“Mr. Fell, I'm afraid I must be blunt. You’re among the few students I’ve been meaning to speak with about their rankings this far. If you choose to keep it up at your present standing, I don’t see any feasible way of you passing.”
Aziraphale shakes his head in distress, “I’m sorry, Mr. Kaufmann, but I don’t know why I’m not doing as well as I planned. I’ll be so worried about messing it up, I inevitably do mess it up, even the things I know I have down cold.”
Kaufmann replies, “Then what you should do next is find a way past it, and the sooner the better. A butler must always be attentive, sharp, and ready to act at a moment’s notice.”
Aziraphale leans forward, “Mr. Kaufmann, you have my utmost promise that I will do everything in my power to improve.”
Kaufmann offers a smile, “Good.”, then leans back in his seat. “That’s all I needed to tell you. You may go.”
Aziraphale gets up very slowly, nods once, then starts to walk out, not knowing whether he’s wised up, or just been properly chastised.
But as he reaches the doorway, and sees Josephine Campbell walk in next, he concludes,
Whatever I am, it can’t be nearly as bad as her.
“When Mr. Kaufmann tells you you have 5 minutes to properly set one setting in front of you based on this menu…” Gennusa speaks promptly as he hands Aziraphale the menu in question. “You will also have to choose what wine pairs with the first course. We’re only here as a silent witness to observe and grade, and we are forbidden to help.”
Aziraphale looks to Josephine, who stares back, then they both turn back, Aziraphale speaking first, “We’re ready.”
“You have 5 minutes.” Kaufmann says from the side, pulling out his beautifully crafted stopwatch, saying, “And…” before he taps the button, and announces, “Begin!”
Aziraphale holds out the menu for Josephine to look at as well, pointing at certain items on the menu.
In seconds, Aziraphale’s already panicking, “Right. The tablecloth. You plate, I'll worry about the linens.”
“Understood.”
Aziraphale grabs the linen, while Josephine grabs the plate, and once they’re both properly set, Aziraphale points, “Good good good. Now those. Quickly.”
Josephine complies, holding them up, and Aziraphale tries to remind her, “Salad goes on the right.”
Josephine holds one of them up, “This one?”
Aziraphale freezes, “No, no. No no no. The bigger one, on the left.”
Josephine struggles to listen, “I’ll just do it.”, and sets the plate down where instructed.
Aziraphale takes the ruler and checks, “One inch.”, while Josephine goes to grab more dishes.
Aziraphale picks up the menu, looking it over again, “First course is soup.”
Josephine holds a bowl up, but Aziraphale shakes his head, “No, that won’t do. That’s a dessert bowl.”
Josephine goes to grab the correct bowl, right as Kaufmann announces, “Your allotted time is half over.”
Aziraphale struggles to remember, “Fish goes…before the salad. We need wine.”
Both are a frantic mess as they keep attempting to plate.
“These two…” the angel counts out loud, then takes something off after Josephine places it. “No.”
“25 seconds remain.”
YOU ARE READING
At Your Service
RomanceAt a prestigious academy where competition is fierce, sparks fly between passionate angel Aziraphale and the rebellious demon Crowley as they go undercover to train to become royal butlers.
