The red earth phony frowned at her reflection as she polished the copper boiling tank that was the centerpiece of her soda fountain operation. Everything needed to shine. Not for the customers, but for her own sense of perfectionism and the fact that copper picked up smudges like a motherbucker. She arranged and rearranged the fancy soda bottles that lined the back wall, and checked once again the frostiness of the mugs she served sarsaparilla in. There was absolutely no point in running a business if you didn't do things right. Today was a slow day; that was to be expected this early in the week before the lunch rush. A pale green unicorn filly, one of her regulars, had been in with her sister since ten, when she opened; they'd made for themselves a pretty large pile of peanut shells and soda bottles at the corner seat. An orange pegasus sat with his newspaper; he always ordered the same thing, grilled cheese with extra pickles and a mug of soda. That nice earth couple from down the lane was in, too- yes, that was her regular early lunch crowd. She knew what they wanted and she'd already taken care of them, allowing her to focus on spiffing up the place.The hinges of the saloon doors gave a pleasant creak as they were pushed in from the outside. A customer.
There was nothing in this world Sass had more disdain for than most of her customers. Some of them were genuinely all right. Residents were usually ok to deal with. Her regulars were great- if they didn't get on with her, they didn't become regulars. It was the tourists that made her want to smash a hoof through a face. She looked away from her polishing to glance at the newcomer to see which menu she'd hand them- the one with all her fancy limited edition sodas and their expensive collectible bottles, or the one with the standard sandwiches and drinks. Mercy was clearly smiling on her; the foal who walked in was, well, a foal. Not a human. Little unicorn, probably just wanted lunch.
"Take any open seat at the counter," she said, pouring a glass of water, "and I'll be right with you!" She made a note to keep an eye on him. Kids... well, they could be ok, but most of the time they were best at finding innovative ways to be a nuisance.
Kitomyx
