CL: Chapter Three

Lucy had just parked outside Wendy's. Getting out of the car Lucy made sure to grab her phone and shove it back into her pocket. 

“Hey Lucy!” The girl at the window called out to her, ready to head home. Lucy just smiled and waved back to the girl before opening the back door and pulling out a duffel bag holding her work clothing and her shoes. 

Lucy made her way into the dinning area, and headed straight for the female bathroom. She locked the door behind her. Opening the child's changing area she sat her back on top of it. Trusting the bleach they used on that a bit more then the water used to scrub the floors. Opening the bag she threw her jacket inside; her phone and key's touched into each pocket. Pulling off the large white t-shirt she was wearing, and standing there in her tank top, shivering from the chill in the building. She begins searching the bag for her black shirt, which blended in with her black pants, shoes and the color of the interior of the bag she used.

She placed her shirt over her head as she heard someone trying to open the bathroom door, rarely anyone knocked, which was why it was nice to that the female bathroom locked, unlike the men's. She sighed, realizing it was probably one of the elderly customers who frequently ate here.

Putting on her apron, work pants and shoes, she shoved the rest of her clothing into her bag. Grabbing up the bag she closed the child's changing table and opened the door. To her surprise it was her manager standing outside the door.

“Lucy did you get my text?” She asked concerned.

“No,” Lucy shook her head and eyed her manager suspiciously. “I haven't looked at my messages since I left school. Is something wrong?” Lucy then unzipped the duffel bag and began looking for her phone. She turned on the screen to fine five missed messages and one missed call.

Opening her messages she found one from the manager standing in front of her; Ruby. Ruby was a built women, with black hair. She stood around five feet and six inches tall. Her facial features were rather rough, slightly masculine.

Lucy sighed as she read the message and rolled her eyes.

1: 41 PM Ruby: Hey Lucy can you close tonight? Jean called off and we don't have a closer for window anymore.

Lucy eyed the message, her fingers squeezing the phone tighter in her hand then before. Today was her only day not on the window, she was suppose to be doing front sandwiches, but of course that very person had to call off. It was a common problem in fast food, in a time when people appeared to be out of work and struggling for money, yet those who seemed to really need it where the ones who called off the most, mostly because they were getting help from another source regardless if they work or not. 

“Yeah, Katy was suppose to be off a half hour ago,” Jean stated, speaking of the girl who had called to Lucy from the window before she had walked into the building.

“Alright, just let me put my things in my car,” Lucy muttered.

“Thank you, you are a life saver!” The manager then turned her head, hearing something from the headset attached to her right ear. Hitting one of the buttons on the back of the headset she began to speak “Yeah drop five. With that she started walking away.

Lucy stood there for a moment, her fingers going over the touch screen on her phone, flipping through her messages.

1:41 PM Sam: Yay!

1:45 PM Sam: Lucy you work today don't you?

1:58 PM Sam: You must be on the road, drive carefully!

2:00 PM Sam: Hey, when you have the time we need to talk, love you.

Lucy smiled, it was rare for him to send her more then one message, without her replying in between. As stranger as it felt, having him show so much concern on her not responding was rather refreshing and it eased her mind from the thought of the bitter cold of working wind.

2: 13 PM Lucy: Hey love, I'm fine, stuck at work all night... Again... I'll speak to you when I can.

Lucy closed her phone and shoved it into her work pants. She then walked outside and headed toward her car. Her sleeveless arms shivered, but she knew it was better to get used to this weather now then complain about it later. Opening her car she threw the bag into the back seat and closed the door.

Lucy walked back into the building and headed into the back. She walked passed several of her fellow employees as they grabbed for hamburgers, meat, fries and nuggets. Making her way towards the back, to the first windows computer she clocked on before heading to the back office where Ruby was already sitting with a draw ready for Lucy to count. She counted the draw to make sure it was the correct amount, grabbed a head set and headed to the second window where Katy was handing out an order.

“You can final close,” Lucy started as she looked up at the monitor hanging above. She made sure that none of the next three orders needed drinks or anything, as she stood there. 

“Thanks,” Katy smiled. She pressed on the screen in front of her to final close it and her final close receipt printed in the machine. Grabbing her draw she moved out of Lucy's way. Lucy placed her draw inside of the cash register and began moving any coin rolls into the extra space in the draw before figuring out which order she was on.

“Just the first bag?” She shouted, unsure who had bagged the order.

“Yes!” Someone called and she took the bag, opened the window and handed the customer their food. “Thank you, have a good day,” She muttered before closing the window. Lucy rarely waited for a reply from the customers. Half of them didn't reply at all, and the other half spent more time digging in their bags before saying anything at all. She wasn't much for the wind, nor the cold and thus she found it rather difficult to take orders, get drinks and frostys with a bitter wind hitting her the whole time. Even if it was seen as rude, she wouldn't keep the window open more then enough time to get money, or hand out food. 

Lucy stood there waiting for the man at the window to drive off so she could hand out the next order, which another employee was kind enough to bag for her. She waited annoyed, as the person tried to get the one small bag situated in their car.

Finally driving off a ding came over the head set indicating another car. For the next half hour it was none stop this way. Each time she went to hand out one customers food another one hit the speaker. Trying to keep up with the several large orders and combos she found herself bouncing around from the customers at the windows to the ones over the speaker to the drink station right next to her.

The whole time feeling her phone dance in her pocket, rather annoyed by Sam's strange new clingy behavior.

“How are you doing?” Ruby muttered finally making her way out of her office.

“Waiting on fries for this order and then I just have one more behind them, also waiting on fries,” Lucy muttered her hands still pressing the buttons to create three large drinks.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good chapter. You describe her life and job. I like her internal thoughts and her mind on too many things. I like the detailed description. Every scene brought to life by good description. Thank you for sharing the excellent chapter.
Coyote