The first couple of hours weren't so bad for Cody. Not many people wanted to patronize a burger buffet at 10:00 in the morning after all. Not even a burger bar as nice as this. More than once Cody found himself examining the little crystal prisms that hung from the ceiling to catch the light of the chandeliers. There were twelves clusters of crystals scattered throughout the dining area, and Cody couldn't help but think there was something oddly familiar about them.
Since Atlas' Weight was a self-serve buffet, there wasn't much for Cody to do once he'd provided the drinks. That wasn't to say he wasn't kept busy, though. Milly took the time to show him how to roll the silverware into the napkins, and more than once he was sent to refill empty slots on the buffet bar. The modular metal bins were heavier than they looked, and he was thankful for all the physical training he'd done for the academy that he would never get to attend. Milly must be good at reading people, because whenever his thoughts started going down that particular depressing spiral she was suddenly at his side showing him some new little aspect of the job.
Then the lunch rush hit.
The restaurant went from decently busy to terribly crowded seemingly in the blink of an eye. And the noise! He'd never realized how noisy the inside of a busy restaurant was!
"I'm so glad I finally found this place again," he overheard a chunky construction worker telling his equally well-fed buddy as he refilled their drinks. "I ate here a couple of years ago, but I could never remember where it was afterward! Even the internet didn't know!"
He thought the conversation was odd, because the interior of the restaurant gave off a well-established vibe that made him doubt it had moved locations in the last...well, ever. He didn't have much time to think of it, though, because no sooner had he taken the pair's dirty dishes than he was being flagged down by a harried mother needing fresh napkins for her toddler's messy mouth.
On and on and on it went. For the first hour of it Cody was fine, but when the rush showed no signs of slowing at the second hour he began to feel a little frazzled. The stress was really beginning to get to him when a big hand suddenly grabbed him and pulled him aside into a quiet alcove hidden behind a potted plant.
"Newbie," he heard his rescuer ask. "I saw you freaking out from my podium. You alright? You need to take a minute?" He looked up to find himself sharing the alcove with Ajax, the restaurant host. He was still wearing the backwards ball cap, but instead of the yellow t-shirt of yesterday he was wearing a sleeveless blue jersey; the kind that had holes all the way down to the waistband. Mr. Skye--Atlus, he'd insisted on being called Atlus during the interview--really hadn't been kidding when he said casual dress was allowed. His five o'clock shadow was just as visible now as it had been then, and the thick eyebrows of his broad, handsome face were furrowed in concern. "Cody?" He asked more slowly. "Are you alright?"
Cody blinked, very aware of the tight space in the alcove. Ajax's beefy pecs were practically pressing up against Cody's own defined chest, and he could definitely feel the pudge at the larger man's middle brushing slightly against his own defined abs with every breath the man took. Ajax had an earring, he noticed suddenly. Something silver whose shape he couldn't make out in the shadows dangling from a silver cuff in his left ear.
"Cody," Ajax said gently, "I'm gonna need you to answer me, buddy."
Belatedly Cody came back to his senses. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he said, running his hands across his face and letting out a faint chuckle. "I just got a little overwhelmed. I never ate out much as a kid, so I never knew how loud a restaurant could be during rush hour. Don't worry," he added when Ajax didn't look reassured. "It'll pass. It's like anything else, right? Gotta get back on the horse when you fall or you'll never learn." Ajax snorted.
"Most of the...horses...I know would kill you for trying something like that," he said in an odd tone of voice. His face was making an interesting expression; something like utter hilarity trying to fuse with horrified disbelief. Whatever picture his mind was forming, it must be something interesting.
"Well this one won't." Cody said firmly. He let his voice turn persuasive. "Look, I really need this job, ok? Everyone here seems so nice, and the pay is fantastic, and Mr. Skye--Atlus!--Atlus seems really nice. Please don't tell him I freaked out. I don't want him to think I'm a bad investment."
"Cody," Ajax said, and the amusement this time was tempered with understanding. "It's all right. He wouldn't think you're a bad investment. Some people take time to get used to the hustle and bustle is all. Atlus would understand, I promise. But if it's that important to you, I won't say a word." He clapped Cody on the shoulder. "Look, the more experienced crew has things well in hand. Why don't you head to the employee dining area and get yourself a snack? You'll feel better once you've had something to eat." He gave Cody's shoulder another reassuring pat, gently pushing him out of the alcove and in the direction of the dining room before slipping out of the alcove himself, returning to the Host podium and his duties.
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