“Veronica did you get the one-thirty temps done?” Shelly asked as she pulled a pair of gloves on.
“Not yet, I’ve been kind of backed up with customers.”
“Veronica, one of the soups are out.”
“Ok, I’ll get it in just a minute.”
“Don’t worry about the soup, you need to get those temps done,” Shelly called, finishing up her customer. “Go and do the temps, I’ll finish your customer for you.”
Veronica handed Shelly the cheese she was getting ready to cut then headed over to the temp log, opening it and starting to write the necessary information. It was turning into one of those days, she knew she’d have a pounding headache that night, too much stress. Walking over, she took the thermometers out of the cup of sanitizer and went along and put them in the cases before heading back to finish writing in the log. She’d just finished and was getting ready to start, when Shelly came up.
“Karl’s here…” she hissed.
Karl was the district manager for their area, whenever he came in chaos ensued.
Groaning, Veronica turned and started down, reading the thermometers from the areas, writing the numbers down and grabbing the thermometers and rinsing and sanitizing them again before putting them in other cases.
“Veronica, how long is that gonna take you? Wafer is a mess and if Karl comes by and sees it…” Shelly pressed.
“It should only take me ten or fifteen minutes tops.”
“Ok, but hurry.”
Rolling her eyes, Veronica went on, trying to go as fast as she could.
“Excuse me, is anyone working?”
She lifted her head to see a customer waiting for a sub, backing up, she saw the girl who was supposed to be in the sub area, helping out on counter. Sighing, she set her logbook down and went over to help the customer. Four whole subs and three halves later, she picked up the logbook and started up again.
“You’re still not done?”
Stifling the urge to snap, Veronica turned to face Shelly.
“I had to stop and take care of a sub customer.”
“Alright, but hurry, he’s coming around.”
Veronica hurried off, trying to finish, the anger and tension building. She just wanted to go home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kicking her shoes off outside the door, Veronica made her way into her apartment and shut and locked the door, slumping against it. They day had just gotten progressively worse. After Karl had left, the state inspector came in and it was a disaster. They’d passed, but before that everyone was running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Straightening up, Veronica made her way in, shedding her clothes as she went. All she wanted to do now was take a nice long bath and soak. Making her way into her room, she grabbed her robe and slipped it on, heading back out grabbing the mail key and hurried out to get her mail. Veronica sifted through it as she made her way back in before tossing it on the table and grabbing the cordless. Walking over to the couch, she dialed as she sat.
“Hello?”
“Hey Lynne.”
“Hi V, what’s up?”
“Oh nothing, just a shitty day at work.”
“You seem to be having a lot of those here lately.”
“I know, it’s like things have been really hectic there, I just don’t understand. People are getting on my nerves more than usual.”
“Must be bad cause I know how annoyed you get at people,” Lynne laughed.
“Yeah well, the district manager came in today, and then the state inspector…”
“Ouch…”
“I know, and then everyone gets pissy and pushy and I can’t stand it.”
“People get like that in those kinds of situations V.”
“Yeah yeah, I know, it still sucks.”
“I hear ya.”
“So anyway, tell me, how’d that date go? I never asked you before.”
“You mean from a few weeks ago? That guy at the club?”
“Yeah, that’s the one, how’d it work out?”
“Ugh, it didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it was ok, but holy shit was he bor-ing! No personality and all he wanted was to get me in bed, prick. So I’m thinking technically he doesn’t even qualify as ok.”
“That sucks, I’m sorry to hear that.”
“See, I wouldn’t have had to have worried about that if you’d just come along like I asked,” Lynne tsked.
“Whatever, don’t blame that on me,” Veronica laughed.
“So how bout you? Besides work, what’s been going on?”
Should she tell her? Veronica had been back and forth in her head about when she should tell Lynne about the letters to Nick, she’d been putting it off, now was the time to come clean as they say.
“Well, there’s something kinda interesting I gotta tell ya.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Ok, so spill.”
“Fine, but you have to listen first, no comments until after and let me just say that I’ve been through it all in my head first and I’ve thought of every possible scenario as to why it couldn’t possibly be real and all.”
“Okay.”
“So don’t get on my case about acting silly and…”
“Veronica?”
“Yeah?”
“Just tell me!”
“Right…”
A few minutes later, Veronica finished and waited, dead silence on the other end.
“Lynne?” Veronica probed.
“Am I allowed to comment now?”
“Huh? Oh, oh yeah, go ahead.”
“Well, I can see where you’d be a little skeptical, cause I am too. That said though, I think it’s a good thing you wrote him back. If It was me, I’d wait and see just how long this person would be willing to go on pretending, that is if this person is an imposter.”
“So you think there is a possibility that this is actually Nick I’m writing to?”
“Well yeah, I think there’s a small one…”Lynne started.
Veronica’s heart dropped, she’d been over it, but it was always a different feeling when someone else told her that there was a possibility it that was actually him.
“…But in all honesty, don’t get your hopes up too much Veronica,” she finished.
“So…?”
“So I think you should keep writing him, and like Carla said, if it’s not him, you’re no worse off really and if it is, then hey. Maybe you two can become friends with him or whoever is really writing them.”
“Well I guess it’s settled then, I keep writing him.”
Hadn’t she decided that already?
