[PRP - Honesty] Honest Experience [Peach Lightning, Pink Lemonade]

[elvyralani]

It was day three of Peach Lightning's work experience week and so far Pink Lemonade was pleased with how she'd been handling herself. It seemed she did indeed have the right stuff (and technically the right blood, not that PL had mentioned it yet) for the hospitality business.

She had been making an effort to be a good boss, being more than helpful, taking the time to teach the young Phony (her niece!) the ropes, giving her tasks to do and generally just being supportive. Today that had all gone out the window.

Pink Lemonade was in a foul mood and only had enough smiles for customers. Three deliveries had come in wrong, the dishwasher had broken down and somebody had accused her of overcharging! All in all, it was a good day to leave PL alone and not a good day for mistakes.

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Peach was absolutely loving the work experience. When she had first laid eyes on the flyer about the offer, she ripped it from the wall and got to the place as fast as she was able to. She didn't know what but there was something about the restaurant business that she liked. The wells in her head were already turning about combining this and her other favorite thing, roller skates, into one.

The filly was really looking up to PL, so far things were great and the best boss she could ask for. Peach had learned a ton of things and was really getting the hang of it.

Today though, oh today. PL being off her game was getting to Peach. The little filly could only handle so much and felt a bit overwhelmed. She had forgotten to roll up enough napkin sets and was hurridly trying to catch up. Not to mention she had a few other tasks she hadn't gotten to yet. One of which she completely forgot what it was and would have to ask PL about eventually.

"Napkin down, fork, spoon, knife, roll." She kept repeating to herself.

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It was unfair to throw so much at the young Phony or to expect such high levels of perfection, but PL wasn't in the mood for leeway. There were three tables waiting to order and a phone call on hold that needed tending to.

"Peach, I need you to take a glass of water to table twelve, cover two." She didn't wait for the youngster to give a reply to the sharp command, just sped off towards the phone.


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Peach was pretty stressed out so far today and it wasn't even halfway through the day! She wanted to do her best for PL, she wanted to impress her so much. "Ok! Cover two, water to twelve." The filly went and grabbed a glass a water. First she stopped at two and set down the water. She took their order and went to the window to drop the ticket off.

She started to roll more napkins when something hit it. "Oh no, the water for twelve!" She started to get another glass of water filled before PL might notice.

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PL was having a low-voiced conversation (it was really a hiss) with one of the suppliers, barely stopping herself from yelling down the phone and telling him exactly what she thought of his delivery system.

But she was also watching the floor, particularly table twelve, which were looking around for assistance and still didn't have any water. What was Peach doing?

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Peach had no idea why she was so off today but she felt like she was going to let PL down if she gave up. She ran over to the bar and got new waters and rushed over to table twelve. "Here are your waters. What else can I get you?" No apologies, she wasn't going to say straight out that she forgot them to the customer or make any other kind of excuse.

She repeated their order back to them and went to drop off the ticket. What else did she have to do?

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Finally putting the phone down (see also: slamming), PL looked ever more frazzled than before.

"Peach," she called to her young waitress-in-training, her temper barely held in check as she stares out across the floor. The look she's giving isn't meant to be aimed at Peach, it's just a general 'today is bullshit' expression and it takes an effort to smooth her face back into something nicer.

"How are you doing? Have you got everything covered? I might need to run out a moment. I need to know you can handle it."

[elvyralani]

@Ruriska

Peach heard that phone slam down and jumped ever so slightly at it. She was about the grab the food to bring it over to two when she was stopped. 
"Great, great, I can totally cover it!" I mean, she thought she could but well was she forgetting something already now?

[Ruriska]

Pink Lemonade should have known not to leave a young Phony on work experience alone on the floor and she immediately had misgivings but they didn't have any eggs left thanks to her supplier's mess up and it was the most requested item on the menu.

All she had to do was run around the corner to the grocery store and she'd be back in ten minutes. It would be fine, right?

"I''ll be right back. If anyone orders eggs just tell them there will be a delay," she instructed as she grabbed some money out of the till. "Right back. I promise." And off she zipped, out the door, leaving poor Peach to run the front alone.

@elvyralani

[elvyralani]

Ten minutes was a long long time for young Peach. In that time she did get table two their food on time but had forgotten to drop off the ticket for another tables food before doing so. So the unfortunate ticket had spent a few extra minutes in her apron before she realized this. Then she had mixed up drinks for two tables and had completely missed that two costumers had been waiting for a table. A table she still had to clean which she scrambled off to do.
She was just sitting those customers down at the ten minute mark.

@Ruriska

[Ruriska]

11 minutes later (it had taken her one extra minute to argue with the grocery store about the price of eggs), Pink Lemonade returned. She immediately spotted Peach serving the table and as she marched herself and the four egg cartons she had purchased towards the kitchen, she scanned the rest of the tables. It seemed... ok. There were some disgruntled faces and some of the tables had yet to be cleared or attended to but nothing that couldn't be fixed.

Pink Lemonade hurried into the kitchen, dropped off the eggs to Sunny and then whizzed out again hoping Peach was done with the table so she could catch up on what had happened.

@elvyralani

[elvyralani]

To say Peach was overwhelmed was an understatement. The poor filly hadn't gotten near as much done as she would have hoped (how much water did one table need honestly!). She'd not noticed PL had returned until she turned towards the kitchen to drop off the order she'd just taken. Quickly she'd put the ticket down (really she'd almost ran straight to PL but the ticked was priority right?) and then went straight to PL.

"I messed up, this was a bit too much for me to do all by myself and I'm really really sorry but please help me get this all back on track please." It just poured out of her before she could stop herself. But wow, that was a weight off of her shoulders now that she'd said all that!

@Ruriska

[Ruriska]

As Peach gave her report, Pink Lemonade winced inwardly. She'd left a trainee alone and of course they'd struggled. At least Peach was honest with how she was feeling and now they could tackle it together.

"You've done great and there's nothing we can't sort out right away," she said, immediately shifting back into work mode. "Finish setting the table you just put the ticket in for and then clear table seven, I'll get the rest."

Then with a nod, she was off, a professional whirlwind taking orders, delivering plates and seating new arrivals.

@elvyralani

[elvyralani]

It was the biggest weight off of her little shoulders. Peach was so happy and relieved that PL didn't berate her and offered her both help and advice.
A quick "Thank you" was all she responded back, a bit emotional to respond more. She nodded and went about her two tasks.
Really she was in awe of how well PL handled everything else.

@Ruriska

[Ruriska]

The rest of the day passed quickly and finally Pink Lemonade could turn the sign to CLOSED so they could clean down and prepare for the dinner crowd. She mixed herself and Peach a smoothie and invited the filly to take a seat with her.

"You did very well today," she said, enjoying being off her hooves for the first time in hours. Soon she'd be doing it all over again, until the night shift came in to give her a break. "How did you feel about today?

@elvyralani

[elvyralani]

Peach was so so so glad the rest of the day went better now that PL was back and had returned order. Honestly she learned a lot today and while it had gone rough, it was a great experience. She sipped at her smoothie while deep in thought over all that had happened and almost missed the question.
"Um, it was a lot. Overwhelming." Peach nudged the straw around her smoothie. "But I'm glad I did it, I learned a bunch, Thank you."

@Ruriska

[Ruriska]

Pink Lemonade nodded. "I apologize for leaving you. It was very unprofessional of me. I lost my cool and you were forced to pick up my slack. If I had been thinking correctly, I could have sent you to buy eggs instead." She wasn't a mare that liked being wrong but when it did happen she owned up to it.

"But you kept it together and came through for me." She smiled. "I would hire you in a heartbeat if you ever wanted a proper job."

@elvyralani

[elvyralani]

"I, uh, thank you. I'll keep all of this in mind and be more honest next time something happens I swear!" Peach blushed at the thought of a real job. "Maybe once I figure my purpose, that would be great."

Sad the day was over and also a little glad, Peach went on her way home having learned a thing about honesty.