Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2015 19:44:11 GMT
OFF-CAMERA
Lyndsey Matthews was engaged in her favourite activity at work (playing with her phone) when she heard someone come in. As she scrambled to her feet, smoothing down her uniform, she expected to see someone associated with the lucha libre promotion operating from the back of the restaurant, as both performers and staff often came in for lunch. The man now standing on the other side of the counter, however, actually looked more like a fan, with his greasy hair, scraggly beard and at least fifty extra pounds. Still, she surmised, he wasn't entirely bad-looking; there was something salvageable under there. Yes, she thought, introduce him to a gym, and this guy would be fine.
'What can I get you?', she trilled, with a smile that was more than halfway genuine.
'Number two, please.' His voice was surprisingly high-pitched for someone his size. 'And, um...who do I see about handing in my resume?'
She gave him a probing glance. 'To work here or...at the back?'
'Here', he said, handing over a single sheet of paper with his credentials. 'Though my friend's coming to work in...the back.'
'Oh really?' She scanned the resume. 'What's his name, Walt?'
'It's...um...Wally.'
'His name's Wally?' She smirked at him. 'That's a sissy name. I think I'll call him Walt instead.'
'No, my name is...' Suddenly, he understood. 'Oh. Um, okay...you can call him Walt, um...'
'Lyndsey.'
Grins stood in for handshakes for a long moment, before he noticed the video still open on her phone. 'What are you watching?'
'Oh...it's that Owl Man video. You've seen it, right? It's got like a million views on YouTube. And it says the dude's coming here! You know...to the place in the b--'
She halted herself, as her brain put two and two together. 'Oh. My. GOSH! That's your friend!! OWL MAN IS YOUR FRIEND!!' She then paused again, slipping her headphones on as she pressed 'Play' on the video. She frowned in concentration for a moment, then squealed: 'OH. MY. FREAKING. GOOOOO---'
'Shhhhh', he prompted.
She giggled, as much out of nervousness as in response to his reaction. 'Don't worry. I won't tell.'
'Good.' He nodded. Another long moment elapsed, in which neither of them said anything, Lyndsey simply busying herself with the fryer while her customer studied the menu. At length, however, curiosity got the best of her, and she asked:
'So...who's coming to work here?'
The man lifted his head from where he had been studying the combo meals. 'Sorry?'
'The resume you handed in says Walter. We just established your friend's name was Wally, or Walt. So is that your resume, or his?'
She couldn't help but giggle again as he stammered and hemmed and hawed, trying to come up with an excuse. She spared him the effort.
'It's all right...I won't ask any more.'
'Thanks', he said, with a disarmingly genuine smile.
Yup, Lyndsey thought. Definitely salvageable.
Final Word Count: 495