The deliveries, oddly enough, went smoother then anticipated! Sure, it was just six barrels of cider and a few Manehattenite's swooning over the new cowboy to deal with (taken care of by Pinkie Pie and Gummy) but otherwise, it went down without a hitch. And sure enough, Applejack remained true to his word, treating everyone to a huge lunch at a sit-in diner, complete with cherry pie for dessert !
Once everyone was fed Applejack rose from their table and paid for the meal. Just as everyone was heading towards the door, the farmer felt a familiar feeling rise in his middle.
'Shouldn't have drank all that cherry iced tea!'
"Y'all go on ahead! Ah gotta make a pit-stop 'fore we head out."
With a quick tilt of his hat, Applejack turned on his heel and made a bee-line for the restrooms while everyone else waited by the door.
In his rush to relieve himself, Applejack was oblivious to the waitress, tray in hand and carrying three bowls of piping hot chowder, coming out from behind the counter to bring the food to a waiting table. The two collided into each others sides, and the woman holding the tray lost her hold on it, dropping the contents onto the farmer with a startled cry. Applejack screamed out as the hot chowder splashed all over his front, soaking through his flannel shirt and tank and scorching his chest.
"AAAAHHHHHHHHH! HOT! HOT! HOT!", the poor man cried out as he flapped his shirts away from his chest.
The tray and all three bowls crashed onto the floor loudly as the young waitress apologized profusely. The noise had startled the friends into checking out the commotion, seeing a pained Applejack tearing off his flannel shirt and holding his white tank away from his front, with a young, blonde waitress fretting and nervously fluttering her wings, trying to cool the chowder left on his chest.
"What is goin' on out here?!", a feminine southern drawl shouted out from beyond the double doors of the kitchen.
The double doors burst open to reveal a woman holding a clipboard in one hand while the other held the door open. She had her curly deep red hair done up in a fancy, messy updo while sporting a black and white bodice with pin-stripe skirt and black heels on her feet. The woman wore make-up, making her appear as sophisticated as Rarity, with a small mole on her lower left cheek, near her mouth. Applejack hung his mouth open as realization struck him.
"Miss cherry? Cherry Jubilee?!"
The friends immediately saw that Cherry Jubilee, apparently the manager of this establishment, was looking to be in a foul mood, covered in flour and batter, yet still maintaining a lady-like composure. To this, Rarity silently gave the woman a nod of respect.
The young waitress grabbed at a nearby napkin dispenser and started to frantically wipe at Applejack's chest, making him cry out from where the chowder had burned his skin.
"Sorry, Miss Jubilee! It was an accident!"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Cherry Jubilee sauntered over to the spectacle, her colored eyes looking tired but focused.
"Heavens! Girl, this is the third time today that somethin' like this has happened! What am I gonna do with you?"
Applejack saw the waitress shrink at the reprimand, cleared his throat and got the attention of Miss Jubilee.
"She's right, Miss Cherry. Ah wasn't looking where Ah was going and bumped into her. The fault is mine and Ah take full responsibility!"
Cherry turned her head and gave the young man a good, long look. It was scrutinizing at first, then she stared into his deep green eyes and saw nothing but honesty in them. the tired look drained from her features as her brow perked up in renewed interest.
"Well, well now~ Is what this young man sayin' true dear?"
The young waitress nodded sheepishly, wringing the chowder from the napkin into one of the bowls on the floor. Cherry Tsk'd and nodded.
"Alright then, get a fresh round of bowls for your table and clean this mess please, sugah."
"Y-Yes, miss Jubilee!"
"And you, young man!"
Applejack, still with his arms up and keeping his tank away from his chest, looked sheepishly at the woman.
"Come on over to the back and we'll get you cleaned up."
"Y-Yes, ma'am."
Cherry turned away from him as she lead the farmer into the entry way she had just come out of, with a wincing Applejack following close behind. He failed to see the coy smirk on the mature woman's face, but his friends saw it plain as day.
They all let out a collective gasp as the two disappeared from their sight and into the double doors.
"We have to get Applejack outta there pronto!", exclaimed Rainbow Dash.
Rarity let out a huff in disgust.
"Did you see that?! That old harpy of a cougar moves fast! We have to do something!"
Fluttershy fidgeted with a lock of her hair as she bit her lower lip anxiously.
"O-Oh, dear!"
"Oh, no!"
Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Rarity turned their heads to see a teary-eyed Pinkie Pie holding a lifeless looking Gummy. The poor little guy looked deflated. Literally!
"My poor Gummy's out of gas!"
With a gentle press on his tummy, the little gator wheezed out through dry gums, silently pleading for rest. Giving her pet a small peck on his forehead, Pinkie Pie placed a tired Gummy into her bag.
"Um...'scuse me."
The girls turned their attention to the waitress, who now had a new tray of steaming chowder.
"Those doors don't lock y'know. Her office is to the right as you enter, last door to the left."
Rainbow Dash leads them onward, and they make their way to the back. A timid Fluttershy backpedals back to the waitress and mutters a shy "um, Thank you" before rejoining her friends. The waitress shrugs and proceeds to her table.
"Ah really appreciate the help, Miss Jubilee.", said Applejack as he sat at her desk. By now, the chowder left on his shirt was cold and beginning to stick to his skin.
"Please, just Cherry'll do, sugah."
"Huh. Alright. Thank ya kindly, Cherry. Oh, and Ah'll be payin' for that chowder as well."
Cherry closed the door behind her and locking the door. Applejack wasn't paying attention to what Cherry Jubilee was doing, missing the subtle click of the lock. she sauntered away from the door and sat at her leather chair across from Applejack's seat.
"Oh, I know you will, sugah~. Hm, you look awfully familiar."
At hearing that, Applejack froze. His eyes darted around, trying to find a way out of this!
"Yeah. Ah uh, get that alot."
"Are you by any chance related to the Oranges? Or the Apple family?"
Applejack kept his eyes anywhere but on Cherry Jubilee, the need to lie rising in his gut and yet his tells were showing.
"A-Ah'm apart of the Apples, ma'am."
"I knew it! That ol' genuinely rustic charm is just oozin' from you, sug! What's your name, hun?"
Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!
"Uh..."
"Hmm?"
"Ah'm...Ah'm Apple...chip!"
"Applechip?"
"Er, yes'm."
His nose twitched slightly as he pursed his lips, eyes still glancing about nervously.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Applechip sugah~!"
"Uh, likewise, ma'am."
"Now...what to do about your attire...", Cherry mused under her breath.
The boy was tall, broad in the shoulders and strong looking. She held her lower lip between her teeth as images flashed in her head, as an oblivious Applejack fidgeted in his seat.
'This is gettin' awkward...'
"Um...not ot be imposin' or nothin', Miss cherry, but Ah got my friends waitin' for me out there. So, if you wouldn't mind..."
"Ah, yes. Well...why don't you just sit a spell...and let yer dear l'il Cherry take care of ya~!"
After she purred out those words, Cherry Jubilee rose onto the top of her desk with a predatory grin. She batted her eyes as as her ruby red lips smiled a coy grin, inching closer and closer on all fours atop her desk and knocking everything down with a noisy clatter.
'Aw, horse feathers!'
As things began to escalate, the door was kicked in and slammed against the wall with a loud clatter. The foot that had kicked the door in belonged to Rainbow Dash, making way for everyone to rush in.
"Alright! Hands off our frie-"
Rainbow stopped mid-sentence as she took in the scene before them. A blushing Applejack held Cherry Jubilee back by her wrists as the mature woman straddled him, showing off her knee highs and red lace garter as her heels lay abandoned on the floor. The two looked back at everyone, who were staring at the spectacle as if Discord himself had orchestrated it. Applejack looked to his friends with pleading eyes, as well as with beet red cheeks.
"H-Help me!"
"What are all y'all doin' in my office?!"
"What're WE doing?!", Rainbow retorted.
"WE are trying save our friends' chastity, you overbearing harpy!", a fuming Rarity huffed out.
"Ain't y'all a little too short fer this ride~?"
"Please STOP with the innuendos!", a near sobbing Applejack cried out.
In an act of desperation, the young farmer shoved Cherry Jubilee onto her desk and made a run for it out the door. His friends filed out after him to ensure his escape, with a lingering Rarity still at the open doorway. When Cherry sat up on her desk, no longer dizzy from the sudden force from Applejack, the fashionista glared daggers at the woman and motioned with her fingers, "I'm watching you", and ran down the hall to rejoin her friends.
A subdued Cherry Jubilee slumped her shoulders as she remained idly atop her desk, papers strewn all over the floor while the stapler and pen rack lay on their sides from being tipped over. She pouted for a few moments before recomposing herself, setting her bodice right while fixing her slightly disheveled hair.
"Dagnabbit! So close this time. Oh, well. 'Applechip', eh? I wonder if he's another one of Applejack's kin. Nearly looked alot like her, that's for sure."
With an airy sigh, she hopped of her desk, straightened out her skirt and placed her heels back onto her feet as if nothing irregular happened, grabbed her clipboard and sauntered out of the office with a little spring in her step.
Once they were clear of the diner, Applejack and everyone boarded the nearest train going back to Ponyville. Once inside the cabin,
Applejack changed into a simple solid black tee shirt.
"Ah wanna thank y'all fer savin' my hide back there!"
"That was insane! Imagine if she knew it was you?!"
Rainbow shuddered just trying to imagine the repercussions.
"Ah tell ya, Dash, Ah can't wait till this whole mess is fixed. Ah don't get why everyone's being so dagnabbed weird around me!"
Just as he was going to take a seat beside Fluttershy, Applejack felt that same familiar tug in the groin from earlier. With a groan, he excused himself and went into the men's room. As the others got settled into their seats, a loud cry made them all jolt upright.
"HOW IN THE HAY DO YA WORK THIS THING?!"
Author's Note:
I honestly can't remember what made me think this up, but well, here's number 4! Anything to say, please do! ^^