A Meeting of the Musketeers

Posted on Tue 4th Apr, 2017 @ 9:20pm by

994 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 600
Timeline: 0900, MD03

"You're probably all wondering why I called you here this morning," Jade Lantz joked.

"No, Ma'am," Reon replied, puzzled. "We always have staff meetings at this time on the third day of the week.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Reon, I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were hiding a Vulcan mother somewhere."

The man turned to the server. "Why would I be hiding a Vulcan mother? And what does that have to do with -"

"Nevermind," Jade interrupted, with a smile. Reon had a very linear mind. He was intelligent in his own way. There was nothing he couldn't fix, which was why she'd originally hired him, over six years before. He kept everything running smoothly at Orchids & Jazz, whatever starbase or ship it happened to call home at any given time. For the last five years, he'd doubled as doorman. At six feet tall, and a smidge, solid as a bulkhead, there weren't many who could get past him, if he didn't want them to.

"You are absolutely right, Reon. It's time for our weekly staffing." The jazz club owner looked down at the list she'd made on her office PADD. "First thing up this morning is a maintenance and cleaning schedule. Since the quiet death of a customer up in the loft, we've had that section closed off. Security has given us the go-ahead to return to business as usual there, but I'd like to have it cleaned from top to bottom."

"Yeah," Serena jumped in. "Don't want the customers feeling weird - you know, sitting where a man died. Next thing you know, we'll have ghosts. Spacers are a superstitious lot."

Jade nodded. "Some are. That's why I'm thinking of a little remodeling while we're at it. Any suggestions?"

"Don't look at me," Reon held his hands up and scooted his chair back from the conference table they all sat around in the back office. "I don't do ship beautiful."

Jenna stared at him. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Nah," Serena laughed. "He means it. He doesn't do interior decorating. Check out his quarters if you don't believe me."

"You've been in Reon's quarters?" the head server asked in amazement. "What -"

Again Jade interrupted. "Let's stay on topic. You two can gossip later," she said. "Jenna, I'm going to put you in charge of the cleaning and the re-decoration." She flipped a document over to Jenna's PADD. "There are the parameters. Don't go over budget, or it comes out of your salary."

"Yes, Ma'am!" Jenna said, looking at the bottom line on the list and then up at Jade. "Hey, if I spend less, do I get to keep the difference?"

"As long as the quality doesn't suffer, I can be persuaded," the owner shrugged. She knew Jenna was sending funds to her parents on a farm colony. Blight had hit them the previous harvest season, and they needed all the help Jenna could give them.

"Next item," Jade moved on. "Reon, there's a shipment arriving in cargo bay 41 this afternoon at 1500 hours. Both Chivas Regal and Jack Daniels should be included, please make sure the counts match. If it's off by even one bottle, someone's head will roll."

"It will match," Reon vowed, "or I will do the beheading myself."

Serena looked at him, unsure whether to question his intention to actually behead someone if the count wasn't correct. She glanced at her boss, who didn't seem to be worried, so she kept quiet.

"And for you, Serena, a special assignment," the El Aurian club owner said. "I'd like you to revamp the menu, not taking away anything that's there, of course. It's all classic jazz era fare and it stays. Research the population on board, and choose a couple of recipes from the main races represented, things that might be considered comfort food for the species. We'll begin to add things slowly, but I'd like some sort of proposal transmitted to me within a week. Can do?"

Serena nodded, feeling excitement. "You're taking my suggestion?"

Jade shrugged. "Sure. You know I'm always interested in good ideas, and that is a good idea."

"I'll get right on it," the assistant manager said eagerly. Already she her mind was leaping ahead, thinking of the races she'd seen on the promenade. Some variation of hesperat, definitely, but it would have to be a good recipe, one that was authentic, and ... "Shouldn't our illustrious chef be included in this discussion?"

Shaking her head, Jade said, "You can bring Marin in when you have some ideas."

Serena nodded and her boss moved on. "Now it's your turn. Any questions, suggestions, issues we need to discuss?"

"Nothing but that jerk from Engineering," she turned to Reon. "If you ever let that man in this club again, your head will roll."

Reon nodded. "It was my mistake, Miss Jenna. It won't happen again, you can trust me. My deepest apologies."

The doorman had already apologized a half dozen times since the previous evening when the said engineer had come in. He hadn't appeared to be anything other than a normal dinner customer, but within moments of being seated, he'd begun to harass his server. The young woman had come to Jenna, who had taken over the table for her. The man had only become worse until he made a grab for Jenna, and Reon had thrown him out of the club.

It wasn't often that such a person entered Orchids & Jazz. Everything about the place exuded an ambiance that was refined and sophisticated. However, there were occasional customers who were oblivious to ambiance and stumbled in.

"Don't apologize again," Jenna said, irritably, "just don't let him in, I don't care if he comes bearing three dozen ... well, orchids!"

"On that note," Jade said, "I think we're finished for today. See me if anything develops that you can't handle, of course, but I leave the assignments in your capable hands."

 

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