Lux and Ahsoka's Apartment

Ahsoka stirred from her sleep. As she opened her eyes, she experienced a slight shock. "Wait a minute ? Wasn't I in Lux's big guest room ?" Then, her recent memory hit her. "Oh, that's right ! This isn't Onderon ! It's the backwater planet we landed on a day or so ago... This city, what was it called... Phil... a... del... phia ? Sounds about right ! Lux and I are in a small apartment that the fictional... "boxer" Balboa lived in ? We could have easily ended up sleeping on the streets like so many others ! Good thing we bumped into Mr. Asner when we did."

She rolled off the bed and made a beeline towards the bathroom. As soon as she entered, the stench hit her. "Oh, Force ! What a stink ! We'll definitely need to clean this place up !"

Once she was done, she heard Lux waking up. "Good morning ! How do you feel ? Did you sleep well ?"

Lux groggily got off the couch. "Morning, Ahsoka. To answer your questions, I'm very tired as I hardly slept, if at all."

She walked over to him, wrapping him in a hug. "Aww, Lux, I'm sorry to hear that. You should've probably slept in the bed with me."

Lux agreed. He looked himself in the mirror. "Before I head out to look for work, I think a good shower won't hurt."

Ahsoka searched around the desk by the mirror, looking into its drawer, she found a comb. She offered it to him. "This'll help too !"

Lux simply chuckled. "It will, Ahsoka. It will."

As Lux showered, Ahsoka looked around their apartment. It was pretty sparse, just a fridge/freezer, a worn couch, a small bed, a television set, a tiny kitchen area and a tiny bathroom with just a sink, toilet and shower. "Better this than being completely homeless." Ahsoka told herself.

15 minutes later, Lux stepped out of the bathroom, still wearing his only pair of shorts and covered in a towel. "I don't know how much of an impression I'll make wearing my current senatorial clothes, but it's all I've got !" Lux quickly clothed himself.

She just stood there, holding her laughter. "Well... better like this than naked, right ? I have my current vest as well as my old Jedi garb underneath... who knows where that'll lead me ?"

Lux just smiled at her. "A place where beautiful women such as yourself are needed and appreciated ? Who knows ?"

"You're so sweet !" Ahsoka walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek, causing him to blush slightly.

Lux raised his eyebrows at the gesture. "My Lady, sweet would be my middle name, wouldn't you agree ?"

Before their conversation could continue, a knock was heard on their door. "Come in !" They both said.

"Thank you so much." Keith walked in, holding a binder. "I won't take much of your precious time, we're just going to go over some rules real quick, are you two ok, with that ?"

As they nodded, Keith brough a piece of paper on the night table near Ahsoka's bed. "Ok, so here we go. As I said yesterday, my rent fees are quite reasonable. As with all the other people living nearby, I'm asking for 200$ a month. With all the spots I own, I can allow people such a low fee, giving them a chance to acquire enough money to move out to better areas. That's my goal, giving anyone a head start. Nobody wants to live out their whole lives in such an impoverished place, right ? You two, I have a really good feeling about. I'd say in a year or two from now, you'll move away to the richer areas of Philadelphia. So... the rules are quite simple. Respect your neighbor. Don't blast music at 3 in the morning, you know ? Be smart, be kind. It's all I ask. If you'd sign right here with the date, please ?"

Lux cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse us, Mr. Asner, during our travels... we have lost track on time."

Keith simply shrugged his shoulders. "Today's date is... Monday, May 26th, 1986. In the middle of a great decade, right ? What more could you ask for ?"

Ahsoka quickly nodded. "Nothing, really ! It is the best time !"

Keith smiled at her. "Oh, Ahsoka, I'm so happy to hear your enthusiasm ! Despite that it isn't close to here, I strongly recommend to visit the Philadelphia Spectrum if you have a chance and the money, there's a lot of great shows there. Lately, there's been lots, and I do mean LOTS of rock concerts."

Ahsoka raised an eye marking. "Rock... concerts ?"

Keith excitedly raised his fists in the air. "Yes, you know, energetic bands such as Black Sabbath, Dio and Motorhead to name a few !"

Not wanting to look ignorant, Lux jumped into the conversation. "Oh yes ! Those are great bands !"

Keith searched into his pockets. "You kids like Dio ? Well, they are currently touring for their recent Sacred Heart album. I hear one of the stage props is an enormous animatronic fire-breathing dragon ! That's pretty cool, right ? I have a couple of tickets I was going to give to another couple, but they're being a pain in the neck to deal with, so I'll gift them to you two instead !" He handed Ahsoka the tickets.

Ahsoka looked to Keith, a tear in her eye. "Mr. Asner, thank you so much ! We'll definitely see that show !"

Keith gave the two late-teenagers a thumbs up. "You deserve it ! I have faith that you'll both land a job within a week or two ! People want hard working employees ! You kids are just what most companies are looking for ! Good luck !" He stepped out, leaving Lux and Ahsoka in their thoughts.

Ahsoka looked at the two tickets in her hands. "Dio... Sacred Heart Tour, Tuesday, June 17th." She calculated the time in her mind. "That's about 3 weeks from now ! Keith was kind enough to give us these, we can't miss this show, Lux. No matter what."

Lux looked at her. "And we won't, Ahsoka. By that time, we'll have enough money on the side to afford a ride there and back. And still be able to afford a drink or two."

Ahsoka looked at the time on the alarm clock by the bed. "Lux, it's already past 9 in the morning. You better get moving if you want to increase your chances of finding a job."

Lux readjusted his vest. "I look presentable, right ?"

"I'm sure there's people that looked worse during meetings and interviews." Ahsoka reassured. She then looked at herself. "I'm going to keep this vest on as my garb will be too distracting to others."

As they both stepped outside, Lux locked it with the key that was laying conveniently by the door. "Here's an idea : Why don't we go in separate directions, see how we do... and meet up at lunch if we get to meet people early today ?" Lux turned to where he saw many businesses.

"Ok, Lux. I'll see you later. Good luck !" She headed off towards the market area.

"You too !" Lux waved her goodbye.

Lux's Job Run

Lux walked through several streets, peeking at the windows and carefully reading the job offers. Fortunately for him and Ahsoka, English was identical to Galactic Basic, making it very easy to understand. He stopped by a small convenience store. "Clerk Wanted" was written in huge letters on the front door window. Lux took a step forward and opened the door, revealing a middle-aged man on his knees, placing canned goods on a low shelf.

"Be right with you, just a minute !" The man said. Once the last can was placed, he got up and dusted himself.

Lux cleared his throat. "Please excuse me, sir. I couldn't help but noticing your sign on the front door. Need a clerk ? I can be of help to you."

The man beamed immediately. "Ah ! A prospective employee ! Good ! Very good ! What's your name, son ?"

"Lux Bonteri."

The man gave a slightly surprised look. "Bonteri ? Sounds Italian and yet... your accent... sounds oddly British ? You came a long way for finding work, I'd say."

Lux went with the misinterpreted origin. "Guilty as charged, ha ha ha !"

"Mike, they call me. Mike Oland. This little shop may not look like much, but to so many people in the area, it's their main destination for canned goods and assorted foods. Knowing that I'm helping to feed many poor families gives me the greatest feeling in the world." He took Lux around the couple of aisles. "Nothing extravagant here, just the basics. And my prices are the lowest in the area because I know many families struggle to break even. I should charge more, but I risk losing most of my clientele if I raise the prices too high." He then took Lux to the old cash register. "Do you know how to count ? It sounds like a stupid question, but I need to be sure you'll be capable of giving the correct change."

Lux walked behind the cash and looked at the keys. There were the standard numbers going from 0 to 9, a "+" key , NS (No Sale) key and so forth. "How will I know what is worth what ?"

"Right down here, Lux, is the chart you'll be using. There's a code for each item along with how much you're supposed to charge for it." It was a pretty complete list, needing several sheets to have it all for quick access.

A customer suddenly walked in. "Mornin', Mike !"

Mike waved to the man. "Mornin', Ted ! Dropping by for your coffee ?"

"Yep ! Just give me a minute to make it my way." Ted walked over to a nearby table, with a coffee maker and several disposable cups. He poured himself a fair amount and placed a bit of sugar and milk in, using a stirrer to mix it all up. He took a tiny sip. "Hot as heck, but so, SO good !"

Bringing the cup to the cash register, Ted finally acknowledged Lux. "Who's this fella, Mike ? A new clerk ?"

Mike looked over to Lux. "He might be... Let's see how he deals with you."

Lux acted as naturally as he could. "Good morning, sir. Will that be all ?"

Ted quickly nodded. "Yep, yep. For now anyways..."

Lux quickly perused the chart. "Coffee... Coffee... Ah, there it is ! Let's see here... that'll be... 75 cents, sir."

Ted handed a dollar bill. "Here ya go, sonny. How about that change, right ?"

Since Lux didn't really know how to operate the cash register yet, Mike did the transaction for him. "Here's your quarter, Ted. See you later at noon !"

Fortunately, several more clients came about, giving Lux the chance to practice working on the cash. By his fifth client, he was reasonably sure of himself. "That ain't too bad. It's all about following that chart accurately."

Mike nodded in agreement. "That's right. In time, you'll memorize the codes and amounts to the point that you'll hardly need to look it up." Mike then made a decision. "You learn quick, I like that ! You're hired, son !"

Lux quickly shook his hands. "Thank you so much, Mr. Oland ! You won't regret hiring me."

Mike held a hand in front of Lux. "Oh, come on now. Just call me Mike, ok ?"

Lux scratched the back of his neck. "Understood, Mike. What will my working schedule be like ?"

"9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday, you'll get weekends off unless it's a special Holiday like Independence Day or Christmas Eve. How's that ?"

"Perfect !" Lux cheered internally. "I can't wait to see Ahsoka's face when she learns these wonderful news ! Hopefully, she also ends being successful on her end."

Ahsoka's Job Run

Going around the marketplace, Ahsoka looked at various job opportunities, from mechanics to laundry machine operator. Most of these really didn't interest her, so she kept searching around. Turning at a corner, she came upon a small diner, simply called "Bill's Diner". As she walked over to the main door, she saw the sign "Waitress Wanted" posted in front of the window.

"Waitress ? So taking food orders from clients ? That doesn't sound hard at all... Should I... or not ? Oh, kriff it ! I'm going for it !" She entered the restaurant, noticing only a handful of tables and chairs, plus a counter with 5 stools. In total, there could be a maximum of 20 people eating at the same time. On the other side of the counter, a middle-aged man was busy keeping tabs on his soft drink remains in his soda fountain. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me ? Hello ?"

The man nearly jumped in fright and turned to face her. "Yipes ! Don't sneak up on people like that, miss !" He immediately looked at his clock on the wall. "You're a bit early for lunch, young lady. It's only 10 in the morning. Do you mind coming back in an hour or so ?"

She pointed to the sign on his door. "I see that you need a waitress. I've never done this before, but I'm willing to learn."

The man scratched his head in confusion. "Huh ? Oh ! That's right ! I almost forgot that I placed that sign there. That was well over 2 weeks ago. Believe it or not, you're the first one to ask about it since I placed that sign. Could I have a name, please ?"

"I'm Ahsoka Tano. I'm relatively new in the area and was looking for work, so your job offer does interest me."

He looked at her from head to toe. "That's some awfully wild hair and tattoos you're sporting there, miss. Not that I mind, really. I respect your choice as long as you get the job done right."

"I'll... take it as a compliment, I guess." She looked around the small dining area. "So... what do you serve here ?"

He pointed to his menu on the wall. "Oh, the usual diner fare, you know... things like hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers, fish and chips, etc..." Before continuing, he quickly remembered to ask a very important question. "You're not allergic to any of that stuff, right ?"

She shook her head. "Not to my knowledge."

He gave her a thumbs up. "Awesome ! Name's Bill. Bill Johnson. Nice to make your acquaintance... Ahsoka, right ?"

"Right. So... am I expected to just take orders and money from clients or would there be more to do ?"

Bill invited her to his small kitchen in the back. "Most of the time that would be your main duty, however during busy lunch/dinner hours, I could use an extra cook. Don't worry if you've never used these fryers and skillets, I'll gladly show you how to use them. Over here is the fridge where the condiments such as ketchup, mustard, relish and cheese are found. Up here in the cupboard are the hot dog and hamburger buns. Down here in these boxes are the onions, tomatoes and potatoes respectively. Lastly is the freezer with all the various meat products that we'll be cooking throughout the day." He guided her to the back counter. "Five people can sit by the counter if they want to and over here is the soda fountain. We've got Coke, Pepsi, Root Beer, 7UP, Dr. Pepper and Ginger Ale."

Ahsoka took a moment to soak up all the new knowledge. "Ok... I'm in if you're willing."

"I'm not gonna argue. You're hired ! Why don't you show up tomorrow morning at say... 10 and I'll give you a crash course on how everything works before we start getting clientele. Usually, they start showing up around 11:30 for lunch and 4:30 for dinner. I'd have you work from 10 to 6 on weekdays and 12 to 5 on Saturdays. The diner is closed on Sundays. Are you ok with that ?"

"Yes !" Ahsoka nodded excitedly. She then shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Johnson. I'm confident I'll do you proud !"

He held a hand to her. "Just call me Bill, ok ? While you're here, perhaps you'd want to taste some of my stuff ? I'm in a very good mood now and I'm feeling generous, so what will it be ?"

Ahsoka's stomach began to grumble. "Well... if you're ok with it, whatever has lots of meat ?"

Bill smiled. "Meat, huh ? Ok, how about a nice, juicy hamburger with bacon ?"

She quickly nodded. "Sure ! That sounds great !"

Bill brought Ahsoka back to the kitchen area. "Come on over, just watch as I fire up the fryer and skillet. You'll want delicious, salty fries, right ?"

Not wanting to look ignorant, Ahsoka simply nodded excitedly. "Yes, of course ! Show me how you do it all."

Bill brought out a potato, peeled it and chopped it up in rectangular shapes, then tossed those in a metal basket being lowered in the fryer. As the cooking oil began to do its work, the smell of fried food heightened Ahsoka's sudden hunger. She then watched as Bill place a bit of butter in a skillet and placed a patty of hamburger meat as well as a few slices of bacon onto it, sizzling and smelling incredible within seconds. A couple of minutes later, Bill flipped the patty on its other side, allowing it to cook evenly. He turned to her. "What do you want on your burger ?"

She had to lie a little bit at this point. "Would it be too much to ask to skip vegetables ? I'm not very fond of them."

Bill simply shrugged his shoulders. "Not a problem, Ahsoka. So no salad, onion, tomato or relish then. So just cheese, ketchup and mustard ?"

"Yep, all of those, please."

Bill placed a slice of cheese onto the hot patty, causing to melt slightly, then placed the slices of bacon and finally placed a bit of ketchup and mustard on top of it all. It all was held between the two hamburger buns. Just as soon as he placed the hot burger on a plate, he placed a bunch of fries on the side, sprinkling a bit of salt over them. "There we are ! Want a drink ?"

This time, Ahsoka wasn't as clueless. "A Coke, please."

Bill filled up a foam cup with the soft drink, placing it aside the plate of food before her. Ahsoka sat on the middle stool, taking her first bite of the burger. "Mmmm ! Oh, this is great ! Love the taste ! I can see why many people would come here." She then had a few fries. "Oh ! They're a bit hot, but tasty too !"

Bill sat in front of her, smiling. "Glad you like the food, Ahsoka. See how quick that was ? Now imagine needing to prepare food for about 10 people at once. Would that stress you out ?"

She cupped her chin, thinking. "It shouldn't. You can only serve one client at a time, right ?"

"You're almost right, except that you can place several patties on a skillet and you can place at least 4 batches of fries in the fryer at any given time. We can accomplish a lot with just those. It's just a matter of getting in a routine, such as preparing fries ahead of time and such."

Ahsoka nodded. "I'm confident I'll get into that routine easily enough. Thank you so much for the meal, I truly appreciate it."

Once she was done eating, she couldn't help but utter a small belch. "Oops ! I'm so sorry ! I didn't mean to -"

Bill just laughed at her. "Heh, don't worry about it ! There are some people over here that burp much louder than that. You just take it as a compliment."

She chuckled a bit. "Understood. Ok, so I'll see you tomorrow at 10 in the morning ?"

Bill nodded. "Sounds about right, you'll have plenty of time to cut up fries and learn how to cook all forms of meat properly."

She waved him goodbye and went towards the apartment. "How exciting ! A job on Day One ! Yes ! Lux will surely be pleased with these news. Here's hoping he was as successful as I."

Lux and Ahsoka's Apartment

As she entered, Lux was on the kitchen counter fixing up a quick ham sandwich. "Ahsoka ! Glad to see you. How did your search go ?"

She was so giddy with excitement, she could barely contain it. "You're not going to believe this ! I've managed to secure a job at a nearby diner restaurant. The owner was kind enough to cook me a meal while I was there !"

Lux could only smile. "Fantastic ! I've also been successful in my lookout for work. A small, local convenience store. I've quickly been taught on the various currencies and clients were quite pleased with my polite approach !"

She clapped her hands in utter excitement. "Oh, Lux ! This is great ! Both Ed and Mr. Asner were right ! We'll do well starting off here ! In a week or so, we should be able to afford ourselves new clothes !"

Lux couldn't help himself and pulled Ahsoka towards him. "Yes indeed ! I look forward to seeing you in different clothes..." He released his grasp and bowed before her. "If you'll excuse me for being a bit bold : My Lady. My Love."

A tear rolled off Ahsoka's cheek. "Lux Bonteri. I'd be fooling myself if I said you weren't the kindest man I've come across. Anakin could be harsh at times on me. You, on the other hand, are a true gentleman. There's no doubt that we'll get along as a couple easily enough. Here's what I'm proposing to you : When we go to see that Dio concert in 3 weeks time, that'll be our first official date. What do you think ?"

Lux took a bite out of his sandwich. "I agree. That sounds just perfect. Yes ! I... I'll be a good boyfriend to you, Ahsoka. I promise."

It was her turn to pull him into a hug. "Luxie... you're going to be more than that and you know it !"

"So it shall be... 'Soka. Can I call you that ?"

"You can." To his utter shock, Ahsoka kissed him right on the lips this time around.

The following day...

As Lux stepped out to his new job, Ahsoka decided to go earlier than instructed by her new manager. By 9:15, she was at Bill's Diner, knocking at the door. Within seconds, Bill unlocked the door. "Well, good morning, Ahsoka ! You're a bit earlier than I anticipated, but that's more time you get to practice the fine art of making fast food."

She sucked in a breath. "I have a strange feeling that I'm meant to be earlier today. So... where do you want me to start ?"

Bill pulled out several potatoes. "Ok, we'll start off by peeling these potatoes, cutting them in fries." He handed her a peeler.

At first, she struggled to peel the potatoes correctly. Bill eased her worries. "Peel the skins as best as you can for now. If you miss anything, use that small knife to remove what's left. No stress, ok ?"

"No stress." Ahsoka repeated.

Several minutes later, Ahsoka fired up the fryers on her own, tossed a batch of freshly cut up fries into the baskets. Within minutes, the fruits of her labor came up. She grasped one and had a quick taste. "They're hot ! When am I expected to add salt to them ?"

"Dump them into that bowl first." Bill instructed. "Then you can sprinkle salt around. Don't overdo it." He warned.

Her next lesson came with cooking hamburger meat. Ahsoka did struggle a little bit to flip the meat using the spatula. It took her a few tries to get the hang of it. Bill also taught her how to cook Fish & Chips. Because of people's possible allergies to seafood, one particular fryer was reserved for fish sticks.

A couple of hours later, Bill looked at his watch. "11:20. People will start to show up soon."

Unbeknownst to them, a random white van rolled and stopped near their destination. As 4 people stepped out, a taller man, bearing slight muttonchops, lead them around. "Ah ! This was a good place to drop by, right ? Got some Speed at rock bottom prices. Now... if we could only get ourselves something to eat..." He looked forward. "Well there we go ! Bill's Diner ! We can probably get a nice, greasy burger here."

Bill looked out to the window. The muttonchops person was unmistakable, especially with the jacket he wore. It featured a large Ace of Spades engraved on the back. "Holy Shit ! Lemmy from Motorhead is coming to my restaurant ?! What do I do ?! WHAT DO I DO ?! Oh... Her ! The new girl..." He cleared his throat. "Ahsoka... I... Um... I know it's your first day here, ok ? Can I ask you a BIG favor ? Do you mind... uh... unzipping your vest somewhat... show a bit of... uh... skin ?"

She raised an eye marking. "What ?"

He held his head in his hands. "D... don't ask questions, ok ? Just do as I ask, please ! We're about to receive a very special client... your attractive appearance will help. Please !"

To Bill's shock, Ahsoka took off her vest, leaving her in her old Jedi garb, which revealed far more than she wanted to show. He looked at her with wide eyes. "Yep ! That'll do ! It'll get their attention for sure !"

"What's so special about these clients ? Do I need to know anything ?"

Bill nervously pointed a finger at an approaching Lemmy from outside. "They're a band called Motorhead. Lemmy is the one with the muttonchops. If you want to be on his good side and get a nice fat tip, show your curves generously and say that you LOVE Ace of Spades AND Another Perfect Day. That'll make him very happy !"

Lemmy stepped in the diner, followed by Phil Campbell, Pete Gill and Wurzel. "Good day. Got any food for us mates ?"

Bill nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes ! There's no better diner in the area. My lovely waitress will be happy to take your orders."

Ahsoka moved forward, bending slightly over to ensure the men would have a full outlook on her cleavage. "Welcome to Bill's Diner ! May I take your orders, please ?"

Lemmy simply smiled. "Ah, what a beauty you are, luv ! Just a hamburger with bacon and ketchup. And lots of salty fries !"

Phil Campbell pointed at the menu. "Fish & Chips for me, ma'am !"

Pete Gill looked at various options. "A couple of Hot Dogs, I guess. Just relish on them."

Wurzel had his eyes on Ahsoka. "Hmm... I'll... have the cleavage." He shook himself. "Wait, WHAT ?! No, no, no, no. I mean... Chicken Fingers and Fries. Yeah, that's what I meant ! Ha ha ha !"

Ahsoka blinked at them. "No drinks ?"

Lemmy produced a large bottle of Jack Daniels from his jacket. "Cokes for all of us, we'll do the rest."

As Ahsoka rushed to aid Bill in the kitchen, he congratulated her. "Nice job ! I think they like you ! Don't forget to tell Lemmy that you like his albums."

"What were they again ?" She whispered to him.

"Ace of Spades and Another Perfect Day. If you want extra bonus points, say you like Overkill and Bomber too ! Heck, toss the eponymous Motorhead in there too ! Lemmy will be very pleased !" Bill whispered back.

One the food was ready, Ahsoka delivered Lemmy's plate to him. "Here you go, Mr... Lemmy, is it ?"

Lemmy simply smiled back. "Ah ? Have I seen you before, luv ? Been to any of my shows ? You have a rather... ah... unique hairstyle. Yes ! I like it !"

Ahsoka acted as innocently as possible. "No... Not yet. I do plan on seeing your show eventually. I enjoy all of your albums, especially Ace of Spades and Another Perfect Day. Overkill and Bomber are great too, so is your first one !" She then pointed to her lekku and montrals. "My "hairstyle"... ? I call it... the "Headtail" !"

Lemmy raised an eyebrow while taking a bite of his burger. "You even like Another Perfect Day with Brian Robertson ? Really now ?"

Ahsoka talked herself through. She had no clue what she was saying, but she was actually right. "Yes ! It's so... melodic and pleasant ! Different, but very, very good !"

"Ah ! You're one of the very few that actually likes that record !" Lemmy beamed. He handed her a 20$ bill. "Here you go, luv. You deserve it since you're just pleasant as a waitress." He leaned closer to her. "Nice rack, too ! Guess if you're with anyone, he's pretty satisfied ! Ha ha ha !"

She didn't get his meaning, but she nodded anyways. "Yes, yes he is !"

Lemmy just chuckled. "Jolly good, then ! So... is everyone happy with the food ?"

Phil Campbell gave a thumbs up. "Best Fish & Chips in America so far... and I've tried lots !"

Pete Gill was finishing up his second Hot Dog. "Just the way I like it. Thank you !"

Wurzel had the biggest smile. "A-1! The fingers are just perfect. Crunchy enough without being too hard. That takes skill ! You're a good cook !" He gave her a thumbs up.

Ahsoka bowed before them. "I'm so glad that you enjoyed the food. Feel free to drop by again whenever you're in the area."

Lemmy motioned her to follow him. "Before we go, I have a little something else for ya, luv... Come on then !"

He led her to the van. Opening the back door, he presented her with a vinyl, featuring the iconic Snaggletooth mascot as a speeding train on the cover. "Right, since you like my past albums so much, no doubt you'll enjoy this one too ! It's a promotional copy of our upcoming album, Orgasmatron, due to be released in stores on August 9th. These are meant to be passed to various radio stations so they can promote it, but I don't see any harm in giving one to you. Just a way to say thank you for being so nice to us. Listen to it, but don't tell anyone where you got it from until that date, right ? It's a great album to make love to, ha ha ha ! Your boyfriend will surely be in the mood when he hears this !"

Ahsoka graciously accepted the vinyl. "You really didn't need to give me this, sir. But I'll gladly listen to it. I promise I won't tell anyone where I got it until the release date."

Before she could head back into the diner, Lemmy grabbed her gently by the arm. "What's your name, luv ?"

She turned to face him, unsure whether she should tell or not. In the end, she found no harm. "Ahsoka."

He took a swig of his Jack n' Coke and fumbled for a pen. "Ahsoka, huh ? That's a pretty name. As pretty as you are." He began to write something on the vinyl's cover. Once he was done, it was handed back to her. "Here you are, luv ! Thanks for the meal again, it was exactly what I hoped for."

As Lemmy and his group embarked into the van, Ahsoka took a look at what he had written. "To Ahsoka, thanks for the meal and the "scenery" ! You'll get far in life, no doubt ! Love, Lem."

Walking back into the diner, Ahsoka felt elated. "A 20$ tip right off the bat and a free album ! I'm definitely doing something right ! But I need to find other clothes than my garb as it's too revealing. I guess for Lemmy and his men, it was acceptable, but for most clients, exercising restraint in my overall looks will probably help in the long run." Upon entering, she immediately donned her vest to cover herself.

Bill walked over to her. "What do you have there ? Ooooooh ! A promotional copy of Orgasmatron ?! That is sweeeet ! Can't wait till it drops officially in stores ! It ought to be a good one. Hold on... he even autographed it too ?! Wow ! You are one lucky lady !"

Before their conversation could go further, regular clients began to show up. "Ok ! It's GO time ! Start off by getting the orders down and I'll start off getting the meats cooking !"

The noon session was rushed, but they both managed to get the food ready in record time. During that one hour, Ahsoka made close to 20$ in tips. The regulars were happy to have a new face in their favorite diner. During the early afternoon, things slowed down considerably, picking up again by 4:30. At 6:00 PM, the diner was closed for the day. Ahsoka had almost collected 50$ in tips, plus the 20$ bill from Lemmy. All that money was going to help in buying clothes and food, if there was anything left, she'd save it for some luxury items, such as more vinyls.

As Bill locked the door, he turned to his new waitress. "So... what did you think of your first day ?"

"Not as difficult as I anticipated. It's just a matter of getting into a routine. I'm sure I'll have it down pat within a day or two." She answered.

"You'll get your pay on every Thursday. 8$ an hour is as much I can give you. The tips clients give are totally yours. Think of it as extra incentive to help me out." Bill explained.

Ahsoka waved him goodbye. "Thanks for the day, Bill. I'll see tomorrow at 10 !"

Lux and Ahsoka's Apartment

Entering her home, she found Lux working away on the stove preparing chicken noodle soup. "'Soka ! You're just in time ! I have a bowl of hot soup ready for you !"

She removed her vest and took a seat by the small dining table. "Oh, that'll do me some good, Luxie. I'm actually famished !" She accepted the near-boiling meal. "Thank you." She blew on her spoonful a bit to avoid burning herself. Taking her first spoonful, it warmed her and brought an immediate feeling of joy. "Mmmm ! Oh, this is so good, Lux !"

Lux sat opposite of her, taking his leisurely time to enjoy the meal. "I figured something like this would be appreciated after your day at work. How did it go ?"

"It went incredibly well, Lux ! I made roughly 70$ in tips alone ! The clientele are generally very polite. A few rude customers here and there, but you can't let those ruin your overall day and mood, right ?"

Lux stared at her with wide eyes. "70$ in tips ?! Wow, people are more generous than I would have thought !" He then related to his day. "You're right, most are polite. A few are just... well... rude as you gently put it. There was this old man that came today, asking for a pack of cigarettes. Couldn't be bothered to say "Please". I wanted to talk back, but my employer told me that I need to be very careful on approaching those types of customers. You want to correct them, but it only serves in angering them even more !"

She nodded at his comment. "Yes, one guy didn't give me even a dime as a tip. That's... cheap ! But oh well, let's focus on the positive experiences." She showed the vinyl she was gifted. "These guys came to our diner earlier today. They were very generous and pleasant to deal with. However, I do feel bad that I needed to lie my way through to get the tip. I told the main guy that I loved his music, but I haven't heard anything. Well... I can correct that flub with this. I have no idea what kind of music it is, but I hope it'll be enjoyable."

Lux came up with an idea. "How about we wait till Friday evening ? Then we can enjoy a drink or two while listening."

She cupped her chin for a moment. "Ok ! We'll do just that ! And to celebrate our first weekend here, I'll bring dinner from my workplace, I have faith you'll love it as much as I do !"

Lux agreed. "Then it's settled. We're going to celebrate in style !"

Later in the evening, both slept side by side peacefully. The current week would be an eye-opener in more ways than one.

Now that both have secured employment, the next task at hand is to learn to manage their hard-earned money properly. Over the next chapter, Ahsoka and Lux will acquire modern clothes and will make new discoveries about their area. Ahsoka will also develop a few interests that she'll maintain for the remainder of her life. Feel free to leave a review.