(Archived) Poth Short Stories and One-Shots

A Brewtiful Beginning - Chapter 2

The 'big storm' turned out to be nothing more than a little rain and some thunder, so yay~

***

While Palette was busy with his meal, Goth went to find Mona. Seeing the door to her office was ajar, the skeleton peeked through the opening. He could see the bespectacled old woman pouring over various papers, absently tucking a strand of grayish blonde hair behind her ear as she worked.

Figuring she was probably working on finances or something equally important, Goth lightly rapped on the door, "Mona? There's a guy in the lounge named Palette saying you had a job offer for him?"

"Palette...?" his boss looked up, screwing up her face in thought before her eyes went wide and a smile lit up her face, "Oh, Dream's boy! Yes, he'll be living in the city for a spell and an old friend asked if I could keep an eye on him. Naturally, I figured the best way to do that would be to offer him a job. So he's here now?"

"Yeah. He ordered lunch in the lounge, so he's in the middle of eating," Goth mentioned before adding, "Do you want me to bring him back here for an interview when he's done?"

"Oh no dear, I'll go out to meet him. I prefer to show our job rather than tell and I could use a break from these numbers," she declared, standing from her desk and sliding her stout body through the opening between her desk and the wall, "But first, what's your impression of him?"

"Me?" the small monster pointed to himself in mild surprise, receiving a nod from his boss. He took a moment to think it over before replying, "Well... he seems nice. He was really cheerful and polite when I served him, he even complimented my tea."

The last part unconsciously brought a smile to his face.

"I see...," she nodded sagely, "He sounds like he'll fit right in here."

"What? Don't you need to interview him first before you decide?" Goth yelped.

"Goth, you're an upstanding young man with a good head on your shoulders," Mona chuckled, patting his shoulder on the way past, "Your critique combined with what I know of his mother tells me he's a good boy. My meeting with him is merely a formality... well, that and laying out the guidelines for working here."

"If you say so...," Goth mumbled, following her back out to the front.

"Oh, would you be a dear and bring me something when you get a moment? I could use a pep in my step and you know what I like," the woman requested.

"A chocolate latte with whipped cream, then?" Goth inquired, getting a knowing smile and a nod.

When he came through the entryway, Tamara looked over from her work, "Good timing, things picked up and we need you to grab the two booths and the table in the back corner. Claire's got two of them and I'm busy manning the register and making to-go orders."

"Right, I got it," Goth swept his eye light across the two booths and table in question and pulled out menus to correspond with the body count. Coming over to the first table, he greeted the customers and took their orders straight away since they were regulars, letting them know the estimated wait time while thanking them for their patience. He handed out the menus and explained the flag system for the two booths, apologizing at the second one when they complained about the wait.

By the time he was done with them, the other booth had raised their flag. Taking their order, he slipped behind the counter with Claire and Tamara to prepare the two orders he had.

Claire took on the food while Goth focused on the drinks with Tamara working around them, getting people in and out the door in a timely manner. After so many years of working together, they had managed to work out an efficient system for lunch and dinner rush.

Laying everything out on his tray, the skeleton weaved around the girls, stopping by the table Palette and Mona were currently seated at to drop off her drink before proceeding to the first table and booth along with Claire's two tables to serve their food and drinks.

Taking the order of the final booth, Goth and Claire prepared everything. He came back out, feeling a bit proud of himself for managing so quickly despite being short-staffed. The patrons grumbled about their order taking so long again, but their irritation was short-lived once they actually saw and tried the food and drinks.

Afterward, it was only a matter of collecting payment and tips to be deposited in the tip jar and bussing the tables to prepare them for the next customers. Once that was completed, the trio whittled down the line until the last to-go customer was walking out the door.

"Good job team," Tamara sighed, leaning on the counter.

Claire looked up from where she was scraping the dirty dishes off and depositing them into the dishwasher, "I still don't know how you manage to deal so well with the rude ones, Goth. You just take their nastiness like it's nothing."

Goth shrugged, "I can only tell them the truth and ask for their patience. If they can't accept it, that's their problem. Honestly, I'd like to be able to make the food look like something from a fancy restaurant like you can. It even made that grumpy pair quiet down."

Claire giggled as she closed up the dishwasher, "I like making the food look nice as well as taste good is all. No one wants to eat something that looks like it exploded on the plate, no matter how good it tastes."

"True," Tamara mused, "Still, those culinary classes are definitely showing. You got the touch."

"I'd say all three of you did fine work there," Mona interjected with Palette behind her, "Now that things have quieted down a smidge, I'd like to introduce you all to Palette, your new coworker."

Greetings were exchanged before the older woman continued, "I hope you don't mind, Goth, but I'd like to have Palette shadow you for a day or two. Would you mind showing him the ropes around your usual work?"

"Uh... sure, I don't mind," Goth agreed, ignoring the pointed looks and grins from the two girls behind him.

"Wonderful," Mona clasped her hands together and turning to Palette, "You can go ahead and pick an empty cubbie in the breakroom to hold your things along with an apron. When I get a moment, I'll print out a cubbie label and a name tag for you."

"Thanks," Palette said, slipping a messenger bag from his shoulder.

The old woman smiled warmly, "You're very welcome, dear. Now, I need to get back to my paperwork before the supper rush arrives. If anyone needs me for anything, you know where to find me."

***

Word Count: 1,145