THE RESTAURANT

Setup: The characters from HoA are now in an entirely different universe. The story will revolve around a restaurant and its workers, with some customers too. Hope you enjoy.

(Fabian)

"Let me introduce myself to all of you", a pretty blonde girl in expensive clothes tells us as we employees of this medium-sized restaurant gathered about. Just a while back, as we were about to close, she came in and motioned to us all to stop. We were a little shocked by her suddenness.

"My name is Amber Millington, and I will be your new boss. I just bought this place. Isn't that wonderful?"

Wait, new boss? That's impossible..., I tell myself. She couldn't be more than 21 years old by how she looked. We were basically in the same age group.

Nobody spoke among us. We just stared at her like she was a ghost. They must also be wondering why she was saying all these things.

"Jeez, guys! I won't bite! Is it normally this quiet in here?", she asks us.

"Um, no. Not really. Usually we dance around as we clean the place up for the next day!", Alfie, our janitor, admits. We glare at him, as he whispers a silent "Sorry!"

Her expression changes to an unreadable expression as she asks, "Who is the manager here?" My fellow employees all point at me. Oh crap, I'm going to be fired, I thought to myself as she called me to the manager's office.

I swallow the lump formed in my throat as I stood there in the office, while she was sitting down in the chair.

"Name?", she asks in a tone I was not sure if it was stern or not.

I reply, "Fabian Rutter."

She smiles at me as she points me to a seat. "Sit down, Fabian. I just want to talk to the person who knows the most about running this place."

I reluctantly sit on the chair, as she asks me some basic questions, like how much we were paid, how many staff there were, and how the place ran. I answered as honestly as possible, mostly due to fear of losing my job. She was checking on what seemed to be my profile every now and then.

After seemingly analyzing my answers to her questions, she looks at me. I think she caught the worried expression I had on my face, because she reassures me. "Don't worry, Fabian. I like you, and so I have already decided to keep you as manager of the place.

"Thank you, ma'am!", I respectfully nod towards her. After all, she was my boss.

"Hey, don't call me that. I may be your boss, but I want you guys to treat me as one of your peers. After all, we're the same age. You may call me Miss Millington during work hours, but you can call me by my first name, Amber, after work."

That was cool, I guess. And she was just 20 years old. She seemed a bit young to own the place, but I guess she could afford buying this place, and besides, it was not my problem.

"If you insist, Miss Millington it is", I finally give in after I tried, unsuccessfully, to call her madam or boss, etc.

She looks at the time and realizes it was becoming a bit late. "So, I will be observing tomorrow. I will see for myself how the place gets run, and then we might talk about it. Okay, Fabian?"

"Yes, Miss Millington."

"And yeah, don't forget to tell the others. I would like to see the whole crew at work tomorrow. Do what you normally do, I don't want you guys showing off at me."

"Of course." I smile, then after she gave me permission to leave, I head towards the others, who were now sitting on chairs.

"So, how was it, man? Did she fire you?", the cashier and my good friend Eddie asks me.

"It was alright, and no, she didn't fire me.", I assure him.

"Well, that's cool. What did you two talk about then?", he asks me.

"Just some basic questions about how this place operates, that's all. And yeah, before I forget, she said she will be observing tomorrow. So I will expect everyone to be here."

"Ugh, really? What a drag.", Patricia, one of our waitresses, grumbles. Sometimes I wonder how she gets her tips. But I knew she would come anyway, so I did not mind her.

"And guys, act normal tomorrow. She specifically said that tomorrow should be like any other day, no showing off. Okay, people?", I remind them before I forget.

"Yeah, okay." They all say in unison apart from Patricia who mumbles out something like, "Whatever, if that's what she wants..."

"Okay, dismissed!", I say in my loud voice, such was the way I send them home after a day's work. At that, they all disperse through the front door, leaving me and Amber in here alone.

I knock at the office door to ask permission to leave from Amber, our boss.

"Yeah?" she looks up from the paperwork she was sifting through.

"May I leave, Amber?", I ask, a bit unsure.

"Yeah, sure. I'll just follow later, after I finish checking your profiles.", she tells me, turning back to the paper she was reading.

I decide to wait for her, as I had nothing set to do for this evening anyway. And it was a habit of mine, being the last to leave the place, even at the tenure of my old boss. He would always tell me that i was to be the one who was responsible for locking up the place. She just acknowledges me with a nod, concentrating on the files she was reading.

She finally walks out of the office. She was a little surprised that I was still here.

"So, why are you still here, Fabian?", she asks me, curious.

"Just a force of habit, Miss Millington.", I state kindly.

"You can call me, Amber, you know. It's after work hours.", she reminds me.

"Okay, Amber."

As we leave the place, I turn off the lights and check the place just to be safe. Then I lock the door.

"Do you want a ride home?", Amber asks me, seeing that there were no other parked cars other than hers.

"Nope, my apartment's just a block away. I'll walk. But thanks, Amber."

"So, see you tomorrow then, Fabian?", Amber asks me as she starts her car.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow, Miss Millington!"

"It's Amber.", she says before driving away in her Porsche convertible.

I walk home to my apartment, which wasn't really a block away, but still just a few blocks away. While walking, my thoughts wander to Amber. She's really pretty, I tell myself. And nice too. But it was still the first time we met her, so maybe it'll change. But I hope that she was as nice as she seemed. She would be a wonderful person to work for. Such a likable woman like her, and still single. She would be perfect...

Whoa, whoa, whoa, I stop myself. My mind was going places again. A small smile managed to sneak out of the corners of my mouth. I shake my head off that thought as I continue walking to my apartment.

Once I reach my apartment, I did not bother to eat. I just changed to my sleep clothes and fall to bed.

I know, another story, which brings my tally to 7 stories. But I like, wanted this idea, so here it is. Do you readers want me to continue or not? Please review.

If you were wondering about the rest of the Anubis cast, they will appear on the later chapters. I did not deem them necessary to appear in this chapter.

Currently the only characters are Fabian, Eddie, Alfie, Patricia and Amber. More in the next chapter.