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Hazor cocked his head. “Because you radiate energy and joy and determination just working in the stall. I can feel it. I can taste it, and I want it. Hmrain-born are greedy in their core. I want to be more, and I need you to do it.”
“I am not quitting my job.”
He laughed. “Negotiations. Excellent. That is progress.”
“Fine. Go save people and things.” She flapped her hand toward him and tried to back up.
He kissed her forehead, and that caused a gasp from the onlookers who were filling the dock.
“Oh, great. Now I have to work and field questions.”
“I believe they understand, Cloudy. Have a good day. I am glad you have become anchored.”
She opened her mouth and closed it with a snap. She pulled away, ignoring that she suddenly felt cold, and headed back to the stall.
Emgoth and Ariget were staring in shock. Sunny was laughing so hard he could barely keep the food on the grill.
She scrubbed her hands, went to the ordering window, and said, “So are you here to gawk or are you hungry. Either one is good with me.”
Cloudy looked at the crowd, and her fingers snapped the same question. A hungry patron came forward and placed his order with a grin. She took the order, called it to Sunny, and the machine of the food stall slowly started moving again.
The guardians got in line and defied going ahead of the folks who were waiting.
Sunny’s spatula rang fast, and every meal was fully cooked, no matter how fast he went. They slowly marched through the requests, and when the guardians made it up, she looked at them. “One each?”
They each held up three fingers.
“Three orders of three.”
Morsek asked, “Can we get extra akko?”
“Yes, of course.”
The three guardians grinned.
Hazor asked, “And can we get fruit ice?”
“I will try.” She smiled.
That seemed sufficient.
The guardians were the end of the line, so when the hot food was ready and Arkon had picked them up, she went and got a block of frozen fruit out, loaded it into the shredder, activated it, pulled it down, and held the rotating blades in contact with the frozen fruit, pausing to gather it in a cup. She did it twice more and covered each one with a honey-and-cream derivative.
She put wooden paddles into each ice and walked them out to the guys who had already finished two out of three meals. She set the fruit ice down.
“There you go. And nobody died.”
Morsek chuckled. “That is a resounding mark of success.”
Emgoth was still there and looked at her in surprise. “You can use the shaver?”
“Yup. After the change, I got a lot stronger. I just hate taking a break in the middle of service to do it, so I put up the sign, and everybody laughs.”
He laughed. “Fair.”
She nodded and said, “Back to cleanup.”
She nodded to the guardians and got back to work... again.
