His Penelope

Not a Baby Sitter

I always come to the cafe before the sun rises to get a head start on the coffee and pastries. After two years of learning things the hard way I realized waiting to get everything started during opening hours was such a set back. So once again I'm up at three in the morning making sure everything is set up and ready to go. Now I'm wiping counters with my eyes half open and wishing I was in my cozy bed. Fortunately but also unfortunately the loud noise coming from the bar across the street is keeping me from folding in half and knocking out on the counter. Along with all the bright lights in this cafe. Why is there so much lighting in here??? I can hear all the kitties meowing in their back room of the cafe. Yes I keep the cats out of the kitchen and from behind the counter, I understand sanitation and cleanliness. I'm not a crazy cat lady. Though I wouldn't be surprised if that's how I end up. Alone and with fifty cats drinking coffee like my life depended on it.

Suddenly I'm forced out of my weird depressing thoughts when there's an obnoxious continuous knock on the door. There's no way people are up and ready for coffee at three in the morning. I head over to the door and to my surprise its two very drunk looking men, hanging on to each other and my door as a life support. They look like they need to sit down really bad. So I open the door and let them in, rushing to pull some seats down for them.  As soon as the seats hit the tile, they're dropping down letting out a huff.
"Good morning, are you boys okay?" , They look at me like they didn't expect me to be there. Who do they think let them in?
"Who are you?" The boy with the dirty blue shirt asks me looking me up and down with a disgusted look on his face... okay then.
" I'm Penelope!" I try my best to be kind despite the exhaustion and disrespect I'm feeling. The both of them just nod in approval and continue to hunch over on to the table, looking miserable. I'm standing by the door hoping one of them is sober enough to explain why they showed up at my shop. After what feels like an hour one of them finally speaks up.
" Do you know where the bar is?" I look at him a little confused, didn't he just come from the bar? I wait a few seconds to see if he takes back his question but he doesn't.
"Yes, its across the street." I point to the bar. Who's door is literally across the street from mine. The brown haired boy follows my finger and to see what I'm pointing at.
" I don't think we can get there by ourselves, can you help us?" He asked with a pleading look that I just couldn't say no to.
"Yes! Yes! C'mon lets go!" I hurry over to the two boys helping them up and out of my shop. They reek like alcohol. Walking these two down the street was harder than I expected, I was practically dragging them. Once I finally got to the entrance, there's a bouncer blocking the entrance.

" Excuse me sir! These boys were just here I'm trying to help them back in!" He's much taller than me and the bar is so loud I doubt he even heard me even if I was yelling. The man without even looking at me demands for IDs.
"Oh my! I'm sorry I don't have my ID on me but don't worry I'm not here to drink, I'm just here to drop these boys back off, you see the shop across from us, well they showed up at my door, I was so confused becase I don't open at this hour but I saw them and let them in because they-"
" I said IDs." Rude. He cut me off from my story.
" I don't have an ID sir and I don't want to dig around these men's pockets to look for some but they were just here, if you can't tell"
"IDs ma'am or you need to step out of the way" He was seeming to get impatient with me, as was .
"Sir I've just told you I don't have their IDs on me, and I'm not here to drink. I've been here countless of times dropping off your customers back to their rightful place, can you please just let me in so I can drop these boys off and get back to my shop." I try my best to have a nice tone, maybe this man is tired from standing here all night. I don't want to add any more problems to his night. He finally looks down at me, then the two boys hanging on my shoulders, sighs and opens the door. Thank you sweet baby Jesus. The minute I'm through the doors the smell of alcohol and weed hits me like brick. Burning my nose i cringe at the smell. But I've made it my mission to speak with the owner, It's starting to get on my nerves that his customers keep coming to my shop to have a place to crash and sober up. Walking up to one of the bartenders I ask her,
"Excuse me miss, where can I find your manager?" I wait for her to turn with a smile on my face. At first she turns with an annoyed look on her face, but soon drops it.
"Oh sorry honey I thought you were coming to complain, down that hall at the end of the bar on the right, last door to the left." She directs me and points to the direction I should head.