The Morning Rush

[Wren Chu]

Another day, another dollar, as they said. Wren unlocked the front door of the Birdy Bee Coffee Cafe, a cute little building with a cute little logo of a fat bumblebee twirling around a bird on the logo. After he checked everything over, made sure everything was clean, and all the machines were running, he checked the time. As per usual, he had two baristas opening this morning. Where were they?

Slipping on his apron and tying it carefully, he set about getting things set up for the morning rush. People would be coming by for their morning coffees before work. He found that they were busiest before and after work. Not all that much different from his time living in the Bay.

When the bell rang on the door signifying somebody was coming in, he knew it had to be one of the baristas since he hadn't turned the open sign on yet.

"Good morning," he said, when he saw that it was Pheonix. "Are you ready for the morning rush?"

[Lee Pheonix]

Pheonix shifts slightly on her feet. "As ready as I'll ever be.," She replies, obviously showing her nerves for her first day.

Pheonix had been accepted as a barista, not more of background worker as she had hoped. She knew that one look at her would set off even the elderly. Everyone knew her, so it would be disastrous for the Cafe's business....

Pheonix stood there and thought for a second before faking a pretty convincing cough. After finishing her false coughing fit, she looks at Wren.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to miss my first day! May I wear a mask? It would help me avoid getting others sick, but still allow be to work!" She says, giving him a smile.

[Wren Chu]

Oh? Wren took in the way Pheonix shifted her weight from one leg to the other, as if feeling awkward or uncomfortable. Was she going to be okay? Wren finished setting out various packages so they were within reach and he reached for one of the aprons with the Birdy Bee logo stitched into the pocket. He was wearing his, of course, but she needed one, too. He paused when she coughed, though.

"...You're sick?" he asked. It was a little late for him to find another barista to take over. That was the problem with being a new business owner in a new town. He didn't have a lot of people on speed dial. A mask could help... He eyed the street outside the window, almost as if he expected a line to be forming. (There was nobody out there... yet.)

"All right," he said, somewhat hesitant but willing to give it a shot. "But you'll need this apron, too."

Wren held it out to her.

[Lee Pheonix]

Pheonix smiled at Wren, nodding and taking the apron before hurrying to the supply room for a mask.

Once she returned, she had already put the apron on and tied her hair up, the mask tucked under her chin temporarily.

She smiles at Wren, tilting her head. "Is everything ready?" She asks, looking around, a bit clueless but ready to hit the day hard. She's always wanted to try to be a barista. But sometime it is a bit hard to accomplish when towns hate you...

Pheonix thought for a second, her mind trailing off. She was happy that Wren didn't know about her status in the town. it gave her a fresh start.

[Wren Chu]

"Yes," he said, then looked over Pheonix. Hair up, apron on, mask ready to be worn around any customers.

"Are you ready?" he asked, since it was time to open up and take customers. It was just the two of them for the time being. As usual, the other barista was nowhere to be seen. Wren suppressed the urge to sigh over it. Oh well. He would just have to be more diligent in his hiring process in the future.

[Lee Pheonix]

Pheonix smiles and gives him a thumbs up. She then sees him droop a bit. She assumed that it was because of the other barista. She smiles again and pats his shoulder lightly. "You'll be ok..."

She thinks for a second. "Correction. We will be ok... At least until the lunch hour begins." She says, remembering a diner job she had a few years back. "That's when the struggle begins..."

She pulls up her mask.

[Wren Chu]

Yikes.

"Don't remind me," he said, wondering how they were going to manage the place without another person. At least Pheonix was here this time. He nodded at her, then turned to pick up the work phone that hung from the wall behind them to give a couple of the others a call. It wasn't their shift but hopefully somebody would pick up for Callie, the girl who didn't show up. After a brief conversation, Wren hung up.

"James says he can make it but he won't be here for another half hour. We can manage that long alone, right?"

[Lee Pheonix]

Pheonix gives him a big smile from under the mask. "Of course! We'll be fine!" She says, preparing a few drinks off the menu, just to have them ready. She always likes to be prepared. She hated it when she had to be late for events, It annoyed her.

She sets the drinks to the side and busies herself with another. Maybe she could make half of the menu before the first consumer gets here? Or maybe the whole menu...

[Wren Chu]

"Let's get the baked goods lined up back here," Wren said, pointing the clear glass display case where they would display all the baked goods that were worked on the evening before and this morning, before Pheonix came in.

"Are you any good at setting things decoratively?"

Wren was fine at it, but it wasn't his best trait, to arrange the muffins and cakes in such a way that they looked pretty and delectable, ready to be purchased. Normally, he was a no-frills type of person but he knew that a nice display could definitely sell more food.

[Lee Pheonix]

Pheonix nodded in reply. "Yeah! Should I set them all out?" She asks, moving towards the display case.

She was amazing at decor, and other creative departments. She enjoyed making things look presentable. It reminded her of her high school days, when she actually did projects herself. She always went all out, making it the flashiest. They never failed to disappoint.

She studied the desserts and treats. They could've used a bit more care into the decorating, but otherwise, they looked cute enough to present.

[Wren Chu]

"Yes, thank you."

The gratitude was more to be polite; he obviously expected his employee to work while she was on the job, even if she had strange stipulations about hiding her face. Her voice sounded slightly muffled by the mask but before she placed it on, he didn't recall her seeming all that sick or sounding sick. But... who was he to judge? As long as she covered up if she was sick... They were taking the right precautions.

"What?" he asked, because she was eyeing his decorative pastries with a thoughtful expression. Did she find his skills lacking?

[Lee Pheonix]

"Hm?"

She stood straight and looked at him. "Oh.. I was just looking at the treats... They're cute... Though they could be neater..." She said with ease. She had a way with breaking things to people. Though, sometimes she could be too blunt.

Pheonix picked up one of the pastries and held it gently in a gloved hand, walking over to him. "If you look at the stripes on this one, they are a bit jumbled together and intersecting too much. It looks a little too busy and unpresentable... The stripes are for decoration, not for taste... If you spaced them a little, and made them thinner, they would look more delicate like a pastry should." She said, smiling beneath her mask.

Pheonix let out a quick breath. "Sorry. I didn't mean to try to tell you how to do your job... You have more experience than I do, I assume. My apologies..." She says, quietly.

[Wren Chu]

Wren crossed his arms, looking half annoyed but half earnestly listening to her. Not many could take criticism well and he thought his decorations were just fine, thank you. But the truth was, cooking and brewing were his line of expertise. Design, not as much. Also, he had a habit of growing impatient when it came to things like the little lines of icing she was talking about.

"Next batch," he said. "Decorate it."

He didn't care if he sounded gruff; if she had enough strength in her to criticize his work, she must have the skills to show him that she could do a better job. And Wren was much more about actual skill and not just people flapping their mouths as if they knew what they were talking about. Show, don't tell.

"And don't apologize until I've seen your work. You could be right."

[Edit: Closing this due to lost interest since there's been no response in almost a month. But to continue the story/plot, please PM me and we can move forward to something else.]