The Puppet Master...

Raining, pouring

Lucy stood by the register, propped up against the counter as she gazed out the storefront window. It was a gray, drizzly night; the kind she would much rather be spending on the porch of her old house with a warm mug of chai and a library book than in a sub par sub shop with her emotionally unstable manager. All the after-dinner cleanup was done and the customers were barely trickling in, maybe 3 an hour, she wondered why they even stayed open this late (it could hardly be economical seeing as they barely got any business after 8) but at any rate she was stuck there, staring out the window until 10:10. Her train of thought was interrupted by the glass door flinging open. In walked a tall, gaunt women in a vintage peacoat and a cylindrical faux-fur hat, holding her hand was a small girl with bouncy blond curls, rosy cheeks and a slightly runny nose.
"She wants a sandwich," the woman said, gesturing towards the girl "we haven't really eaten here before, so I'm not too familiar with the ordering style" She looked around skeptically. Despite the woman's stuck-up demeanor, Lucy was overjoyed to see the little girl by her side. Lucy loved children and had a chronic case of baby fever, so she got extremely giddy every time she had the privilege of serving a pint-sized customer.
"What kind of meats do you like, honey? We have: ham, turkey, roast beef, salami..." Lucy listed all the meats and helped the little girl pick out her toppings too. "What's your name dear?"
"Emily!" The girl replied with a smile. Lucy went on to tell her about a dog she once had who shared Emily's name and then slid her a cookie.
"Do you have experience in child care?" The woman asked.
"Err... No," Lucy muttered.
"Well, everyone has to start somewhere and I like the cut of your jib!" She pulled a card out of her inside jacket pocket and scribbled out a number, "I'm Stephanie, this is my card and there's my personal number, I'd be delighted if you called me later this week about a possible nannying job." Her ruby lips curled into a polite smile and she and Emily grabbed their sandwich and cookie and left.