"Oh, for fucks sake…" Alfred muttered under his breath while pressing harshly onto the computer's touch screen. He would always forget how to clear the screen from the orders. The last order he had was a half an hour ago and he was still working tediously on trying to make it disappear from his sight.
It was lunch hour so the coffee shop wasn't too busy at this time.
He wasn't looking forward to tonight at all, either. He had to take a new employee under his wing and show him the ropes of his family's coffee shop. Alfred barely knew how to do what he does now let alone showing someone how to work everything else.
"Matthew!" He shouted, twisting his head around while peering his blue eyes through the opening that lead back to the kitchen. "Help me."
He heard Matthew giggle slightly, throwing his head down slightly while he walked through the arch that lead to the kitchen. He wiped his hands on his black apron that had white flour or powder sugar on the front of it. Matthew grabbed his head, resting it on the counter. "What's the matter?" His brother's soft voice broke out in a small whisper. "Did you fuck it up?" He asked, a little louder this time.
"Yes!" Alfred admitted as he banged his fingertip onto the front of the screen, hitting some button; he didn't even know what he was hitting. "Teach me how to clear this piece of shit out! It's too confusing for my little brain." He said, stepping aside and watched his brothers fingers clear it off.
"See? That's all you do." He said, taking the towel that rested in his pocket, throwing it over his shoulder. "I think I should start working the counter rather than you." Matthew joked, making Alfred nod his head while he jumped up, sitting on the counter's top.
"Yeah!" He said, reaching over and taking a Coca-Cola from the small fridge. "Maybe you should stay and work night shift and teach this new guy some stuff." He opened the soda bottle and took a large gulp, swallowing harshly. He coughed, covering his mouth while he turned his head from Matthew.
"Hell no!" He whispered, not wanting his father to hear his dirty mouth. "I need my sleep. You have fun with him. I've met him. He's okay, really." Matthew said, grabbing Alfred's soda from his hands and taking a small sip. "Ugh, too sweet, don't you think?" He passed it back to him, he shaking his head.
"Well, I need to drink all the sweets I can if I'll be here till six o'clock in the morning and work the day shift, too! What is Dad trying to do, kill me!?" He shouted, taking another sip of the soda.
Alfred looked into the kitchens window seeing his father walking out of the freezer, carrying boxes of something. Probably the dough they made and froze to keep fresh. He sat the boxes down and came out with the other two. "Alfred, get your ass down from the counter!" He took his towel, smacking his leg with it. "Do you really think people want to receive their food once they know your dirty rear has been all over it?" He asked, watching as Alfred sighed loudly.
He grabbed his soda, taking another sip while groaning. While he poured the drink into his mouth, he continued the noise. Matthew chuckled, escaping back into the kitchen after Francis followed. Alfred still proceeded with the noise, making Francis grow annoyed.
"Alfred!" He shouted, he hearing a box being placed into the counter. "Shut up!"
Alfred only chuckled; he wanted to annoy his father for the time being before he threw him into the night shift with this newbie.
Serves him right.
~
Alfred wiped the counter down with a wet rag that was lathered with soap. Before his father and Matthew left for the night, Francis had told him to since his rear was 'dirty' and it needed to be cleaned so it wasn't contaminated.
He grumbled to himself while he did so. Alfred was tired and really didn't want to teach the newbie. He rather Matthew do it since he, for one, had more patience than he did and also was a night type of person. Alfred was only this type once video games were involved.
And plus, this person still wasn't here. He understood that he didn't have to be here till eight o'clock and it was only seven fifty, but still. He thought this night may go by faster if the person was decent to talk to, but Matthew mentioned he was just okay.
'What does just okay mean?' Alfred thought to himself while he continued to scrub the counter. 'Stupid ass Matthew; always too judgmental.' His thoughts continued while he looked at the computer's screen, he seeing that it was cleared since Matthew had made the last order.
He heard the door open up, he instinctively saying "Welcome to Little Paris Coffee Shop, what can I get you this evening?" as he looked down while his wrist flicked in the motion of cleaning the beige colored countertop.
"I-I-I work here now." The voice sounded timid. Alfred looked up, seeing the, to Matthew, the 'just okay' individual.
"Oh. Hey, dude." Alfred said, finishing up the countertop. He placed the rag under the counter where the bucket filled with soapy water was. "I'm Alfred." He pointed to his nametag but placed his finger on the printed black 'D' rather than the 'A' like he intended.
"Hello." The other said, walking up to the counter. "I'm Arthur." His accent was thick and it caught Alfred off guard.
"What's with that accent?" Alfred replied, taking a foam cup from under the counter. He then turned around, filling it to the middle with coffee. He then grabbed some sugar, pouring an endless stream into the cup. "Where you from?" he asked, looking back up at him, seeing his green eyes looking down at the crystal sugar.
"England. And you have a… I believe southern accent? What are you doing in New York?"
"I'm originally from D.C. Dad's originally from France, thus the name 'Little Paris'." Alfred informed while he sat the sugar down, opening the cooler's door and grabbed the milk and poured it into the cup along with the sugar and coffee. "I used the word 'thus'. Never in my life did I think I'd use that." He chuckled, taking a plastic spoon to stir his dessert like coffee with. "Whatca waiting for? Come back here and enjoy the party." He said, sarcastically while taking a sip of his coffee.
"O-Oh…" Arthur said while he lifted the gate up, sneaking by while gently letting it back down while he stood by Alfred, looking down at his hands. Alfred noticed his shy behavior, but understood why he was shy. "Do I… Do I need an apron?" he asked, pointing to Alfred's black apron like Matthew had on earlier. Only difference is that his was cleaner.
"Probably. Let me go get you one from the back." He said, going back into the kitchen to search.
Alfred understood where Matthew was coming from. So far, to Alfred, he was a little plain. But again, he understood why but still.
He remembered when the coffee shop had first opened that his father had gathered many black aprons from Michael's Craft Store since they were on sale. He figured they weren't going to have a deal this great for a while so he cleared them out with the black aprons. The only problem is that he couldn't remember where his father had put them.
Placing his finger on his chin, he looked around and remembered his father's small office also had a small closet. He smiled to himself, knowing that's exactly where he would put them.
So, he opened the door that was to the left of the freezer. He made sure to not get the two confused because one would be a terrible mistake.
Once he opened the door, he saw the door that he knew was the closet. Smiling to himself in a triumphant manner, he walked to the door and turned the doorknob. And once he opened it, he also remembered another thing.
They always threw junk and spare supplies into said closet.
So once Alfred opened the door he was tackled by halfway and filled boxes of all kinds. He shouted loudly while boxes all fell around him. "Damn it! Arthur!" He yelled while he covered his head, hearing the cardboard all fall around him with the rustling of whatever was hidden inside these boxes.
"W-What happened?!" He heard Arthur behind him at the doorway, looking in with a shocked expression. Alfred turned around, laughing a bit.
"I was nearly killed by boxes." He said, looking down at one of the boxes, seeing that it had spilled some of its contents. He smiled down at it, bending down and grabbing the picture that was in one of the boxes. He stood back up while he covered his mouth slightly. "…I wonder why he put this here." He said to himself, frowning down at it.