He’d made quite an impression when he came for his interview. First there was the “Legalize it” t-shirt he opted to show up in. While I was working, I’d observed him take a selfie on his phone with the Good Wood sign out front. Then there was the annoying sound effects of the video game he was playing on his phone while he waited for me. The icing on the cake was the way he reacted when Molly turned up just as we were about to begin the interview.
“Hi, y’all!” She called, sweeping in with a box full of wraps for us. She’d called an hour before and asked what each of us wanted for lunch.
“Hi.” Nick blurted, his eyes wide and ecstatic as he took her in.
Molly did a double take at his exuberant response. She walked around to the employee side of the counter and perched the box on its surface. Nick bounded up to the customer side of the counter like an enthusiastic puppy.
“You must be the new guy.” Even though I couldn’t see her face, Molly’s grin came through in her voice.
“I hope to be.” His dimples appeared as he went for the modest approach. “I’m Nick.”
“Well, hello, Nick.” A hint of Texas found its way into her Yankee-fied voice. “I’m Molly.”
“Do you work here?” He boldly slogged on, and I had to give the kid an A for effort.
“Nope. Just bringing the boys a lunch delivery. Joe wasn’t sure what kind you’d like, so I brought you one of my favorites. It’s a California BLT Wrap. I hope you aren’t a vegetarian.”
He looked taken aback for a moment that she’d brought him lunch, but recovered immediately, giving her a shark-like grin. “Oh no, I’m definitely a carnivore.”
I hung back for a couple of minutes, cleaning my tools and watching the show. Nick proceeded to hit on Molly as she passed out the wraps to Francis and Mac. She smiled patiently at him as if he were a toddler climbing a bookshelf and she was going to have to yank him down and scold him.
She handed Nick his wrap and he took a quick bite.
“You made this?” He sounded like the man on the verge of an orgasm.
“Yep.” She handed him a wad of napkins. “You like?”
He told her that it was perfection and asked her if she was going to Austin City Limits. He was launching into how he had VIP passes to the main stage when I joined them at the counter.
Molly handed me my wrap. We exchanged a brief glance and my cocked eyebrow elicited a knowing smile from her.
“Well, you’ll have a great time, Nick. Eminem puts on a hell of a show. And good luck on your interview. Don’t let Joe intimidate you too much. He looks grouchy, but he’s a big teddy bear.” At that, she slinked into my arms and kissed me goodbye, lingering a little longer than usual for her audience of one. A few feet away, I heard Mac snort. Molly made a show of putting a hand on her already visible baby bump, which she’d finally exposed when she’d discarded the empty cardboard box. “Gotta run, darlin’. The babies are craving Verde Chili Fries from Casino El Camino.”
With an innocent little wave to Nick, she breezed out the door. His youthful eyes were the size of saucers as he watched her go and when he turned back to me, he smartly fell all over himself to apologize. I held up a hand and shook my head, wearing a smirk of my own. Between Molly’s sassy bounce in her walk and Nick’s abject horror at his faux pas, I was genuinely entertained. I’d already decided to let it the entire thing slide.
“Save your breath, kid. You obviously have an eye for perfection. It’s a major job requirement for what we do, and if you’re going to apprentice with me, you’d damn well better have excellent taste.
Nick and I headed back to my tiny office. We chatted for a while between bites of wraps and it didn’t take long for me to get the vibe that he enjoyed building and knew what he was talking about. He’d brought some photos of some carving he’d done, and I was pleasantly surprised at his raw skill. I
“Hi, y’all!” She called, sweeping in with a box full of wraps for us. She’d called an hour before and asked what each of us wanted for lunch.
“Hi.” Nick blurted, his eyes wide and ecstatic as he took her in.
Molly did a double take at his exuberant response. She walked around to the employee side of the counter and perched the box on its surface. Nick bounded up to the customer side of the counter like an enthusiastic puppy.
“You must be the new guy.” Even though I couldn’t see her face, Molly’s grin came through in her voice.
“I hope to be.” His dimples appeared as he went for the modest approach. “I’m Nick.”
“Well, hello, Nick.” A hint of Texas found its way into her Yankee-fied voice. “I’m Molly.”
“Do you work here?” He boldly slogged on, and I had to give the kid an A for effort.
“Nope. Just bringing the boys a lunch delivery. Joe wasn’t sure what kind you’d like, so I brought you one of my favorites. It’s a California BLT Wrap. I hope you aren’t a vegetarian.”
He looked taken aback for a moment that she’d brought him lunch, but recovered immediately, giving her a shark-like grin. “Oh no, I’m definitely a carnivore.”
I hung back for a couple of minutes, cleaning my tools and watching the show. Nick proceeded to hit on Molly as she passed out the wraps to Francis and Mac. She smiled patiently at him as if he were a toddler climbing a bookshelf and she was going to have to yank him down and scold him.
She handed Nick his wrap and he took a quick bite.
“You made this?” He sounded like the man on the verge of an orgasm.
“Yep.” She handed him a wad of napkins. “You like?”
He told her that it was perfection and asked her if she was going to Austin City Limits. He was launching into how he had VIP passes to the main stage when I joined them at the counter.
Molly handed me my wrap. We exchanged a brief glance and my cocked eyebrow elicited a knowing smile from her.
“Well, you’ll have a great time, Nick. Eminem puts on a hell of a show. And good luck on your interview. Don’t let Joe intimidate you too much. He looks grouchy, but he’s a big teddy bear.” At that, she slinked into my arms and kissed me goodbye, lingering a little longer than usual for her audience of one. A few feet away, I heard Mac snort. Molly made a show of putting a hand on her already visible baby bump, which she’d finally exposed when she’d discarded the empty cardboard box. “Gotta run, darlin’. The babies are craving Verde Chili Fries from Casino El Camino.”
With an innocent little wave to Nick, she breezed out the door. His youthful eyes were the size of saucers as he watched her go and when he turned back to me, he smartly fell all over himself to apologize. I held up a hand and shook my head, wearing a smirk of my own. Between Molly’s sassy bounce in her walk and Nick’s abject horror at his faux pas, I was genuinely entertained. I’d already decided to let it the entire thing slide.
“Save your breath, kid. You obviously have an eye for perfection. It’s a major job requirement for what we do, and if you’re going to apprentice with me, you’d damn well better have excellent taste.
Nick and I headed back to my tiny office. We chatted for a while between bites of wraps and it didn’t take long for me to get the vibe that he enjoyed building and knew what he was talking about. He’d brought some photos of some carving he’d done, and I was pleasantly surprised at his raw skill. I
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