Winter, 2009
"Scotty I need those fries for table six their getting antsy"
Noelle Baker yelled to the cook as she hurried around the diner delivering what food she could, the other waitress that was suppose to be on tonight, had called in 'sick' so she was required to take over all the tables until her replacement could come in.
God help the manager if he could get off his fat ass and serve a few customers rather than sitting on his fat ass tell her what she was doing wrong.
"Their coming Noelly, two more minutes"
Scotty yelled back in his usual calm and cheerful tone, she hated that he could be so calm during the diner rush. Scotty was just one on those guys who you couldn't get flustered. He was bound to be eternally cheerful and calm until the day he died.
"Gotcha Scotty"
She yelled back, before running off with a new set of menus for the new customers who just walked in the door.
"Boss, I'm taking a bathroom break"
She yelled half an hour later, she could feel her dark blonde hair had come out of its messy bun, it probably looked like a mess. Her make up had most likely smudged from the heat of the kitchen as well.
"Two minutes Noelle, I'm timing you, a minute over and you will be docked fifteen from you paycheque".
Had she mentioned how much she hated her boss, it was no empty threat. He would dock her pay by fifteen if she was anything longer than two minutes.
Upon first glance she discovered her make up smudged and her hair a mess. After a quick retouch with some eyeliner and after tying her hair up in a somewhat stronger messy bun she ran out of the bathroom with ten seconds to spare.
The look on the manager's face was priceless. He was always so disappointed when he couldn't dock someone's pay just to earn himself a tiny profit.
Luckily ten minutes later, Sandy the second waitress turned up for the closing shift. She liked Sandy a lot, Sandy was kind of like they awesome aunt who let you try your first smoke and takes you for driving lessons when your parents refuse to let you near their precious car.
"Hey sweetie, what kind of a mood is he in today"
Sandy asked sparing a glance over to the manager who as attractive as he was, was sitting at his desk, his body fat was drooping over the office chair as he munched greedily on a jelly filled donut, just to set the image off, when he took a bite of his donut the jelly squirted out of the other end and squirted onto his top.
"Shitty, money hungry, lazy, I could go on"
Noelle scoffed as she went about cleaning the counter of the million different stains that it had received over the past few hours.
"Okay, Okay I get it, stay away from cranky"
Sandy laughed as she moved to the back room ignoring the manager who tapped his watch motioning that she was exactly two minutes and twelve seconds late for work.
He needed a life.
Well not that she could talk, she hadn't had a boyfriend since the middle of last year, when her charming boyfriend of the time had decided to dump her and then go on a mission to woo her best friend, when that failed, his exact words.
"I'm willing to take you back baby"
Yeah he ended with a nice face full of mashed potatoes via the cafeteria line, she never had the best luck, because throwing that plate and caused a food fight in the cafeteria ending up in a two suspension and two weeks detention after that.
She had found it hilarious, her parents not so much, after her two day suspension and two weeks detention she then received a month grounding. Although they were more angry about the suspension than the actual crime.
Parents were weird sometimes.
After about two hours the mad rush of families cleared out leaving room for the drunks who stumbled across the road from Charlie's bar who were looking for greasy food to fill their stomachs. There's nothing better than a nice plate of greasy French fries after a night drinking on the town.
"Ill have a plate of fries and a cheeseburger thanks love"
One man slurred as he squinted and looked at her breasts with a goofy confident smile that only being utterly drunk could cause.
"Sure Sir anything else"
She asked through gritted teeth, she hated serving the drunk ones more than anything, she was to nice to tell them where to go like Sandy could so they usually ended up grabbing her ass or propositioning her over the diner table.
Hey it was the most attention any guy had shown her in a year, if it wasn't for the drunken customers she served, she might just get lonely.
She was just waiting for the cheesy pick up line. they all had a cheesy pick up line.
"Hey baby why don't after I finish eating, you and I head out to my car for a little action"
And, there it was although not so much cheesy, more sleazy, this guy looked old enough to be her father and he stunk of beer, urine and vomit.
"I'm going to need cash up front for those fries"
She said with her usual tiredness, its not like she was a damn saint when it came to drinking, she was always one of the first to grab a bottle or suggest a party, but she had always been able to hold her liquor. Her shots were usually followed by shots of water, she only been fall over, vomiting drunk once and that was on her Aunts vineyard in Italy when she, her cousin Camille and the next door neighbours son Richard, had stolen a bottle of wine each because in their infant wisdom of 14 and 15 years respectively they thought one bottle between three wouldn't be enough.
She quickly learnt that when she was that drunk her standards were pretty low, but than again her sober standards were much higher. Richard had always had a bit of a crush on the French/American and took his chance.
She supposed it was a bit slutty, a one night stand at 14, it was even worse that she didn't remember it. But Richard seemed pretty damn pleased with himself.
She spent the next two days inside trying to avoid the awkwardness that surrounded them.
She had never been so thankful to see the inside of a long haul flight before.
Her best guy friend covered his ears and ran off singing at the top of his lungs.
Her new friend Ruby patted on the back and gave her a sympatric glance.
She was pulled out of her musing when the drunk threw over a few damp scrunched up notes that made her want to gag, she hoped the wet was beer and hurried over to the till ignoring him calling out to her as she left.
"Think about it, I have a wide back seat"
"You sure can pull them huh Noelly"
Scotty laughed from the kitchen.
"Do I have a sign or something on my face that says, please use every type of dumbass pick up line you have ever heard on me or something"
"No sweetie, not on you face that would require someone to actually be looking at your face, ya maybe wanna aim lower"
Sandy answered from the other side of the counter with a smirk, her boobs weren't that big they were a normal size it was just the stupid push up bra she was wearing today, all her others were in the wash.
"OOOHHH Waitress"
The drunk sang out from the booth, making her want to slam her head against the counter.
"Don't worry Noelly I'll get creative with his fries"
Scotty added with an evil smile.
"You rang"
She asked as she made her way over to the booth with a sigh, he seemed drunker that he was before if that were at all possible.
"Ello love, couldn't resist me aye"
He smirked. She threw up a little in her mouth.
"What can I get you sir?"
She asked in a board tone.
"Where are my fries, I ordered them ages ago"
He slurred and swayed slightly in the booth.
"Your ordered them two minutes ago, and their coming"
She said before she walked away, trying her hardest to stop herself from turning around and slapping him, at least he was only staring at her ass and not grabbing.
She went into the kitchen along with Sandy to see just how creative Scotty was getting.
"What ya got so far Scotty"
Sandy asked as she watched the fries bubble in the deep fryer.
"Well ladies I generously coated the outer layings of these divine pre packaged French fries in a tangy but extremely hot, hot sauce as I am sure you ladies know that this particular brand of hot sauce is extremely hot and with my vast knowledge of magic, I have commanded this bottle to be extra hot."
Scotty began with the laugh of a mad scientist
"I then added some spices I picked up in Mexico, which I am sure are illegal in America, but we wont go there, follow by a slice of ham which I polished off by you know"
Scotty said indicating to his crotch drawing disgusted but amused glances from both girls.
"I then coated the cheese with the all American all nourishing indigent of spit"
He said clapping his hands together reading himself up for the final indigent, he waited for a moment savouring in the suspense as they waited.
"I finished off his wonderful mysterious cheeseburger with a light sprinkling of... no I cant tell you"
Scotty laughed scratching his blonde hair.
"Scotty please tell me you didn't, cut your hair off, you know"
Sandy asked pointing to his crotch.
To their relief he looked a little disgusted.
"No, god no I sprinkled dandruff from my hair, that's just taking to far"
Once the mystery burger was complete and the fries were done she practically skipped over to the drunk who looked like he was napping and placed the food in front of his face.
"Enjoy sir"
She said with a wide grin and she practically ran back to the counter so she could watch him eat the mystery burger.
All three of them watched in horror as he munched on the burger seemingly enjoying its taste, it was gone in minutes. he took a bit longer on the fries, sometimes opening his mouth to wave his tongue with air that people usually did when their food was to hot.
All and all it took about twenty minutes for him to finish leaving three very amused very board employees to watch him finish.
"How was it sir?"
She asked with a amused smile as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"It was good. I especially enjoyed the tangy taste of the burger, what was that by the way"
He asked slightly sober than he was when he stumbled in.
She made a small noise in the back of her throat as she tried to stop herself from laughing.
"Sorry, Sir its a secret recipe"
"Well, I should be off before the wife gets angry, cheers"
He said seemingly forgetting his attempts to pick her up only minutes ago before he stumbled out the doors and into the night leaving her to fall to the ground in laughter.
Once she had calmed herself, she quickly grabbed the plates and quickly made her way to the kitchen once all the dishes were up, she could go home.
Little did she know of the dangers that lurked outside.