Opening Shift
Intro
This flash fiction piece was inspired by four writing prompts:
- Staff & Object (#2WordPrompt)
- Wonky (#vss365)
- Goggles (#vssDaily)
I’ve spent enough time in coffee shops, especially before opening, to know how much of the day is decided before the first customer walks in.
Coffee was starting to bring the shop to life as Gretchen and Meg prepared to open for the early regulars. It was 4:14 a.m. on a Tuesday. The lights were still low, the front door locked, the espresso machine warming itself up with familiar sounds.
Gretchen stood behind the counter, lining up cups by size, then crouched to open the small fridge beneath the espresso machine. She grabbed a carton of milk and it burst apart in her hands. “Goggles!” she yelled.
Milk hit the inside of the fridge door, the lower shelf, her sleeve, her cheek, and then the floor. She shut her eyes and swiped at her cheek with the back of her hand. She stayed crouched, holding the fridge door open with her knee.
Meg froze for half a second, then reached under the counter and flung the goggles toward her.
Gretchen wiped her face again and put them on. She started cleaning with paper towels, grabbing too many at once. They soaked through immediately, collapsing into a heavy wad that smeared more than it absorbed.
After a moment of watching Gretchen wrestle with what used to be paper towels, Meg brought over a trash can and a stack of cloth towels. Gretchen dropped the paper wad into the trash and went back to cleaning the floor. The empty carton followed, still dripping.
Meg said the carton might have been overfilled. Gretchen agreed and added that the shelf had always been a little wonky. Meg suggested finding a sturdy object to prop the shelf up, at least for the morning.
By the time the rest of the staff arrived, the floor was dry enough to ignore, the fridge was closed, and towels hung over the edge of the sink. Gretchen washed her hands and came back to the counter.
“Rough morning?” the first customer asked.
“You should’ve been here three minutes ago,” Gretchen said. “It was dairy chaos!”