such short notice and luckily for him she could see that it was also partly because the poor thing was nervous. He was also an extreme danger to himself as well while all of this was happening. Getting used to the chaos of the kitchen and front counter meant that she needed to keep some burn cream out permanently for when the poor cat singed his paws on hot coffee or baked goods that he tried getting out and fumbled with. All in all, though, it was going better than she had expected. She thought he might actually break the machine or set something on fire, but none of that happened and her preparation of remembering where she kept the fire extinguisher had been all for naught.

Anya could have chewed his pretty butt out for any number of things that he was doing wrong, but she never did. She figured it would do more harm than good to yell at the poor thing and so she tried her paw at some positive reinforcement. It worked. Once his nerves weren't causing his paws to tremble at every little new thing he had to do, he seemed to be getting the hang of things without the destruction from before. He was preparing what she asked without a problem and at the very least handling cutting sandwiches without hurting himself. However much improvement he was making, she would not be letting him touch the magic just yet. Elroy had told her that he knew a bit of magic here and there, but he didn't know the right spells and she certainly wasn't going to teach him those on the fly and in plain sight. No no, she'd just have to wait until night time to teach him anything special, and maybe a bit more intimate with what she had in mind for those experimental brews.

When a break was due for both of them, she took him into the break room. The break room was where she had her extra inventory along with a fridge near the back. There were shelves lined with extra cups, mugs, beakers and more just in case she should run out of inventory for the day and those shelves were stocked at the end of the week when her orders came in. At the center of the room, she had a couch with a table in front of it where she had two sandwiches set down gingerly on little plates with cups of warm and sweet coffee set down next to them in little white mugs. They sat next to one another and her new employee took to eating quietly. While they were sitting on the couch she couldn't help but look him over. He was as shy as he was nervous and he didn't seem to have anything to say. Despite the quiet, she had to smile. She'd just have to fill this silence herself and satisfy her curiosities, "So tell me Elroy, why pick this place of all places? Not gonna fire you if you just needed a job and were desperate, but I'm sure there were easier jobs."

Elroy swallowed what he had in his mouth and set his sandwich down before answering, "Well I uh, I kinda thought it would be cool to be a barista. I actually didn't think it would be this tough, but um, I already started and the sign did say the pay is good so I guess I'll stay for awhile. That and apartments are expensive stuff"

Anya smiled, "Good for being honest. You've been working hard today even if you futzed a few things up. So, you said you know a bit of magic huh? Think you can manage what I do with the drinks? I'd looove some help with that kind of thing. Having another set of paws on that production would make my life a lot easier."

Elroy tilted his head, "I think I can. Just...Just don't make me do it while people are here. I might make something really bad."

Anya snorted and waved his concerns off, "Please. Spells are more set in stone than anything else we do here. If you can make a single cup of coffee without burning it then you can surely master a spell or two to enhance the flavor."

"I don't know about that. I mean, I've been messing up a lot today. Don't know why you didn't just toss me out the first time I dropped something."

Anya giggled, "Because, I need a victim to test my stuff on. Plus dear I could tell that the nerves were just rattling your paws while you were doing things. Nothing wrong with that right? I'm sure you'll be fine in maybe a week or so, but the workload won't drop any I can promise you that."

"I'm sure I can handle it. I mean, I think I can at least. Just um, is the night thing every night?"

Anya shook her head, "Oh no, of course not. Sometimes you might not even be able to come into work the next day!"

"Wait what?"

Anya giggled, "Nothing dear. Just finish your lunch. We still have customers to get back to."

Elroy gave her a wary look, but he continued eating. It was true that what she gave him at night could end up knocking him out for the next day and more. There were spells that could make a brew dangerous, spells that could make someone grow something extra and transform them into terrifying things, but she'd take it easy on him for now. Besides, she was planning on something a bit more fun for tonight if she could get him in the mood and if he was willing to do a little bit of extra work outside the realms of what his job needed of him. For now, she'd need to keep training him to make sure he wouldn't drop another pot of coffee on his toes and save her the extra cash from needing to replace all the things he kept fumbling with.

The rest of the day went much smoother, albeit, with a few fumbles here and there still. Her rosy eyed friend did well when she helped him along and after some time he began to get the hang of things by himself without the need of her guiding paw with every single thing. Anya enjoyed seeing him get a grip on how to function around the kitchen and cafe. Most of all, she enjoyed watching him interact with the customers since he was such an awkward little flower.

Most of her regulars had a thing for flirting, but they also knew that Anya would give them a good thrashing if they ever got out of bounds, but with Elroy, it was a different story, or rather, it would be if the snowy furred feline wasn't so shy. Little compliments would have him jumping and nearly dropping what he had in his paws to the point where what little flirting happened turned to gentle encouragement and laughter. From behind the front counter, she couldn't help but smile as she watched. He was getting used to it and trying his best to ignore the people who gave him little cat calls and the customers were growing warm on him. She was glad to see that her regulars weren't giving him a hard time. He'd do perfectly fine if he stuck around.

With all of the customers taking his attention away, Anya felt a few pangs of jealousy start to touch her. Her sweet employee was under her payroll and so he belonged to her, but more than that, she wanted to flirt with the cute cat. When he came back around the counter she knew it was her turn to strike while he was with her and while she could make an excuse for getting close to him.

While they worked together, she passed her tail along his and occasionally pressed close to him while pointing something out. She'd give him the gentlest of touches on his side and of course while purring instructions to his ears and all he could do was shiver and nod as he either enjoyed her attention, or was to shy to say anything else. Seeing him squirm, seeing him tremble and try to struggle with teetering emotions made him all too fine of a target for her teasing. She couldn't help it. It was almost enough to make her want to turn him around and give him a kiss right there, but she abstained for now.

While she was pressed close to him and showing him the different settings on the machine, she whispered to his ear, "They aren't bothering you are they?"

Her new employee answered quietly as he worked, "What? No. I'm just not used to the attention. It...It is a little weird being complimented like that out of the blue."

Anya's blue eyes glimmered with opportunity as she asked, "You're not in an exclusive relationship are you?"

Elroy nearly dropped what he was doing, but managed to keep his calm as he answered, "Well, no. I've been single for uh, well, forever I guess. I've never really dated anyone. Just too shy. Is...Are these questions really necessary?"

The tan furred cafe owner leaned in close for one moment, for just one indulgent moment as she planted the softest of kisses on his ears while whispering, "Not necessary at all. I'm just teasing."

Anya turned about when she saw him gasp, his tail curling about her body as he fiddled about with the machine in front of him. She needed to look away or else she would have eaten him right on the spot, that, and she needed to worry about the customers still ordering their drinks and what not. Behind her, she could hear Elroy fumbling around with cups and tools. Anya wondered if perhaps she had taken it a bit too far. She had wanted to let him know that she was interested in him, not to torture the poor thing, but at the same time, she had to admit that she loved seeing him squirm like that.

During the rest of the day, Anya had plenty of opportunities to see her precious new employee squirm under her attention. She had teased at some point that she was going to make him dress just the same as her with an apron and nothing else. Elroy's reaction had been to turn pink enough beneath his snowy fur that she could see it plain as day on his cheeks. Anya had giggled and told him that she had just been joking, but truth be told, she wondered what he would look like and if the customers would appreciate it. She could probably drive up sales by having him walk around like that and maybe even get more sales by having him stand outside like that during the summer. That might be using him a bit too thoroughly, at the same time, she could probably push him to it. What she was most excited about, though, was the fact that she was going to finally have someone to test her latest creations on .

When the sun started to fall and the last few customers were filing out of the cafe, Anya and Elroy began to close shop. Anya flipped the sign and locked the door while Elroy was behind her cleaning the tabletops and the countertop. Anya herself moved behind the counter to clean the machines and flasks. She hummed happily as she did this and watched him with a hungry gleam in her eyes.

Elroy looked up from his task and saw that she was staring. Instead of reacting, he got right back to working while asking the question, "So uh, I guess you'll need me tonight right?"

Anya nodded, "I most certainly will. I've got something new for me to try and a new experience for you to try."

"I guess that'll be fine. I mean, like I said, so long as it isn't poison."

Anya giggled, "And what if I told you it is something sexual."

Elroy's head perked up and his ears raised if he were trying to hear her correctly, "W-what?"

"You heard me, dear. Sexual. I want to start something new. A sort of, after hours, drink pack. Would you be willing to help me with that? I mean, if you aren't comfortable with me like that, I can totally understand."

The nervous feline rubbed the back of his head before muttering, "I guess I don't mind. You're kind of pretty after all boss."

Anya held back a longing sigh and instead chuckled, "Sweet Elie, call me Anya. You don't have to call me boss. I was just teasing."

"Oh, uh, right. Sorry, Anya."

Cleanup finished quickly enough and Anya reached beneath the front counter to take out a small chest. She popped it open and pulled out two flasks, one full of a purple glowing liquid and the other full of something glowing pink. Gingerly, she took one before shutting the chest and clearing her throat, "Elroy dear, get your clothes off. It's time for our little test."

Elroy squeaked, "Right here?"

"Of course! No one is going to be seeing us when the store is closed and the sun has gone down. So come on, off with your clothes!"

The shy snow furred feline began to strip while Anya watched. He was so obedient for being so shy. Maybe he thought that this was all part of the job and that it would gain him some sort of extra cash and maybe she should really pay him extra for this. Anya slipped out of her apron, letting it fall to the ground as her eyes narrowed to watch her precious employee get out of his clothes. She could see that he was already hard so she didn't need to worry about him not enjoying it. With careful steps, she removed the cork from the flask while moving around the front counter to meet her nervous employee. She saw him try to hide his firm cock with his fluffy tail coiled about his body and she had to smirk. Anya drank the concoction before setting the flask on one of the tables. She soon reached Elroy and with one paw she moved to cup his cheek and bring him into a firm kiss.

Elroy's body trembled as he melted into the kiss and dipped against her. Already she could feel the concoction beginning to work while she held his attention. Between her legs, a barbed cock and balls began to form, heat lancing up her spine as she felt the transformation take place. She felt her own body tremble as the magic touched her and she felt her insides shifting in strange ways from the concoction taking effect. Anya needed a moment to adjust, but she hid it well by leaning into the kiss to keep herself up.

When their lips parted, she took his wrist to plant his paw on her newly formed cock and purr, "This is what I wanted to test out...Still sure you wanna help me?"

Anya could see the pink beneath the fur of his cheeks as he stared down at her newly formed barbed member before he answered quietly, "I...I don't mind."

The concoction she had drunk was working wonderfully. Her new cock was much more sensitive than she had expected and she was purring as she felt Elroy feel and stroke over her member ever so carefully and nervously. She could feel the heat growing further and further in her body as she thought of taking him right there. The arousal and hunger driving through her body was enough to make her mad.

Without being able to help it, she moved in for another kiss, this time being more forceful about it. Her lips captured his and her tongue dipped into his mouth as she pushed him back onto the table. Anya could only smile as she heard his moans push against her mouth and felt his nervous tongue dip against hers experimentally. She had to take him now. Her cock was twitching with hunger and her body was growing hotter by the second. She needed it.

Tearing her lips from his she moved her mouth down his body. She kissed from his throat down to his stomach and crotch lovingly, her tongue dragging down over and down his cock and to his balls where she kissed each orb gently. Her paw slid down his shivering body until she was taking hold of one ankle and pushing the other aside to spread his legs. Carefully, she dipped her tongue below his balls and down to his puckered hole to drag and kiss against it. She made sure to wet every inch of his virgin hole before dipping her tongue just barely inside to get that wet as well. He gasped and squeaked and his noises only served to make her new member harder. It wasn't long before she had to get inside of him, had to relieve the newfound heat crashing against her cock. The heat she felt was much more intense than she thought. She almost forgot about the experimental creation in her other paw. Popping the cork off of glowing pink flask, she poured it out into her paw and set it aside to grip her cock and wet every inch. That was all she needed to do. Now she could really take him with as much vigor as she wanted.

With a hot breath, she brought got up and leaned over him to place her lips against his neck where she bit down firmly while pressing the tip of her cock to his rear. He let out a weak little mewl as she pressed the tip against his puckered hole ever so softly before trying to push inside. Even with the lube it was difficult to get it inside of his virgin pucker. She could feel herself wanting to break inside of that hole as hard as possible, but rather than do that, she calmed herself with a hot breath and edged inside ever so slowly until she finally slid inside of his rear with a wet pop.

Once she was in, she couldn't help but thrust deep inside of him with a shuddering gasp, her patience forgotten and left at the door. Elroy yelped beneath her as she thrust deep in his rear and her claws gripped at his thighs. Again her lips moved to meet his to muffle his moans and squeaks of pleasure and pain as she started to drive herself back and forth to his body with a certain lusty desperation. She had never experienced this type of pleasure before and certainly never had the sensation of having a cock squeezed and grip by virgin walls. Anya's insides were clenched, the warmth that had touched her before turning into a wildfire that twisted from her twitching balls all the way up to her spine as she pounded that pretty rear. She drove herself in deeper and deeper as she tried to bottom every inch of her cock inside of that tight rear and she couldn't help but let out a muffled moan to his mouth as she felt herself come so close. His rear was so tight despite the warmth of the lube keeping him nice and smooth for entry. She could hear him squeak again and again as he muttered her name in a lust drunk tone. His words on her ears, his call for more had her body trembling and her tail twitching from side to side. The sensations were too much to handle and she had forgotten all semblance of mercy with the poor boy, but he didn't seem to mind one bit. In fact, he was moaning and his legs were wrapping around her as if he were a well trained slut. Was it the lube? Or was he just a natural? Either way she wanted more and dug herself in harder.

It was at that point that she felt Elroy's cock twitch between them and let out a hot load against her stomach letting her know that he was loving every second of it while her balls kissed against his with every thrust. That little sign of pleasure was enough to send her off into a pleasured rutting that soon had her own cock twitching and letting out a thick load of cum into that hot virgin hole. Elroy gasped and moaned, his body arching up to her as he mewled and panted to her mouth. She tore her lips from his and gasped aloud as she shuddered while filling her employee's rear. Hot liquid poured out from the tip of her cock and it felt like her insides were burning and the tip of her cock was boiling over. The heat, the heat from her first orgasm with a cock was almost enough to drive her mad, but she held onto her sanity while laying kiss after kiss on his neck.

When she was finished, she slid out of his rear slowly and shivered, her paws moving to feel over Elroy's sides gingerly, "How you holdin' up kitten?"

Elroy was a panting mess, his body trembling on the tableand his eyes half-lidded and hazy as he purred and mewled. Anya licked her lips and leaned in to give his neck a kiss before standing, "Hm, I think I could go another round, but it looks like you're all tuckered out."

When he only nodded rather than answer her, she picked him up gently to take him to the back room and set him on the couch. She laid with him and planted soft loving kisses on his neck while smiling. She'd have much much more to experiment with tomorrow night and hopefully, he wouldn't break so easily. Ah well, at least she had herself an employee and possible lover to boss around.