A barista at jose's local coffee shop always greets him by name, and usually notices his mood. once when he was troubled by school, he confided in her. she now asks how school is going, and seems to care about his answer. how would we characterize her relationship with jose?

The correct answer is that she is considered to be a consequential strangers. Consequential strangers is defined as having personal connection than of other close friends or family by which it is also defined as weak or peripheral ties as the relationship lies on a broad social territory.