Ready Or Not - CITRUS

Ten

...but a Triple Update, since I can't update tomorrow (^人^)

As Yuzu filled out a supply order for the following week, she waited patiently for her newest hire to report to work. Something about the exchange she'd had with Udagawa had stuck with her for the remainder of the night prior. Nene seemed like a good kid and letting her get her heart stomped on might not be the most neighborly thing to do.

Nene was scheduled to work at four that day, and right at five minutes to the hour, she arrived. Thank God for an employee who knew how to be on time. She rounded the bar with a smile and stole a black cocktail apron from the shelf behind the bar. "Hi, Yuzu-san. How's your day today?"

"Oh, you know, slaying dragons and making drinks."

"Slaying dragons? Is that a bartending term?" Nene asked in earnest. Bless her and those wide eyes of naïveté.

"Nope. That's just me being stupid."

"Oh," Nene said in catch-up mode, forcing a laugh. "Funny."

"It's really not, but because I'm in charge, you feel you have to laugh. I hereby free you of that obligation from now on, because life is too short. Wanna cut fruit with me?"

"Sure." Yuzu handed Nene a small knife and an orange.

"We're going for wedges. Like this," she said demonstrating smooth, even cuts. Nene set to work, and it was clear she'd never be a surgeon as her jagged orange slices were pathetic at best. But that hadn't exactly been the point of Yuzu inviting her to help.

"So you've been chatting with Hana some, I've noticed."

Nene smiled at Yuzu. "She's hot. And kind of brooding too. I like hot and brooding." And then something seemed to occur to her. "Oh. Am I not supposed to find the customers hot? I'm sorry. I can stop doing that."

"No, there's no firm rule. I just want you to know that Hana has a tendency to...drop girls moments after she gets what she wants from them. Do you follow?"

Nene blinked back at her and Yuzu waited. "Oh! Oh my. You mean like sex?"

Yuzu bit back a smile. "Yes, like sex." She set her knife down and turned to face Yuzu. "Here's the thing. You seem like a nice kid, and I would hate to see your heart ripped out. That's all I'm saying here."

"Wow. Thank you," Nene said, seemingly touched. "I've never worked for anyone who, I don't know, cared."

"Let's not get carried away," Yuzu said, but slid Nene a sly smile. "Now since it seems you're woefully challenged in the fruit department, and I do mean woefully, do me a favor and refill all the sweetener dispensers and check the condiments as well. You'll see a shelf in the kitchen with everything you need."

Nene offered a little mock salute and headed out. "Thanks again, Yuzu-san, for the talk."

"No problem."

Hanging up her do-gooder hat, Yuzu pulled a small Moleskine journal from underneath the register, knowing she had a few spare minutes to do some brainstorming. In it she kept a list of some of the craft cocktails she planned to slowly introduce to her customers one at a time.

Something about the creation of a perfectly made drink pulled Yuzu in and got her excited about her job. It wasn't just service; it was science and artistry mixed together. She wanted CITRUS to be on the cutting edge of the artisanal cocktail scene, and if she wanted her bar to have that kind of reputation, she needed to focus on the details, as they were everything.