“Of course, it is. Just let me serve this drink.” She lifted the frosty cup and to her horror, it slipped in her grasp and flew toward the men. It arced up, flipped end over end, andcame back down.
Splat!
The inspector stepped out of the way, but Ford took the drink full in the chest. Whipped topping flew up and dripped off his chin as the icy coffee poured off his pecs, down over his stomach, and pooled under his boots.
“Oh no! Holy steaming mocha,” she cried rushing toward Ford, rag in hand. Vainly, she tried to minimize the damage to his uniform.
“Leave it,” he barked and grabbed the cloth out of her hand. “I’m fine. At least it wasn’t hot.”
“I’m sorry. It was an accident.”
He gave her the stink-eye as if doubting the statement. So much for breezing through this inspection.
She turned to Maxi. “Can you take over please?” She explained the register before handing Ford more rags and scrubbing up the mess on the floor. It was ridiculously sticky, but proper cleanup could wait a few minutes. Drawing her dignity together, she turned to the men.
“Where would you like to begin?”
“We’ll start in the back. If you could accompany us to answer any questions, it would help,” the inspector said. Ford continued to glare. Ya, she was doomed.
“Sure thing. Right this way.” She walked past them into the back, trying not to stumble when her knees trembled. She was more nervous than when she took her practical finals at cooking school.
Her kitchen was small. One double oven, three racks to hold finished items, or trays waiting to go in the oven. A sink, an industrial dishwasher, a cooler, and a freezer. The walls were white tile, and the counters were stainless steel. She leaned against the counter and let them wander around. She winced every time she caught a glimpse of Ford’s sodden chest. With luck, he wouldn’t be the type to penalize her for a small mistake. While Ford made dozens of notes on his clipboard, the inspector only made a few quick check marks on his.
Nothing missed the pair’s attention, not the single stray wrapper on the counter, not the organized shelves in the storeroom and fridge, and not the carbon dioxide andsmoke detectors.
“When was the battery in this last changed?” Ford jabbed a pen toward a CO2 detector.
“It’s hardwired with a battery backup. The battery was new when it was installed in October. I have my schedule marked to replace it in April. Every six months. Same for the smoke detectors.” She bit back the urge to stick her tongue out at him.
The inspection was slow and tedious, but she managed to hold her patience at the micro inspection. Even the inspection she’d undergone before she opened wasn’t this detailed. While the health inspector was satisfied, Ford continued to nitpick everything. Drinda kept one ear open for the front of the shop where Maxi was making drinks and ringing them through. Thankfully she didn’t seem to be having any trouble. The girl was a lifesaver.
“You need to recharge those extinguishers. You can have it done at the station.”
“They’re good for another six months!” She stamped her foot. The man was utterly infuriating. The extinguishers had come with the space, likely left behind when the church closed last year. But they were valid.
“It’s best to be proactive.” The other inspector gave him a curious look.
“I’ve made a list of items that need attention,” Ford said. “I’ll be back in two weeks to check on your progress. You have thirty days to be fully compliant.” He handed her a carbon copy of his report, nodded, and strode out.
“Who uses carbon copies these days?” she wondered. “I was expecting tablets and email.”
The health inspector laughed. “My tablet died. That’s why I’m using paper. I’ll get a new company tablet when I get back to the city. I will, however, mail you your passing statement. Everything looks good to me. I’m impressed at your cleanliness while this busy. I assume your staff have all taken the appropriate food handling classes?”
“Maxi is here today on trial. She has a US certificate. If I hire her, she’ll receive the proper training.”
“I watched her work. It’s clear she knows what she’s doing. She looks like agood risk to me.”
“How did it go?” Maxi asked after the inspector purchased a latte and left.
“I passed the health inspection with flying colors, but I’ve got stuff to “fix” for the fire department.” She made air quotes around the word fix. “I think he’s just annoyed that I dumped that iced coffee on him.” She started giggling. “I didn’t know whether to laugh or beg forgiveness.”
“He looked hilarious with the whipped cream on his chest,” Maxi laughed and waved a hand in front of her face. “And holy hotness. That’s one heck of a chest he’s got.”
Though she agreed entirely, Drinda sobered. “We can’t be objectifying our customers.”
The door chimed and Franny strolled in on a wave of cold air. Her grin was entirely too smug. “I hear you dumped coffee on my grandson.” She chortled and looked like a kid in a candy store.
“It was iced coffee, and it was an accident.” It was going to take a while to live the mishap down.
