I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
Lola's Point of View-
The rest of the day had went by with minor chaotic moments and hectic like any other business has during certain hours.
"I don't think I would be as excited as I am to flip this close sign over." Mike said.
"It's not over yet." I said.
"Does it ever end?" Mike asked as he came over sitting on one of the bar stools we had towards the end of the counter that nobody ever used until now.
"No…you can go if you want." I said as I carried the container that was filled with the dishes into the kitchen setting it into the sink to be washed. I walked back out to wipe down the counters moving all the paperwork I needed for the night to a nearby table.
"What's there to be done?" Mike asked.
"You could go through the list of employees I made and start making calls to work Friday or Saturday."
"Would these people even know who I am?" Mike asked.
"Does it matter? Just explain and introduce yourself, they'll get it if your last name is Mizanin." I said.
"Right, I guess it'll be better than the dishes…again."
"Relax and sit down." I said remembering my first day and how sore my feet were and how stressed I was and how different it is. I did the dishes but listened closely to Mike's side of the conversation, he definitely could be a smooth talker, he kept calm and he was friendly to all. After he had ended the last call, I heard him let out a sigh walking out the door leaning against it seeing him run a hand through his short hair. "Everything okay?" I asked.
"How do you and my dad do this? This person can't do this, this person can't do that, or this person can't be here until a certain time." Mike said as I put the plate and towel down on the counter heading to the table.
"This is why it has been your dad and I running this by ourselves, who else could you trust? Everyone has other obligations whereas I have no life and this is pretty much it…" I said honestly.
"I don't get why people aren't willing to budge, work is work and it's like, why don't you shut up and do your work?"
"You can't blame these people, they are on-call which is just that and you can only expect the rejection." I said, for some odd reason it was nice for once to see that not everyone gave into him and that he can't charm everyone and he has seen the whole side of the business.
"But I found three people to come in on Saturday and two to come in on Friday, it was one night right?"
"For us probably, your dad has a van that we-"
"I know exactly what you're going to say...I'll bring it on Friday for us to load up...what is this other paperwork?"
"Inventory, and got to check money in the cash register." I said.
"May I do something?"
"You can count the cash, leave the same amount in as what was recorded and rest could go to the bank with you to deposit in the morning."
"Got it." Mike said, I don't think that would be a hard job for him considering he is probably used to counting cash and it isn't that hard. I followed him to the counter seeing him go up to the register as I picked up the plate and towel seeing Mike staring at the register. "How do I?" I heard him ask himself under his breath.
"The blue button then turn the key."
"Thanks." He said turning to look at me smirking.
"No problem." I said going back into the kitchen putting up the dishes and went through making sure everything was good for tomorrow before peeking out seeing Mike counting away at the one dollar bills. I pulled out slices of bread, putting it on paper towels making plain turkey and cheese sandwiches taking it out setting one next to him.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Dinner." I answered as he smirked.
"Thanks, I could go for a soda…"
"I thought you were going to say a beer."
"That too." Mike said as he picked his sandwich up and I followed him to the same table we sat at earlier.
"What is your poison?"
"Beer or soda?"
"Soda."
"Dr. Pibb."
"Got it." I said heading to the fridge grabbing a can of Dr. Pibb for him then a Pepsi for me going to join him again.
"Thanks…is every day like this?"
"Every freaking day...get used to it." I said as I popped open my soda trying not to get it to spray some.
"God…" He said as he ran his hand along his face and his hand rested against his cheeks below his eyes.
"Just be lucky you don't have a headache, my first day there was a birthday party with six year olds running around."
"I'm getting a headache thinking of that…how'd I do?"
"Better than I thought you would handle it." I said, which was the truth.
"Why do I feel like I sucked?"
"Everybody feels that way on their first day, fortunately for you, your job isn't at risk and you can't get fired." I said trying to look at the bright side of things.
"Just because I can't get fired or that I'm a boss doesn't mean that I can't suck."
"Why do you think you sucked?" I asked curiously as I put half of the sandwich down.
"Do you not remember the day? I didn't know anything, I couldn't even make breakfast right, I don't know how to do a cash register and I got you upset."
"No one expected you to know everything on the first day, Stonehenge wasn't built in one day."
"You sound like my mother."
"I'll take that as a compliment, just this once though."
"As you should…did I really make you upset earlier?" Mike asked picking up his soda sipping it.
"It wasn't you…per say."
"Per say?" Mike asked.
"It's nothing." I said not wanting to get into it.
"I want to know so I could fix it."
"It's nothing you can fix." I blurted out and felt myself blush thinking he had figured it out.
"It's because my dad gave me the position you wanted huh?" Mike asked as I didn't answer, I couldn't even look up at him from my sandwich, "Look, I'm sorry if it hurt your feelings and I felt and still do feel guilty for being in charge, I don't deserve it compared to someone that has as much experience as you. I'm not cut out to be in charge of this business; I can't even cook pancakes or use the cash register."
"You know I didn't want an apology from you...I guess my feeling were hurt because I have worked hard for years here and you were give the position that you suck at…no offense."
"It's the truth, why don't you do this?" Mike asked leaning forward.
"If you have an idea, it can't be good." I said.
"It's quite a brilliant idea if I say so myself."
"Fine, what is it?" I asked picking up half of my sandwich.
"You run the business, I'll be your slave, the student more like it and I'll just sign the papers that needs to be signed along with bank runs but you do all the work my dad does instead of me."
"And let you get the credit for it, no way!" I said knowing when Mr. Mizanin was to come back that he'll think it was all Mike that had done the work.
"I won't do that, I'm not that kind of guy. When my dad comes back, I'll come clean and it'll make you look good."
"How do I know our not lying?"
"How do I know that you can handle this job?"
"I guess a contract has to be written up." I said.
"I guess it does." Mike said smirking as I got up going over grabbing a pen from a drawer and grabbed some free paper taking it back with me as we worked together to write out a contract signing it. "It's official now."
"It is." I said smiling knowing that I now was in charge of sorts.
"What do you say about those cheat sheets boss?" Mike asked as one side of his mouth curled up in a half smile.
"Instead of cheat sheets, why don't I actually teach you?"
"That might work...can't promise I'll remember tomorrow."
"With the trick I know, you will." I said confidently.
"There's a trick?" Mike asked as I nodded yes as I stood up grabbing my trash taking it with me and he was behind me. Mike and I spent a couple hours at the cash register until he had gotten it all down pact, and that was when he felt more comfortable and confident in his skills to handle the cash register which could make days so much better. "God it's late...we should clock out." Mike said checking his phone.
"We probably should, but got to wipe down the tables and-" I begun to list what wasn't done.
"Hey, chill…just because you're the 'boss' doesn't mean you have to be so strict. Does those things have to be done?" Mike asked as I looked at the tables that were still pretty clean, trash wasn't full and nothing else was needed to be done.
"I guess not."
"Then, let's go home and get some sleep boss…first text me the bank information." Mike said as he put the zip envelope of cash under his arm along with our written contract as I pulled out my phone texting his phone as it vibrated when it went through.
"Do you have to do hours this week?" Mike asked.
"That'll be done tomorrow and to be turned in on Friday."
"Why not wait until Friday to do everything?"
"It's up to you, but keep the cash at your place for safe keeping." I said.
"Obviously…what is the security of this place?" Mike asked curiously as he looked around the restaurant.
"We have a couple of cameras, an alarm for cops, fire and to the insurance company, who will then call your house immediately, kind of like ADT." I said shrugging.
"It's something and it'll do."
"What else is better than that?"
"I don't know...having security guards."
"Do you honestly think a deli shop needs security guards?" I asked as I put the towel used today in the pile of cloths that I needed to take home to wash sometime.
"Apartment complexes need them, why not businesses?"
"Apartment complexes hosts hundreds of residents, businesses like this barely holds a hundred at a time."
"What does that have to do with security?"
"More life needs protection at ones home in an apartment complex than at a business."
"But businesses-"
"Look Mike, I won't mind having this conversation but I'm too exhausted to organize logic."
"Me too…same time tomorrow?" Mike asked.
"Same time every day." I said as I found myself smiling as I walked past him to go around the counter checking to make sure the door was locked before I followed Mike out making sure everything was shut down and off for the night besides the ice machine.
"Do I get a set of keys?" Mike asked as he stood beside me of sorts as I locked the back door with my set of keys.
"Ask your dad, he may loan his set of keys for the time being."
"I could…"
"That you could." I said testing the door to make sure it locked before I dropped my keys, I went to pick them up but I saw another hand reaching for it getting me to stop looking at the hand then up to the blue eyes of Mike.
"Got to be more careful with those keys."
"I do…sometimes I just get bad cases of butterfingers."
"We all do." Mike said putting the keys in my hand.
"It's one of those common things we all do." I said shrugging.
"Yeah, well good night and see you in the morning Lola." Mike said shoving his hands into his pockets walking past me to his car that he had drove to work seeing him unlocking the door before I headed to my car doing the same driving home to get some sleep. I got up the next morning doing the same routine as the day before but this time Mike needed less help on the cash register, which was his main task for the day allowing me to stick to cooking. It got to closing in which was the best part of the day and I cleaned the kitchen as he handled the cash. "You got your hours calculated to turn in?' Mike asked, I turned around from the sink seeing him leaning against the door frame holding the bag of money.
"Not yet, let me do that now." I said turning the water off and dried my hands.
"After that, we should call it a night." Mike said as I walked over stopping in front of him.
"Got to do a trash run first…you can head out though, nothing else really needs to be done." I said.
"I'll wait, I can help carry bags, I have muscles."
"So do I." I said trying to flex my non-existent muscles.
"Oh yeah, some kind of muscles those are, check these guns out…" He said doing the same pose seeing the bicep bulge in the one arm through his shirt.
"You definitely got me beat." I said as I slid through the door frame going to the right binder filling out the paperwork handing it to Mike. "That's all she'll need and let me text you that information again." I said pulling out my phone as I leant against the counter texting all the information to him again.
'Thanks, now the trash." Mike said checking the text before he went on collecting trash duty with me and walked with me out to the dumpster tossing them away. We headed back inside putting new bags into each can putting the cans into the proper spots. "That it?" Mike asked as I grabbed the trash can he had just put next to the ice machine moving it. "Why'd you do that?" Mike asked.
"Sometimes the machine overheats, we usually have to unplug it overnight at least once a week, and today is that day." I explained.
"Why don't you get a new ice machine?"
"We will when money allows it to happen."
"I'll buy it."
"Talk to your dad about that." I said as I pulled my purse onto my shoulder and pulled the keys I needed out.
"I will." Mike said as he followed me out of the building and he watched me lock the door behind me.
"You got your keys for here right?"
"Yeah, my dad gave me his set." Mike said.
"See you tomorrow Mike."
"Same…night Lola, drive safe." He said as we went to our cars, I drove home and went up to my apartment wanting to sleep so I could have enough for the 48 hour day that might be pulled. I packed a bag of clothes that I was to wear on Saturday, I know last time it was an all nighter to manage to do all that food so I will expect the same. After the bag was packed, I headed to bed where I slept until my alarm woke me to get ready for the day ahead of me.