Chapter 33: The Prodigal Sons

With all the adults in their life unavailable, Scott and Morty finally get a shot at working in the restaurant... on the same evening when a special guest is stopping by for dinner.

The scene opens with a wide overhead shot of Burlington, Vermont, with a new jack swing beat building up in the background, before quickly zooming in and stopping at the front entrance to Mary & Maxwell's. Monica and Mary then leaped in from either side of the doorway, folding their arms, jerking their heads forward and back, and smirking in flashy 1990s hip-hop outfits, the former's a little more revealing than the latter's.

"Yo, what up, random stranger? Haven't seen you around!" Monica quipped.

"Welcome to the place that's always the talk of the town!" Mary replied.

"Check it! Mary & Maxwell's, founded 2022!"

"On the corner of Main Street and 53rd Avenue!"

"Our founders and chefs had a unique point of view," Monica continued to rap, standing next to a framed picture of her parents' wedding. On the other side were both of their culinary degrees, also in frames.

"So we thought we'd take a chance and make our dream come true! Over thirty years we've served the public… including you!" Mary pointed at no one in particular, lowering her sunglasses.

"We've got something for everyone, and your grandma too!"

A brief instrumental break then kicked in, taking place inside the restaurant as balloons and confetti fluttered about. Mary and Monica performed a few Kid 'n' Play-style dance moves, accompanied by several backup dancers in slightly skimpy sulfur-yellow cheerleading outfits, all with the restaurant's logo on the front of the top. At the bottom of the screen, a subtitle read, "Any outfits seen here are not included in our merchandise."

"So you're probably thinkin', 'what's this restaurant's gist?'" Mary quipped with a poker-faced shrug.

"Well, we take a classic dish… and give it a twist!" Monica replied as she performed a pirouette. "Don't even bother asking if we serve normal food."

"So here's hoping y'all are in an adventurous mood!"

"Try our surf and turf burger, or some Russian egg rolls." Monica held up both of the dishes she was talking about.

"What?!" the backup dancers gasped in unison.

"We also got a cheesecake with a crust made of donut holes!"

"Thai meatball subs, Cuban nachos, what the-?" Mary's line was briefly censored with a record scratch. "Don't get me started on the exclusives at our Sunday food truck!"

As The Spin-Off hurriedly zoomed by with a honk of its horn, it transitioned into a green-screened scene where the two were now dancing against a psychedelic background with images of their menu items scrolling behind them in rows.

"We've got a large variety, from a vast cultural range!" Monica rapped.

"But be sure to stop by often, 'cause our menu's always change… ing," Mary responded.

"We gotta keep our menu fresh just like this beat!"

"So c'mon folks, are ya' ready to eat?"

"Drop by Mary & Maxwell's, and come see what we're makin'!"

"The best combinations since chocolate and bacon!"

"The best combinations since chocolate and bacon!" Monica and Mary rapped in unison before they folded their arms and pressed their backs against each other, once again standing outside the restaurant's front doors.

"Word," all the backup dancers cheered, posing on either side of the two.

The commercial then ended with a larger image of the restaurant's logo fading in at the bottom of the screen, before the whole thing cut to white and various items of merchandise started scrolling by, including T-shirts, oven mitts, keychains, backpacks, lunchboxes, towels and linens, and other forms of clothing such as one and two-piece swimsuits, athletic wear, and even lingerie. Why, there were also several cookbooks that both Mary and Monica had authored, whether it be on their own or as a collaboration.

---

Watching that whole thing were the Lloyds, all gathered around Mary's laptop in the living room one Saturday. There was a good portion of time left before the morning and afternoon shifts, so she figured she'd call everyone over to view a finalized draft of a new commercial for the restaurant.

"Oh, and uh, that last part with the merch is gonna be exclusive to the online ad version that'll play on YouTube," Mary clarified. "But other than that, what does everyone think?"

"I thought it was pretty catchy." Scott smiled.

"Same, though I think the style of music might come off as a little dated and further proves how desperate and out of touch the owner is." Morty sneered a bit.

"You sure we can't include those cheer uniforms in the merch?" Xander questioned.

"I mean, it's a bit silly how you'll promote the fact that ya' sell lingerie, but a cheerleadin' outfit is apparently crossin' da' line," Hank chimed in.

"Hee hee, oh boys, worry not. I managed to snag one, so you'll get to see me wearing it soon enough… just gotta wait 'til Halloween though," Monica let loose a libidinous chuckle, relishing in the blush forming on Xander's face. Although she didn't have feelings for either of the men beyond camaraderie, she wasn't above teasing them sometimes. "Sure it'll be nice to live out my teenage fantasy while also promoting the restaurant."

"I can't with this woman…" Xander muttered.

"That aside, I thought this was pretty well done." Hank nodded.

"Yeah, same."

"As do I. Now, since we've got a consensus, I'm gonna go ahead and send this to the local network," Mary announced, starting to type away at her keyboard. "Hopefully, it'll drive up our numbers even more!"

---

And lo and behold, her prediction was spot on. No one could remember the last time when customer turnout was low at Mary & Maxwell's, but today it seemed the amount of customers who showed up was even higher than the normally healthy amounts. Why, it marked the first time in years when multiple menu items had actually managed to sell out. Still, it was nothing that Xander and Hank couldn't handle, carrying out their duties with little trouble and seamlessly swapping positions in the kitchen and dining area. It was only after the restaurant temporarily closed following the lunch shift, when things got especially nerve-wracking.

"Wait, huh?" Monica adjusted her glasses, checking her phone. "Whoa, we're trending?!"

"Can't remember the last time something like that happened," Mary replied, wiping dust off the defunct jukebox. "Wonder what's up now."

"It says here that some famous person is planning to stop by for dinner tonight."

"Lemme guess, Mark Simmons?"

"No."

"Tequila Rodriguez?"

"I wish, but nope."

"Priscilla Vicciotelli?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind, who is it?"

"Megan Frye, the mayor's wife."

"Pfft, his wife? Geez, is he that aloof that he'll send his wife in to support local small businesses instead of doing it himself?" Mary shook her head. "Y'know, next year might mark the first time in my life where I vote Republican."

"Please, Mom. You know the two parties aren't that distinct, especially in the Northeast," Monica said with half-shut eyes. "Regardless, she's coming here tonight, so we'd better bring our S-game."

"Don't you mean A-game?"

"Yeah, well some rankings put S above A. Haven't you ever played a video game before?"

"Whatever… just one problem, though: I'm not in the best condition to work." Mary held up her hand, still injured from the beach fiasco.

"And Hank and Xander have the evening off." Monica sucked her teeth. "Welp, guess it's time for desperate measures."

---

"You have got to be kidding me," Morty said in an incredulous tone, looking up from The Catcher in the Rye on his lap. "This is incredibly weird, even for you guys."

He and Scott were left to their own devices in the living room, the latter in a more literal sense as he seemed lost in an endless-runner game on his father's tablet. Surprisingly, that sudden and unusual demand from his mother wasn't enough to tug him back into reality.

"I know, but we're kind of out of options here," Monica pleaded.

"We would've just asked your dads to do it, if we didn't have hearts," Mary snarked.

"But what about the child labor laws? You'd seriously be willing to take that risk, especially in front of the mayor's wife?" Morty still didn't look convinced, cautiously sliding a bookmark between the pages.

"So? If anyone asks, we'll tell them it's part of your training," Monica answered. "Besides, you're not getting tortured or paid below the minimum wage, so what's the deal?"

"Yeah Mort, quit being a sourpuss. I'd love to try cooking for actual customers for once!" Scott chimed in.

"Fine then, we'll do it." Morty rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Great! Now you two'd better wash up and head downstairs. She should be here within the next hour," Mary ordered before retiring to her room. "Monica, I trust you can handle the waiting shift without me around?"

"As always, Mom," Monica sighed.

---

Everyone both in and outside of the family was on pins and needles as the height of the evening steadily approached. Word of the mayor's wife's forthcoming visit spread around town and the internet like polio, and some of the customers stayed inside even after they'd paid for their food, just so they could witness it. Monica kept her cool as she continued to skate around and wait on tables, while her sons remained in the kitchen. Scott paced around while squeezing a stress-ball, and Morty absentmindedly started to juggle some frying pans, taking the rare chance to show off.

But once the guest of honor showed up, the whole restaurant went tense and quiet, save for the clicking of some short heels against the tiled floor. Her body-type wasn't easy to determine, given the blackish-gray pantsuit she had on, but she appeared quite thin and gangly, albeit much shorter than Monica, although that last part wasn't too surprising. Her wavy hair was a light jasmine color, sporting some wine-colored highlights as it hung to her knees. A bit of smokey-eye peeked above her shades as she blew a white, wiffle ball-sized gum bubble, contrasting against her charcoal black lipstick. Monica hardly seemed intimidated at the local celebrity who'd shown up, but her sons looked rather unnerved. Not from the woman herself, but rather the familiar, long-haired boy who was walking in alongside her, greeting them with his usual sneer.