Say What?

Chapter 2

  I run in through the back of the shop and hang my bag and put my hair up and then put it in the net before putting my cap on and apron. 

"Hi Sally" I say to my boss. "Hi Holly, how was school?" she asks back.  

"I had art last lesson, so wasn't bad" I tell her. "Pity you don't know about balancing accounts" she gripes. 

"I'm good at maths" I tell her "really? If you could add these columns up then that would be a great help. I keep losing my place and having to start again" Sally asks.  

I take the paperwork from her and start adding the numbers.  I write the first one then, start on the second.  Once I have all seven added I add the totals together and write that figure down.  I hand the paper back to Sally 

"You've finished already?" the bell goes above the door, so I turn and smile. 

"Hello again, could I have a cappuccino please?" Nate asks 

"I'll have a chocolate milkshake please" Oscar says beside him. 

"Please take a seat, I'll bring them over when they are ready" I tell them and begin to fill the order. 

"Hi Nate, Oscar when did you get back" Sally asks. 

Nate smiles at her and looks at her for a moment.   She seems to say Oh, got it. With just a look "a couple of days ago" Nate answers a little awkwardly.  

I sprinkle some white and milk chocolate on the top of the whipped cream on top of the chocolate milkshake and then carry both drinks over to them. I place them on the table and go to walk away.  

"Where are the marshmallows?" Oscar asks "under the whipped cream" I tell him.  

"Holly do you have any suggestions on the new menu layout.  I want it to pop" Sally asks.  

I go over and look at the menu and then an idea comes to me so, I grab some paper and my pencil that I have stuck in my hair and start to draw a cartoon theme menu with character's looking over the top of the starter section the another around the side and so on.  I show her the rough sketch. 

"You just came up with this in like two seconds?" she says. 

"If you don't like it then, I can think of some other ideas?" I tell her 

"I like it, but would my grannies like it?" she ponders. I get another idea and draw the menu this time as a knitting theme with a pair of knitting needles with stitches on and then the menu sections within the knitted piece.  

I show Sally that idea "oh! my, I could have the two one for the younger crowd then the other for my grannies.  Your so clever Holly. Now draw them properly with colour" she tells me. 

"If I can take the menu home, I'll do it properly on my tablet.  Then you could take it to a colour copies and just print them out" I tell her.  

She jumps up and kisses my cheek making me blush. "You've just gone and saved me a heap of money" she tells me.  

I smile and ignore the dog snapping at her in my head.  At the end of shift, I take my time putting my things away and getting my bag before heading out the back door.  

I drag my feet as I make my way home, as I get closer.  I hear him shouting at the TV and know he's drunk. So, attach my bag, properly around my shoulders and climb up the drain pipe to my window.  I ease it open and climb through careful, to make no noise.  I open my bag and takeout the sub Sally made for me.  She knows a little about what is going on but not how bad its really gotten.