After Hours

oh no

"There's something dangerous about a man that knows he's attractive."

ALRIGHT, so when her grandmother had given her that piece of advice years ago she hadn't been referring to Althea's current situation. No, when her grandmother had told her that advice when Althea had been fifteen, she'd been speaking about the Harry Belafonte. Even still, the words of wisdom were the first thing she thought of when she first laid her eyes on him.

Malcolm.

It'd been her first day at the burger shop near her former high school, and she was working in the kitchen. Her trainer was a college kid that had been eager to teach her the ropes before he headed out and 'never came back to this shithole ever again'. (This same boy came back three months later only to be caught stealing money from the cash register to pay for, and in his words, a new PlayStation.)

But anyway, back to Malcolm. Deliriously handsome Malcolm. Quiet and sophisticated Malcolm—oh, right... so Althea had been in the middle of trying to listen as Vince (the trainer) blabbered on and on. He was racing through  the steps towards making the signature aioli burger in lightening speed. Lettuce and tomatoes flew as the remarkably energetic boy threw together the burger with an envious ferocity. Althea had been wide eyed and trying to digest as much information she could when Malcolm's pretty face peered into the small window of space allowed for the cashiers to hand out and receive orders.

"Hi." She knew she was an absolute goner, seeing as she was already in love with his voice. See, even his voice was irresistible, a deep baritone that had the right hint of raspiness.

"Hello," she sighed out. Smiling slightly, he turned to look at Vince and exchanged a small look. When Althea caught Vince's eye, he was quick to grin widely at Althea.

"New here?" Malcolm asked, tone amused.

"Yes, I am," She glanced back at Vince and frowned at the annoying boy's wide smile. "What?" She'd meant the question for Vince, but Malcolm was the one that answered.

"I've been waiting on two orders." He explained, his voice quiet as he tried to soften the blow of embarrassment that kicked her right in the heart.

"Oh," she breathed out, glancing at the small screen above Malcolm's head on the drywall. There, in bold letters read 'two signature aioli burgers to go'. "Oh no."

"Hey, it's okay. It's your first day after all," Malcolm said, reaching for the burgers that Vince had already prepared and bagged as Althea struggled not to weep with embarrassment. She sent the pretty boy a weak smile before she turned to apologize to Vince. He raised a pale, lanky hand at her and shook his head while still grinning.

"It's really okay. Just let me know if I'm going too fast." She nodded at him enthusiastically, prepared to ask him a few questions about the different order preparations before Vince launched into the health and safety regulations regarding the hot cooking oil. There was a small laugh and when she turned to look through the small space, Malcolm was leaning against his cashier smiling at Althea. He winked once at her in encouragement before he turned back around to wipe at his already spotless counter.

Unfortunately, she only lasted at the job for six weeks before she was eventually fired due to an undercover shopper spotting her not using the safety gloves as she made fries. It was her third strike within the same month, and thus Althea was let go. And while Althea mourned her lack of an income, she was more grief stricken at the thought of never seeing the sinfully attractive Malcolm ever again. She was particularly saddened by the fact that she hadn't been able to say goodbye to Malcolm, or any of the other staff that she'd met through her short time at the shop.