‘How can I help you?’ asked an attractive woman as she rushed around from behind the counter.
‘Hi, I’m Sarah, I’m here for the interview.’
‘Oh,’ said the woman, looking Sarah up and down.
Sarah flushed as she realised the error of her ways. This was not a smart shirt and skirt establishment. The woman behind the counter had her auburn hair flung on top of her head in a messy bun. An apron covered a lime green tunic and strings of coloured beads clinked each time she moved.
‘I’m Hattie. Pleased to meet you. Sorry, this was a stupid time to invite you for an interview. As you can see, we’re run off our feet. Would you mind mucking in for a bit? Think of it as a trial. We’ll sit down for a chat once things have calmed down.’
‘Um, OK,’ said Sarah, feeling like she had little choice in the matter. Hattie flung an apron over the counter and Sarah put it over her smart outfit.
‘Take these to table five, please,’ said Hattie, passing a tray laden with cakes and coffee across the countertop.
‘Which is table five?’ asked Sarah, but Hattie had her back to her and could hear nothing over the noise of the coffee machine.
Sarah moved around the room checking for table numbers, but found none. She carried the tray through to a back room, where large bi-folds led out to a damp garden. ‘Table five?’ she called. No one turned to look, all the customers distracted by either conversation or children. ‘Table five?’ she called, louder than before. A couple of people looked her way before shaking their heads. ‘TABLE FIVE?’ Sarah shouted, getting the attention of the entire room.
‘Coffee and cakes?’ asked a man in waterproof trousers and a fleece. ‘That looks like us.’
Sarah laid the tray down, handing out coffees and cakes. She smiled, despite the sweat dripping down her back and the quickening of her breath as she fought the panicked voice in her head telling her she was out of her depth.
‘No one told you the table number system?’ asked a tall young man as she walked back towards the counter.
‘No, they didn’t,’ said Sarah, thinking it must be very obvious she was new.
‘One, two, three, six, seven, ten in here,’ said the man, pointing to tables too fast for Sarah to follow. ‘Four, five, eight and nine are in the back room.’
‘Wouldn’t it have been easier to number them in order?’
The man’s deep brown eyes narrowed, the corner of his lips curling in amusement. A flush crept across Sarah’s face, which she told herself was from the fire and nothing more.
‘Wanting to change things on your first day, are you? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to how we do things here.’
‘Yes, but if the system made more sense…’
‘Take a chill pill. Don’t stress about it. Like I said, you’ll get the hang of things soon.’
Take a chill pill? Had this guy stepped out of the nineties? Sarah saw his lips curl again as he watched her walk away.Idiot, she thought, hoping she wouldn’t be rostered on with him again.
‘I see you’ve met Felix,’ said Hattie, as Sarah walked behind the counter. ‘He’s a bit of a joker, but you’ll get used to him soon enough.’
I’d rather not, thought Sarah, as to her horror her cheeks flushed once more. ‘What would you like me to do next?’
‘Plate up the cakes on that order, please. Knives are next to the cakes, plates are on that shelf down there.’
It was several hours before the café was quiet enough to sit down. Sarah could feel the blisters forming because of her inappropriate shoes and had a stomach ache from her pinching waistband.
‘Here you go,’ said Hattie, placing a cup of coffee down beside Sarah. ‘You’ve earned it. I’m sorry about that. It’s impossible to tell when we’ll be dead and when we’ll be run off our feet. We’re busier on wet days if you can believe it. I should have scheduled our chat for later in the day, but I suppose it doesn’t hurt to get stuck in. How did you find it?’
‘Fun,’ lied Sarah.
‘Good. Now, do you have questions?’
‘Um, shouldn’t you be asking me questions rather than the other way round?’
Hattie laughed. ‘Yes, you’re right. OK, so I just have the one. How soon can you start?’
Chapter 14
