Every now and then times can get tough, and during these times everypony can be affected – regardless of race, age or class. These times can lead to financial insecurity and an endless stream of problems that promise to creep up and strike before they are even recognised as a problem. This situation applied heavily in Honey Blossom's case and was the reason she was currently sat in the office of the newest local restaurant in Manehatten – Hay's Burgers.
As an average-sized earth mare, sporting a light-straw coloured coat with vibrant azure hair that comprised her lengthy mane and tail, she had found herself in the middle of some financial troubles. Recently, her last place of employment, a modest flower arranging company, had filed for bankruptcy which meant that with immediate effect all staff were left jobless. And for many, including Honey Blossom, this was the difference between just managing to scrape by and destitution.
The final decision on whether or not to file for bankruptcy had been made in secret and came without warning for the unsuspecting employees. For hours without end, salty tears which stained her face, trickling down from her emerald eyes that blazed with anger as she struggled to contain her sadness. Her job as a flower arranger was her one and only source of income, even though the pittance it was, meaning that with her financial security gone, Honey Blossom didn't know where her next meal was coming from let alone where she would find the money to pay for her monthly rent.
The slim mare had never felt so scared or hopeless in all her life, during her time in Manehatten she had always lived hoof to mouth, but without money to even buy food to eat she was at a loss for what to do. She had heard stories of ponies being able to take the loss of their job on the nose, search for a job and be back in employment within one to two weeks. However, for the less academically gifted, such as the lowly Honey Blossom, you'd be lucky to get a second interview for a road sweeping job.
To be honest, she had only got the job as a flower arranger due to the fact that she was technically gifted with her hooves which allowed her to create bouquets and flower arrangements worthy of selling. And, it wasn't as if all potential employment avenues hadn't been considered, she would never admit it but even ideas of prostitution filled her mind.
"Just to get me by until I can find a job"
At first, that line of reasoning almost seemed appealing to the mare. For sure, she had a nice body with a matching physique – perhaps slightly chubby, but nowhere near fat – that could serve her well and help her to earn the money required to fulfil her lifestyle. In her mind, it would only be for a short while as something had to eventually come up – she may even like it? Alas, the thoughts were soon abandoned. If losing all shreds of her dignity meant that she might be to sustain herself financially then it wasn't worth it - her body was worth more than a few bits.
As Honey Blossom put it, "My dignity isn't worth a pittance. Something will come my way, it just has to!"
Sleep was scarce for Honey Blossom on that night and not just because of the gurgling sounds that emanated from her stomach, it was fraught with restlessness as negative thoughts fought to consume her. But, she knew that she had to stay determined to not let it derail her life and hope above all else that she could find paying employment before her final dregs of money ran out.
The morning of the next day came slowly for Honey Blossom who rose from her bed feeling weak and weary caused by the lack of both food and sleep. However, the mare's determination served her, quickly setting to work in order to find a new job. Literal hours were spent trawling through newspapers and maps, locating valuable establishments who might be looking to take on employees. With nothing but half a bowl of cereal lining her stomach, the petite mare set out to visit as many shops and restaurants she could – CV copies tucked neatly in her well-worn saddle bags – before the end of the day.
A problem is that determination can only get ponies so far and sometimes a little bit of luck is necessary to achieve one's objective. Truthfully, it seemed that everypony who would entertain the idea of giving work to Honey Blossom were not interested in giving the mare an interview or a trial – some took one look at her CV and flat-out refused. Some of the more decent Manehatten folk took the time to point out that the reluctance to employ the mare was due to the lack of qualifications.
Constant rejection was starting to weigh heavily upon the mare's usual positive outlook, causing her frustration to peak after spending half a day dragging herself around the city and not managing to secure one single interview. To make matters worse the day she had chosen to go on this escapade also coincided with the hottest March days since equestrian records began meaning that by noon her entire body felt sweaty and grubby while her regularly washed mane and tail began to look very dirty and disheveled.
"I just need someone to give me a chance! To let me prove myself!" The sweaty pony grumbled away to herself as she half-walked, half-dragged her tired hooves down another of Manehatten's equally tired looking wide city streets.
Unfortunately, even though most building on both sides of the street were tall and provided some shaded shelter from the burning sun, the street was still at the mercy of the sun that continued to fly high in the ocean of blue sky giving little respite to the tiring earth mare. Nevertheless, the working day was waning and even though it meant continued exposure to the scolding rays of sunlight Honey Blossom was going to visit as many establishments as she could before calling it a day.
The first place on her list was Hay's Burgers, perhaps unlikely to result in an interview from what she had come to expect from restaurants during the day, but it was newly opened which presented a real opportunity. It didn't take long at all to reach the newest restaurant to open in Manehattan and from the freshly painted metal letters that were positioned at the top of the traditional open-plan restaurant design – HAYS BURGERS – it was clear that she had arrived at her destination.
That outside of the restaurant boasted freshly painted timbers which were finished with a glossy white paint that extended from each end of the building, the colour appropriately matching the huge white rectangular frames that encased two transparent windows that were nestled next to each other – the think frames the only thing to separate them. Positioned to the right of the windows were a set of wooden double doors that proudly guarded the entrance into the building.
To pass through the wooden portal, Honey Blossom had to make her way through the restaurants outside seating area, respectfully cordoned off from the busy streets of Manehattan by a metal and wood fence that formed an L-shape before connecting with the brick of the building. The seating arrangement served a dutiful service of providing an outlet for those who wished to enjoy sunlight or a pleasant wind. However, it was only large enough to fit three pristine oak tables, two positioned flush against the windows with one positioned in the corner point of the fence. The three tables looked almost too neat and tidy with the only disturbance being the parasol that sprouted out the centre of the rectangle wooden structures.
If the outside of the shop looked neat and tidy, then the inside of the restaurant was heavenly, passing the double doors had been an easy feat as the restaurant guards gave way to the lightest push or pull revealing a cool, clean smelling, air conditioned environment with a sweet scent of delicious food wafting into the dining room from the concealed kitchen. Of course, being half-blinded by the sun's light meant that for the first moments of this newfound eden she was relying upon her scent and touch.
With her eyes quickly adjusting themselves to the shade, she was greeted with a contemporary decor that used twelve of the same tables she had seen outside, minus the parasols. Each table was set with a neatly white fabric lining the tables and garnished with pristine sets of cutlery that reflected every spec of light that bounced into the diner. Honey Blossom almost felt rude standing in the establishment in her sweaty, unclean state perceiving herself as sullying the cleanliness of the well-made dining room.
Thankfully, the mare's blushes were saved due to the restaurant being almost empty aside from two ponies nestled closely together at one of the tables closest to the back wall and a pegasus standing behind a counter with two large cash registers sat upon it. Recognised as the left wall when she walked into the dining room, the counter stood afront a silver backdrop of clean kitchen equipment. The pony stood behind the counter could easily be identified as a pegasus, wings tucked tidily into their sides, who was currently fiddling with the register which was eliciting a metallic scraping noise from an area out of view.
The pegasus looked to be a mare, the long blonde locks of hair which formed her mane a bit of a giveaway, who had a deep crimson coat that covered all her body except for a white star that started from between her dark blue eyes to the end of her nose. Honey Blossom had to admit that the mare, if indeed she was a mare, looked stunning in the dulled synthetic lights that helped to relieve the dark shade that the indoors provided. It was also determined that the mare was the one she should ask about a job and within a millisecond she set out to close the distance between her and the counter.
Crossing the diner floor with a reinvigorated step the yellow coated mare appeared to attract the attention of the restaurant's employee, automatically reaching a hoof around to pop open her saddle bag in anticipation of offering her CV. Before either of the mares could introduce one another Honey Blossom was gifted an unrestricted view of the mare's once obscured lower-body which presented the same long length blonde tail as her mane, her cutie mark of two cherries held together by the stalk and white socks that began from her hooves and extended to the base of her calves.
"Hello," the pegasus introduced herself first in a chirpy tone that seemed to possess a southern twang. "would you like to order some food?"
"Er… No thank you." Honey Blossom replied steadily. After visiting and talking with so many ponies during the day her nervousness continued to dissipate from her conversation allowing the mare to come across as more confident. "I'm actually here to see if you had any vacancies at the restaurant?"
The crimson mare's eyes gently narrowed at the sound of a more professional conversation, locking her dark-blue eyes onto the emerald eyes. "As it happens, the restaurant is currently looking to fill certain spots – after all we are newly opened."
The azure maned mare felt like the pegasus' last words were designed more to encourage her to apply causing her heartbeat to quicken in evident excitement of the potential "spots" that she may gain the ability to fill. 'Okay, here's the chance! For the love of Equestria don't buck it up…'
"Would you mind me asking what the process was to apply for those spots?" Replied the unemployed mare, catching the pegasus' foreleg moving to grab something that was out of view under the countertop.
"Just ask me, silly!" the crimson mare exclaimed allowing the southern twang to fill out her excited voice. At the same moment the pegasus quickly pulled her right foreleg from beneath the counter to reveal a pristine book that she gently laid upon the top. "From what the manager has been sayin' it sounds like we're mainly looking for either servers or part-time porters – they sound good to you?"
Honey Blossom was starting to find comfort in the relaxed and open nature of the mare before her who was starting to find a smile creeping onto her muzzle. However, before snapping the pegasus' hoof off for the opportunity – like she should have done – there was a sense of doubt finding its way into the mare's mind. 'Waitress or cleaner? Are menial jobs all I'm good for?'. To some it may have sounded snobbish, but a part of Honey Blossom wished to better herself in her new job and not side-step into a dead end occupation.
"They sound perfect." She finally responded, dispelling all doubts from her mind – a job was a job and if it kept her in her apartment then it was good enough for her.
"Great!" the blonde pegasus beamed, quickly pulling a ball-point pen from the shadows of the counter and holding it in her left forehoof whilst her right hastily flicked through the diary for the current date. "I can't give you the job outright – that's the management's decision, but I can set up an interview?"
Honey Blossom almost winced at the mare's admission that she couldn't give her the job right then and there, but knew in her mind that she needed to take it on the nose and focus on the task at hoof. After all, it was never going to be that easy – getting the chance to express herself in an interview was the easy part and so far this was the closest to success she had gone.
"Yes," Honey Blossom responded in a more formal, yet still bubbly, tone struggling to contain her excitement and anticipation. "that sounds fantastic."
The mare opposite smiled, nodding in acknowledgement, before putting the tip of the pen she held to the paper. "And… your name?"
"Honey Blossom." She obliged, her round yellow orbs watching intently as the first letter of her name was inscribed onto the paper. "H-O-N-E-Y… Blossom."
"Honey Blossom, that's a nice name," the mare beyond the counter recited kindly, lifting the pen from the book leaving only the fresh ink of her name inscribed on the page. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too." Honey Blossom replied, returning the toothy smile of the crimson mare. "Would you want a copy of my CV?"
"Yes, I think that'll be very useful." She responded after a moment of thought – Honey Blossom could only assume that it was about the current recruitment policy. "Would you happen to have one on hoo-". The blonde maned mare's question seemed to catch in her throat as she slowly processed the contents of the piece of paper that was now held out in front of her face.
"Here you go!" Honey Blossom beamed in triumph. It had only taken half a day, but her labours looked to be baring fruit at the prospect of an interview. "What time is the interview?"
It took a moment to get a response from the mare opposite who prioritised accepting the document, scrutinising it a little, before setting it down on the table next to the book. "Th-thanks. The only time I have available is at nine-twenty tomorrow morning – is that alright with you?"
Honey Blossom nodded eagerly in response, her smile widening into a toothy grin as she inwardly celebrated her achievement. "That's perfect! Thank you so much, Miss…"
"Cherry Top," the mare said, obliging to fill in the gap. "Don't worry about it sweetie, I'm here to help."
"Thank you anyway, Cherry Top!" the young mare insisted while celebrating the other mare's actions, her face beaming in an uncontainable happiness. "You don't realise what this means to me… You're an angel!"
It would be nearly impossible for other ponies to tell, but Cherry Top felt herself blush at the remark, lowering her gaze to avoid the beaming gaze of the mare opposite. Her cheeks burned, but still she stood up to her designated task, using her left forehoof to wave off the remark. "Don't be silly, it's only an interview. Keep that celebratory spirit saved for when you get the job."
Cherry Top's words inadvertently made Honey Blossom feel like an idiot, she hadn't even got the job and already she was celebrating as if she had won a medal. The simple fact of the matter was that she needed to calm herself down and make sure that she didn't blow her chances of getting the job before the interview itself. With that in mind regaining her composure wasn't difficult and she tried her best to get her head straight, but underneath everything the mare retained the feeling of victory she had won in getting an interview.
"Sorry, you're right," the yellow mare apologised sincerely, dipping her head towards Cherry Top as a sign of respect.
"No need to apologise," Cherry Top reassured, shaking her head slightly, a warm smile still firmly set into the mare's muzzle. "Just get that job and then celebrate."
"Do you really think I'll get it?" Honey Blossom's voice filled with hope as the words left her maw encouraged by the confidence the crimson mare was instilling her with. 'Maybe I do have a chance…'
"Of course!" Cherry Top started to nod her head this time, her smile fading slightly before changing into a more stern knowing look. "The manager isn't a tough nut to crack - you impress him and the job's yours."
"I'll be sure to do just that!" Exclaimed the excited earth mare who felt and looked reinvigorated with renewed determination to take on anything that life could throw at her. "He won't know what hit him."
However, deep down a subconscious part of the Honey Blossom felt that things were too good to be true. Little did she know of the unearthly weight of emotional distress that would follow her over the following days and weeks, nor the collosal strain that the workload would place upon her.
To be continued…
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, if you did you can always find more on my Fimfiction account under the same name.