The Mayor

Ch.1

Edited 

Warm sticky red coated her hands as she tried to scrub it from the floor. Her fingers ached and were starting to prune. No matter how hard she scrubbed and scrubbed, the liquid just wouldn't budge. Maybe bleach would get the stain out? She thought. Huffing, she threw it into the water and stood with a groan. Her lower back was sore from leaning over for so long. She put her hands on her hips and gave the floor one more evil eye before heading towards the kitchen. Why did Joey have to spill red dye on the cafe floor? Corania swore that man was the messiest person she had ever met. And now the place looked like a scene from a crime movie.

She pushed through the swinging metal doors and flopped down on the nearest stool. She'd stayed up too late the night before, finishing the final touches on her thesis paper titled, "The Modern-day writer and their hardships." The deep bags under her eyes were worth it, though. She was finally done with her last assignment of the semester, and now all she needed to do was walk across the stage and grab her diploma.

She stood, then arched her back until she heard the satisfying pop. Grabbing the bottle of bleach on the counter, she turned back toward the front of the cafe. Customers were spread around the small coffee shop. Smooth jazz played in the background. A small cloud of vapor hovered overhead, making the room seem hazy. Besides the smell of cigarettes,vanilla beans and coffee mixed with the aroma of greasy fries and gooey cheeseburgers.

Corania had come to associate these smells with good food and strong coffee. Even though the shop was small and located between an alleyway, it was always packed with local college students. Her boss Joey or joe, as he insisted on being called, had given her the job when she was a half-starved undergrad who could barely pay her bills. Back then, her favorite foods had been ramen noodles and cheap, greasy pizza. Note the sarcasm. She had stumbled in seeking shelter from a downpour and maybe get in a couple of pages before her next class. She was surprised when a huge older gentleman had carried over a steaming plate of fries and a giant burger; to her wonderment, they were for her. She didn't have any money to pay, and he had replied with a friendly laugh and grin as he'd said, "It's on the house, I know when someone needs a good meal." Corania had been so grateful and gladly accepted the delicious meal, and in exchange, they had chatted the whole time. Corania had found that Joey was a great guy and was looking to hire. And from that day forward, she was employed.

"Hey kid, we have a customer. Forget about the stain. I'll just get a buffer and get it out after work." Joey held two steaming platters of burgers in both hands.

"Okay, I got it." Corania headed toward a woman sitting at the back of the room. From her appearance, it was clear she had seen better days. Her hair resembled a stack of dry hay that had been drugged through. Her backpack was filled to the brim with textbooks, and she almost fell on her face trying to balance through the tables. She screamed, 'FRESHMEN.'

Smiling to herself, she smoothly navigated through the round metal tables.

"Hey Cora!" a booming voice called to her.

Stopping, she smiled and turned toward Max. Max was one of those guys who looked like he lived in the gym. He was buff and wide. But in reality, he was obsessed with anime and conspiracy theories.

"Yeah, what up?" she asked, her head tilting to the side.

"This dude does not know what he's talking about! So it's up to you to decide on the answer. You have brains and beauty. So don't let me down." He winked.

Corania laughed and nodded along.

"Whatever, dude, alright, Cora so... Vampires or werewolves?" Jamie asked while swirling his finger around the rim of a glass.

Corania was amused by the question since she loved to watch supernatural movies and thought out a response.

"Well, neither is real, but I would say Werewolves since vampires can't go out into the sun."

Jamie looked smug as he agreed with her. "See, Max, I told you Vampires are so overrated."

Corania laughed as the pair went back to their bickering and finished making her way toward the waiting customer.

"Welcome to 'Wacky Coffee 'n Burgers,' the best place on campus. What can I get you today?" she asked, her pen hovering over her small rectangle-shaped pad.

"Uhm, I'll take a veggie burger with sweet potato fries? How much would that cost?" she asked while nibbling on her fingertips.

"It's on me today, no worries," she called over her shoulder while going to put the order in. It was her last day, so why not? She thought.

Since she would be handing in her black and white striped apron soon, she would try to pass on the torch to another suffering freshman. Her shift was coming to a close, as it was time to close up shop. After she cleaned the tables, she spotted Joey heading from the kitchen.

"Hey, kid, it's about closing time ..." he said while rubbing the scruff of his Santa beard.

"Yeah, it's about..." she trailed off, focusing on clearing the cups. Goodbyes were always hard for her. Folding her arms in front of herself, she turned towards him and gave a small smile.

"It's been fun, hasn't it, Joe?" "It sure has been, doll. You better come visit. Don't forget about this place when you hit the big times." He laughed and opened his arms for a hug.

"How could I, old man?" She buried her face into his chest, hugging him tightly.

When they pulled apart, Corania wiped a stray tear and put on one of her biggest smiles. She would miss his corny jokes; his terrible impressions of his favorite jazz singers.

"You're going to need a replacement, and I think I've found her," she said, nudging her head toward the back.

"Hmm... Yeah, you're right. Well, ask the kid if she needs work. If she does, she's got a job here." He shrugged. Joey was always easygoing.

Nodding, Coarania went to pick up the empty plate and cup. "Was it the best burger you ever had?" she asked.

"It was amazing! Best meal I've had since getting on campus."

"Freshman," Corania said, the word more a statement than a question.

"Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Easy really, the huge book bag gave it away." she laughed.

"Oh." she laughed as well.

"Man, I knew college was supposed to be hard, but geez, I didn't think it would be this hard. The worst part is the crappy school food and Cheap Ramen noodles plus loads of work." she sighed while rubbing her red hair from her eyes.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Been there and done that. What's your name? I'm Corania, by the way." she said while placing her hand out for a shake.

"Jessica, nice to meet you, Corania," she said while shaking her hand, a small smile on her face.

"Well, if you're looking for work. There's a position here. The hours are good, and the pay is nice. Plus, you get free coffee and food."

"Wow, that sounds great. I've been looking for work close by too."

"See the big guy behind the counter? That's Joey, the owner. I know he looks a little scary, but he's a cool guy. Just work hard and come on time, and you're going to be good. I'm graduating next week, so he needs a replacement fast." she explained while directing her towards his figure over her shoulder.

"Alright, I'll go talk with him now. Thanks for the food again." She said, then headed over to talk with Joey.

After cleaning up, she hung her apron up, grabbed her coat from the rack next to it, and slipped it on. Throwing her multicolored scarf on, she headed towards the door.

"Night, kid, I'll see you at your ceremony."

"Goodnight, Joe, see you then." she waved and headed out.

The 'ding' of the bell solidifies her exit into the night.