“Good morning!” Julia said. She was the kind of girl that immediately made you think of home. She was warm and friendly. She was brunette with dark brown hair and huge brown eyes. She was a really pretty girl, but the kind that either didn’t know it, or didn’t really care.
“Good morning,” Richie said as he relocked the door.
“Hey,” Julia said as she approached the check out counter and register, where she stored her purse underneath and put her water bottle on the shelf beside it under the register. “I’m Julia,” she said, extending her hand to shake the stranger’s hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Remi.”
Some form of recognition flashed in her eyes as she nodded. “Remi! Okay, nice to meet you, too.”
“Julia helps out here at the store on Sundays, as well as working in the restaurant, too. Some of the other employeeswork both locations, as well, but Julia’s become an integral part of our team,” Richie said.
“Oh, okay. I must have not noticed you working in the restaurant yet. My mind has been preoccupied. Sorry,” Remi said.
“Oh, no. I haven’t been in for about a week. I just got back from vacation. We went to spend the week at Silver Dollar City in Branson. We had so much fun!” she said animatedly. “We really needed the getaway.”
“We?” Remi asked.
“Just some friends. We haven’t seen much of each other since graduation, so we decided to get together for a little fun.”
“Sounds like a great time,” Remi said.
“It really was,” Julia said.
“We just got the food finished. You’ve got surplus in the fridge in the back. There are hot dogs and sausages on the rollers in the hot dog oven, and I’ve got the nacho cheese sauce already heating up by the chips. You’ve got four canisters of regular coffee, two of decaf. I checked your stock of coffee and creamer and you should be all set to be able to make more if you need it. We put chicken, tuna salad, ham, and turkey sandwiches in the coolers. I also checked all your fountain drinks and they’re all full and functioning properly. So, you’re all set to go.”
“You took care of all my opening routine.”
“I was here so may as well,” Richie said.
“Who is scheduled to work with me today?” Julia asked.
“Casey is coming in first shift, and Kyle is coming second shift to relieve you. Danelle is coming in to work second shift with Kyle until close. We’re having a big family thing today over at Riley’s, so if there’s a problem, we’ll all be nearby. Just hit me up and one of us will be here quickly.”
“Or me. Please call me so I can leave early,” Remi said, only half-jokingly.
Julia smiled knowingly at him. “Oh, no. You get to spend the whole day being the current subject of discussion. If I need help, I’ll call Richie.”
“Great. Thanks. Appreciate it,” Remi teased.
A flash of headlights, then a tap on the window got their attention. They watched as Richie walked over and unlocked the door to let in another girl.
“Morning,” she said, as she stepped inside the store.
“Morning,” everybody answered.
“Casey, this is Remi. He’s new, but family. He’s helping out in the restaurant for now,” Richie said.
Casey was blonde, with brown eyes, and a pretty girl. She took one second to look Remi up and down and flashed an exaggerated smile, batting her eyes at him, as she pretended to be bashful. She slipped into flirtation mode, but tastefully so. “I’m Casey. If you need anything at all, just let me know.”
“Thanks. But I think I’m getting it pretty well so far. I’ve been here about a week.”
“I can’t believe I haven’t met you. Where have you been hiding yourself?” Casey asked.
“I come in to help early in the mornings and usually stay in the kitchen after that.”
“Oh, well, that explains it. I tend to work in the store more than the restaurant. Still, if you have any questions, I’m here.”
“Appreciate it,” Remi said, pretending he didn’t notice her effort to flirt.
