Page 10 of The Good Char
She looked over with a smile that reached her ears and continued to wash the trays without looking at them.“It needs to be done, Mr.Dzik.You go on and rest, this is what you are paying me for.”
My head pounded until her words made a light go off in my head.I slowly sat back down without taking my eyes off her back, watching the wayward tendrils of her hair sway, threatening to get plastered to the back of her neck.
So this human was willing to be a servant to me?I had been looking at this hiring help thing all wrong.
My lips twitched.
Now,Iwas the master andshe was the servant, eh?Perhaps she wasn’t planted here for my torture after all.The more I thought about it, the more I grinned.
Nodding my head, I leaned back, putting my feet up on the side of the counter while I watched her clean, tidy all the paper trays meticulously and rearrange the paper cups in order by size and groups of twenty.
When her little figure moved to turn off the deep frying in an attempt to empty it, I shot to my feet as if the master himself was on my hide.
“Okay, that’s it!”I pointed at her and gritted my teeth while stomping over to her.I leaned into her face until I smashed my nose against hers.“Where did you work before you came here?You know a little too much about the cooking business to be a rookie.”
I inwardly admitted I was completely blown away at her knowledge and speed.But at the same time, my paranoia began to creep in again, telling me this was too good to be true.
“Well…,” she started with suspicious awkward laughter that didn’t reflect anything funny having happened.I jerked back when she straightened from her initial cowering position to a bold woman with one finger pointing upward.What was this?“I’m so glad you asked, Mr.Dzik!It’s so nice of you to want to get to know your employees more.You see?—”
What?“That wasn’t?—”
She cleared her throat and continued before I could complete my thought.“My last name is Ngo, as I mentioned.You know, the giant Ngo diner?”She maniacally laughed to herself and placed her hand on her stomach.My eyes zoomed in as if she casted a spell on me.Grinding my teeth together, I shook my head and glared at her face.
“Sorry, it’s always funny to hear it out loud.It kind of rhymed!Well, maybe not.But close enough.Anyway, it's owned and operated by my parents.I’ve worked there since I was thirteen, right?”she said triumphantly and I took a step back, wondering if all this blabbering was a lie.
She doesn’t look that much older.
She placed her finger under her chin, deep in thought before she began prattling on once more with enthusiasm.“No!I was eleven when I started waiting tables.I was thirteen when I started helping in the kitchen.Either way, I have worked in restaurants most of my life,” she shrugged as if this was all normal for the typical human female.
I absorbed everything she was spilling about herself.Even I, being a demon, had heard of that diner.Strange that their daughter had been uncorrupted by money and power.It still didn’t explain why she chose to work here.I decided to keep my thoughts to myself for the time being, until I was able to collect more information.
“That’s enough for the day, Kimmy.Be here at the same time tomorrow,” I instructed, before mumbling, “You did good.”
She literally preened and glowed at the praise.I filed this information away in the back of my head.
“Thank you, Mr.Dzik!I promise I will make you proud.”When she smiled brightly this time, a hint of a dimple appeared on her left cheek, stealing my focus.I cleared my throat and watched as she danced and took off her apron, folded it expertly then quickly turned to leave the area and skipped toward the mall’s exit.
I blinked a few times, wondering what in the blazes just happened.
It wasn’t yet time for the place to close but I didn’t care.I followed a few feet behind her, wanting to know how she brought herself here.
“Hey!I want a corndog!”someone hollered.My back stiffened and I looked over my shoulder and gave the ingrate a vicious snarl.The teenage boy squealed like swine and slipped as he tried to jump back, crawling backward until he turned and ran away.The other customers who were beginning to line up at the shop slowly backed away and followed his example.
Ignoring them all, I made long strides to the front of the mall to watch Kimmy pedal herself away on a light blue bicycle across the parking lot with a white, flowery basket in the front.She rang her little bell when someone was but a yard away to warn them of her arrival.
She was a conundrum.She couldn’t possibly be from the realm of men.So how exactly did she stumble upon my earthly prison, then?I shook my head and made my way back into the mall without any answers.The sun had gone down some time ago, the other food vendors now slowly closing shop one at a time.
“How’s your new employee working out for ya, Dick?”
I growled, turning to find Justin, the manager of the sickly sweet pastry shop from two bays down.He crossed his arms over his midnight blue apron and smirked.Justin was always trying to find a way to steal my customers.As if his customers’ sugar crashes brought them back.They didn’t.They always ended up venturing toward my counter for our signature lemonade made from the tears of men.
“Better than the two you have.Better get back to your counter, Justin, looks like one of your employees is about to fornicate over the dough.”
His face reddened as he quickly turned around and started spitting expletives.The two employees ceased their lip lock and scrambled to get back into positions.
I snickered as Justin continued to lecture them and threaten their jobs.
The crowd dwindled as the night went on.I put everything away, turned off the lights and closed up the shop.Sitting on the stool in the shadows, I waited for the rest of the food court staff to make their way home, watching as their bodies released the tension they had been holding onto during work hours.
