2019-11-21 - Peachy At Peach's

The pizzeria isn't the joyful place it was in earlier years. It's pretty empty, there is no music playing, and Vicky is slumped against the counter, looking a bit bored. The animatronics are nowhere to be seen still, supposedly in storage somewhere.

"Just find me someone that can make a decent swan with a sturdy neck that won't break when it's picked up or bit into," Clarissa says with exasperation into the phone in her hand as she steps in, fancy red jacket tied around her waist with a swirly skirt that wouldn't look out of place in the 50s. She's got large, dark sunglasses on, which she pushes up into her perfect hair as she makes her way towards the counter, pressing the call end button without so much as a goodbye, "I'll take two slices of cheese. No, make that one slice. Do you have lemonade? Sugar-free of course."

Vicky looks a little surprised when someone walks in. Then she looks a little alarmed at the conversation taking place. And finally she's caught by surprised when she's actually asked for pizza. And lemonade! "Er, y-yes! One moment!" Clipping on her nametag real fast and looking around in a bit of a panic, Vicky turns and bounce-bounces into the back with a flounce of her short skirt. Rummaging about, Vicky brings out a very large cheese pizza and slides it onto a metal pan on the counter from a wooden paddle. "Would you like the whole pizza? You can have it for the same price!" Trot-trotting over to the drink machine, she motions to the Lemonade dispenser. "It's not hand-squeezed or anything like that. Is that okay? Oh..." She peeks back at the label and sighs. "Sorry, it's not sugar free. I might have some lemons, though, if you wanna wait?" She's a little breathless.

Clarissa gives Vicky a very dubious look, "You'd give me a whole pizza for the price of a slice? Now don't get me wrong, I am absolutely going to take that deal, but aren't you the young lady that wasn't sure she could run this place that I met a month or so ago?" Time passes so quickly here. She takes her sunglasses off her head and folds them up, putting them into the large bag that hangs from the crook of her arm, "If you're running a deal to try to get customers in that's one thing, but you're supposed to upsell them once they're actually in here." At the offer of fresh squeezed lemonade she pauses, as if realizing that this would be a big ask for someone that appears to be working on her own, "Yes, that would be delightful."

"Well..." Vicky starts as she walks away, skirt swishing lazily, "...honestly you're the first customer of the day, and the pizza may as well go to someone who appreciates it." Opening a closet door in the back food-prep area, visible through a large viewing window where pizzas would normally be stacked for carry-out, Vicky dips down, rummaging through a couple bags. "Come on...didn't I buy some lemons?" Her skirt swishing a little dangerously, she finally pops up and beams, holding a pair of big lemons, "Ah ha!" She walks out of view, fixing the lemonade. "Um...are you sure you want sugarless lemonade? Or do you just want artificial sweetener?"

Clarissa gives a sigh, like this question is really ruining her day, "I suppose I can just take the one from the dispenser," she gestures towards where Vicky started in her lemonade quest, "Especially if I'm going to be getting a whole pizza. Why bother calorie counting today?" She glances around the room, which seems overly empty, "No luck driving in a crowd, hm?"

Vicky leans over, poking her head around the viewing window, "Are you sure?? I already started squeezing the lemons! I was just trying to warn you that it'll be really sour with no sugar."

"Then artificial is fine," Clarissa sets her bag down on the counter then leans against it, "Do you put out flyers or anything to let people know this place is here? You're better than that other place in the strip mall, but they have a lot more foot traffic than this location."

Vicky sighs as she walks back out, looking a bit tired as she fills an extra-large cup. "Honestly, I've been considering selling the place. I'm not really the leader type." She offers the big iced lemonade over, frowning a bit as she makes eye contact. "It's been pretty quiet here and I don't really have the energy to get a staff going."

Clarissa takes the offered drink, definitely not making a face that it's so huge, and has a sip of it. She gives a nod to show that it is acceptable lemonade, "I forget if you said you were in school or taking a break. Real estate around here isn't exactly taking off, but if you are seriously thinking about it I'd do it before the casino opens. That's not going to do anything but tank prices."

Vicky's eyes light up. "The casino! I nearly forgot. I could go work there." She nods a couple times, "And...yeah. On break. Financial break, mostly." She clears her throat lightly and glances aside, obviously a little ashamed from her expression.

It would be polite to look away and change the subject but Clarissa's eyes remain on Vicky as she has another sip, "There's going to be a lot of drama surrounding the casino, so I wouldn't bet on them." She smiles at her own pun, "It sounds like you just need some help here. Have you been advertising for wait staff? Even just someone to run the register and wait tables. This place isn't attracting so much business you need to have an entirely full staff."

Vicky blinks, looking over in surprise, "You wouldn't??" She slumps a bit, and sighs. "Well...damn. And like I said, I'm not much of a leader. I don't really wanna be the boss. If someone else bought this place and actually planned on turning it around, I'd probably just come with the real estate. Like the robots in the back."

Clarissa glances towards the back with a bit of a grimace, "Maybe don't mention the robots in the back," she suggests, "I can ask around to see if anyone I know is interested in purchasing a stake in the restaurant business. But maybe you should just hire a manager and then you can do...whatever position here you like the best. As for the casino, I think it's a terrible idea, despite the jobs and revenue it will bring in. Crime always follows places like that and the police department here is awful at their jobs."

Vicky nods! Her eyes are wide and her expression hopeful. "Absolutely! Please do! Here--" She grabs a paper and scribbles down her email address and number. "Have them contact me!" She might be just a little too eager to be rid of the place...

Clarissa notes the too eagerness and takes the slip of paper, looking it over before tucking it into her purse, "You're acting like this place is haunted," she quips, then quickly follows that up with, "Not that ghosts are real. They aren't. Ghosts are just figments of people's imaginations from overwork and stress." Siiiip.

Vicky beams, "Oh, no no ghosts here." She shakes her head. She nods. She she lifts her eyebrows. "Nope. Nothing weird. Just needs a little repair work here and there." She beams again. "Anything else I can get you?"

"This is fine," Clarissa slides the pizza off the counter, hauls the bag up on her shoulder and picks up her ridiculously oversized drink after sliding over some money. "I'll let you know if anyone's interested. Thanks, Vicky." Then she turns to go.