2019-07-14 - Reporting For Work

The Waffle Shoppe was open 24/7. Sometimes it seemed like Otis was here 24/7 too. When did he sleep? He mus have at some point because yesterday he was working the kitchen and today he's dressed up in his 'front of the house' clothes. A pair of black slacks and a navy blue button down. He'd much rather be in the kitchen. However, he was still interviewing and trying to find people he trusted enough to take over some of the manager shifts. Maybe one day. For the moment, the Shoppe isn't too terribly busy, so he's taking a break behind the counter and working on his third cup of coffee. It gives him a good view of the seating area so he can make sure that everyone's being taken care of and that he isn't needed.

So she'd gotten the call back and came in to sign the forms, showed her ID card and social security card and was hired part time. Now she's reporting for work. It's her third day since being hired and while she doesn't have black slacks yet she has khaki ones with a white button down shirt. The collar is a little frilly in an old fashioned sort of way, a sure sign she'd gotten it at a second hand shop. But she's conforming her usual crazy sort of attire to fit in. Coming in, she's probably only got a couple of minutes to spare before she'd be called late and when she notices the boss man up front she has to hurry and check the time to make sure he wasn't having to cover her shift. "Good morning!" she announces herself brightly before walking over and clocking in.

Otis is a pretty laid back guy most of the time. There's been very few times where he looks like he wants to strangle someone, and even then he manages to bottle it down and handle things with a more or less gentle but firm hand. He watches Lyric dash in and there's a brief flash of amusement that passes over his features. "Good morning Lyric." He had decided that her potential for a sunny personality was something the restaurant was lacking, server wise. She seemed to be taking to the work well enough. Though today was also Saturday - so it was going to end up being busier than the last two days. Her outfit gets a brief once over but he doesn't say anything. Though Otis wouldn't vocalize it, so long as everyone was wearing some form of business casual he really didn't care what they wore. His father, on the other hand, felt very strongly about the uniform game. So the black and white color scheme stayed. "I want you behind the counter for a while this morning." He says after she's clock in. "See how this end works." Really is was probably the easiest area you could be during a shift - but it would give ample opportunity for him to learn a little more about his newest employee and also for her to get more familiar with their system.

"Good morning boss!" Lyric flashes a smile in his direction as she gets her hands washed then tugs on that half apron around her waist and slips an order book and pen in there followed by some straws. Looking up from the apron she bobs her head in an easy nod and replaces the straws since they'll be within reaching distance behind the counter. "Oh I'd like to learn this part, thank you." Seeming genuinely eager. Since there weren't many she motions towards the coffee pot. "Want me to make a round offering refills?"

"That'd be great." Otis agreed to her suggestion of making a round of coffee refills. "Do that and then start up a new pot when you get back around." Normally it's something he would just do, but she had to learn right? And he really had to get better about keeping his hands off the cooking side of things when he scheduled himself at the front of the house. He really just needed to give in and hire another person or two for day shift managing. He preferred being more hands on. Whenever she would come back from her coffee round, "How are you liking it here so far?"

Reaching for the carafe, Lyric smiles as she makes the rounds, going to anyone that has coffee to fill it back up. It doesn't take very long to make the pass through and she returns to the counter and starts another pot going as she responds. "Oh I really like it here. Everyone seems really nice and the tips are good. It's sure helped a whole lot." With the coffee started she reaches for a wash cloth in the sanitized water and wipes down the counter. "What was it like when you were out of this town?"

"I'm glad you're liking it. I've only been hearing good things so far." Otis flashed her a brief smile as he moved to the side to one of the sinks so he could clean out his cup. Falling silent for a moment when she asked about his time away. "It was...very different." He decided finally. "It's a big world out there, you know? Sometimes it's easy to forget that when you're here. Think you'll ever leave this place one day? I know I couldn't wait to get out of here when I was around your age." There's a little chuckle that follows as he resumes a light lean against the wall. Still keeping a casual eye out on the floor now and then.

"Thank you, I'm really glad. Once I get paid I'll buy some black pants to wear for work but for now this is all I have." Lyric explains, then turns to face him as she listens. "It sounds like a huge world out there. I used to think I'd leave but I will probably stay for the same reason all the new comers come to the town. It's why most who leave always come back. This is not a town that lets anyone leave on their own terms." His case in point. "You left and came back. I'll probably just stay."

"Whenever you can. I'm not going to worry too much about it." Otis assured her on the uniform front. Nodding. "Even if you stay, you should try to travel some. Occassionally I wish I'd just done that instead of joining the army but-" He shrugged in a 'what can you do' manner. "I learned a lot so I can't fault it too much. This town definitely has a pull. An energy all its own." Looking back towards her. "You ever get the feeling it might be alive In some way?"

"That's a good way to put it. Like it's alive and some things try and control you." Lyric has her voice dropped now though, quieter. There's even a shiver at the agreement. "Someday when I'm rich and shameless I'll travel. I don't really have a car or anything. I walk everywhere I go, but I like walking. I'm definitely not walking to Seattle." Another smile is given his way, she's not joking, she doesn't want to walk there, but she is keeping the subject as light as she can. Except in regards to the town. "What else would you do different if you could? Other than the Army, I mean."

"Walking everywhere's not so bad around here but, yeah, I don't think anyone wants to walk to Seattle." He laughed again. "Honestly I'm not sure." To what else he would change. "There's a few things from my childhood I could have probably done differently but, maybe I'd have just stayed here too. Working in the kitchen." Nodding towards said kitchen. "I've discovered I actually rather like cooking. It's pretty calming in some ways." He mused. "What're your career aspirations?" Raising a brow. Otis is standing behind the counter with Lyric. He's dressed in a navy blue button down and a pair of black slacks. They just seem to be chatting while he keeps an eye on the front and she does some cleaning of the counter!

Cole comes wandering in through the front door, the bell jingling as he makes his way inside, breathing in the scents of breakfast in the air. He has a bandage around his right hand, but seems in good spirits as he makes his way toward the counter, sliding into a seat and grabbing one of the menus to look through. He gives a grin to Lyric when he sees her and an up-nod of greeting.

"Yeah walking around here is sort of fun, I really like exploring the town. I think I've seen everything until I find something new. Like the Murray House. Oddly enough I've probably passed by that house so many times but never really looked at it before. It's a scary place. Scarier than most. The kind of thing nightmares are made of." There's another shudder and she turns to check on the fresh pot of coffee she just made, flipping on the warmer beneath it. Reaching for the grounds holder, whatever that thing is called, she empties the pre-measured back into the trash and washes out the holder before sliding it back into the coffee maker so it's ready for the next time. "I took a cooking class last night, but I don't think I'm much meant to be a cook. Maybe I can learn though. It turned out fine."

"Murray House?" Otis looked slightly intrigued as she talked, but then shook his head. "There's a lot of places like that around here. The saw mill is one of the creepiest. Just something about it has always given me the creeps." He offered Cole a smile when the man sat down. "Good morning sir, welcome to the Waffle Shoppe." It was that polite sort of smile that all upper level management of restaurants seemed to have. Though the greeting itself was sincere. "What did you make?" He asked Lyric while Cole browsed the menu.

Cole glances over toward Lyric when he hears her mention the Murray House, brows furrowing just a little bit, but he doesn't interrupt her conversation, instead glancing back down at the menu, apparently having some internal debate on a topic of great weight -- pancakes, or waffles? He chuckles a little bit at the mention of the cooking class and mutters, "At least you didn't almost lob your hand off." Though when Otis mentions the saw mill, that seems to catch his attention, "What's at the saw mill? And hey, g'mornin'."

There's another bob of her head, "Yeah the Murray House." Lyric pales a little. "I can't go close to the saw mill. Someone won't let me." Her voice drops to a whisper when she confesses that much. Not realizing how zoned into the conversation she'd becoming, it's when her boss greets the new customer that she realizes someone had come in. Turning, she puts on a welcoming smile that blossoms even further into one of delight. "Cole! Welcome to the Waffle Shoppe! I'm glad you came." The smile falters some as her eyes drop to his hopefully still bandaged hand since it was a bad cut. "We made chicken something. Marsala?" No, that wasn't it but she truly cannot remember what it was. "There was garlic and tomatoes and seasonings and other good things."

"Anything with chicken tends to be pretty good. You should get the chicken and waffles." He recommends to Cole with a chuckle. "The saw mill...well, nothing really. It's just an old abandoned saw mill in the middle of the woods. But there's something about it. I can't really explain it." He said after a moment of thought. "The energy there is bad I guess you can say. Very different than other places in town. I wouldn't recommend going there. But if you want to go there - don't go alone." It's said rather seriously.

"Parmasean," Cole supplies. His hand seems fine, save for its bandage, so clearly nothing was severed in the making of the chicken parmasean. "Someone won't let you?" he asks Lyric, both brows raising a little bit, curious as to what that means. At the suggestion of chicken and waffles, that seems to decide it for Cole and he cloees up the menu. "Chicken and waffles, it is. That sounds damned good. And coffee with cream, no sugar, and a side of bacon.. because bacon." He nods a bit about the saw mill, then and says, "Yeah, I think I've ahd enough with crazy people eating houses for one week."

"Yeah the chicken and waffles are good, but I like the pecan waffles the best. They're my favorite thing here." Lyric listens to the order but first things first she pours him some coffee and reaches for the creamer container that holds the liquid creamer and places it beside his cup of coffee. "Bacon is good with everything." The tablet is removed and she pens down the order, making sure she has everything by repeating it verbatim. Even adding the 'because bacon' part with a grin. "Is that everything then?" Just making sure before turning the order in.

Otis watches Lyric and gives an approving nod as she goes about giving Cole's order. He flashed Cole another smile. "Can't ever go wrong with the chicken and waffles. Though, we have some pretty great cooks in the back. So just about everything is good I think. Though I also could be biased." He laughed and started pouring himself another cup of coffee. "You're catching on pretty quick Lyric. I'm impressed." He added a few shots of cream and two tablespoons of sugar to his coffee. Yes. Tablespoons. "How do you do under pressure?" It's a question he likely asked her during the interview, but he's asking again. "While having to multitask."

The order is turned in and Lyric turns back to check the coffee of any others at the counter, letting the waitstaff take care of the tables this time. "Parmesan, that's right." Lyric gives his hand a look again then focuses on her boss for the moment while Cole doctors up his coffee the way he likes it. "I just do one thing at a time, like coffee for everyone, then take orders, and try and stay caught up that way. I really think I will be able to manage it, especially with me getting to learn it the past few days before the big rushes come. I'll know what to do better now."

Otis nods, thinking on her answer for a moment. "I think you will too. Do you feel ready to give it a try? Maybe you can assist Wendy with her tables this afternoon." He suggested, taking a sip of his coffee. "I'm going to check in on the back and see if they need me at all. Just hollar if you need help or flag down one of the girls. We're a team here." He flashed her another smile and then headed back towards the kitchen.