Grande-Sized (Patreon)

It's nearing closing time at the Bueno Nacho when the phone rings, the night's last pick-up order having pulled in to collect their food. Jessica, having been with the 'Nacho for some years now, reaches out to answer the phone...only to be beaten to the receiver by the store managers.

Ned: I got this one.

Ned's demeanor instantly changes from overbearing boss-mode to cheery, customer-friendly, answering the phone in a scripted manner he's done ten thousand times before.

Ned: Thank you for calling Bueno Nacho. This is Ned speaking. How may I...

As a general rule, whoever answers the phone is the one who takes the order, manager or not. Ned gives his employee a sideways glance...glaring without saying a word, conveying to her that she needs to stop eavesdropping on the call and get back to work. There are a thousand things that need to get done before they lock the doors... and zero are getting accomplished.

Ned: Alright... Yes, ma'am. I'll be right out with your order. Okay... Buh-bye.

Ned hangs up the receiver with the same sideways glance, ensuring that Jessica is doing something. Sweeping, mopping, taking out the trash...anything but loafing about. Something that she, at least from her bosses' point of view, seems to excel at.

A second later, Jessica listens as the side door's chime sounds, Ned heading out into the parking lot to deliver the final order of the day. Five minutes pass, then ten. At fifteen, Jessica looks up from her monotonous sweeping, having not heard Ned come in from the parking lot...a task that usually only takes a minute or so.

Maybe he's taking the trash out to the dumpster. Jessica snorts at herself; the thought of spreadsheet Ned doing anything even remotely close to manual labor at closing time brings her a small amount of self-amusement. Glancing to the side door, but unable to see anything out into the darkened gloom, she meanders back to the work area. She does, however, spot something on the counter by the door...the same bagged pickup order that he was supposed to deliver.

Jessica rolls her eyes in annoyance as she picks up the bag full of Tex-Mex fare and pushes open the delivery door.

Jessica: Ned? You forgot the customer's....

The blonde stops dead in her tracks, suddenly wide-eyed and blinking at the sight before her.

Jessica: (meekly) ...order.

Download it here.

Original Art by Gagala

Edits by Phillipthe2