Chapter Text
Summary: On Mia's first day at the zoo, she meets a charming maintenance guy and a troubled girl. Without actual introduction, "Honey, my name is Barry."
Hell yeah I was nervous on my first day of work. It had been a few years since I'd answered to a boss, and that had been at an after school job when I'd been a kid. I've been a self-employed cleaner almost since graduating high school, but that meant a lot of out of pocket expenses if I wanted things like insurance and a retirement plan. I still kept a few of my regular customers to earn some extra income at night because a job in the kitchen at one of the zoo eateries didn't exactly pay well.
I know I arrived way too early, but that's better than late, right? I approached the zoo just as a man in a bright yellow track suit and a beanie hat jogged toward me. Smooth-shaven with a pleasant smile and big blue eyes that had a playful sparkle, he slowed his pace and stopped in front of me, his boyishly handsome face misted with sweat.
"Hey, early bird, we're not open yet," he said.
"I'm not a customer. It's my first day working here."
"No way. Well, welcome! My name is Kevin. I'm in maintenance."
Meeting him was kind of a relief. At least one person seemed nice and welcoming. I worried about fitting in. My cleaning job was pretty solitary. Mixing with a lot of people made me anxious, but I'd kept that little secret through my interview. I tried looking at uncomfortable social situations like a performance. When I saw people, the curtain went up. When alone, it came down and I could be myself.
"I'll show you the way in," he said.
I followed him around to a gate that he opened with a set of keys pulled from his pocket.
"Do you jog to work or live nearby?" I asked.
"I've got quarters here," he said. "I'm pretty much on call 24/7, especially since getting promoted to head of maintenance. You caught me on my morning run. Gotta stay healthy, right?"
I smiled, not exactly sure what to say. I liked to work out a few times a week, but I'd never been much for running.
"So what's your name?" he asked.
"Wow. Sorry." I shook my head. Starting work had my mind reeling and I'd forgotten my manners. "I'm Mia. It's nice to meet you, Kevin."
"You too." He offered another pleasant smile before escorting me to my post.
"I'm guessing you'll be working directly for Miss Leah," he said. "She's usually a little early, too, so you shouldn't have to wait too much longer. Hey, I'll see you around." He winked.
"Yeah. Thanks for your help."
"My pleasure." He jogged off.
I stared after him, watching him disappear behind a nearby building.
For a few moments I paced outside the restaurant, and then a middle aged woman with dark, cat's eye glasses and salt-and-pepper hair wound into a neat bun strode toward me.
"You must be Mia," she said with a smile and offered her hand. "I'm Leah. What a team we're going to make. Mia and Leah. You ready to get to work?"
"I'm ready," I said with more enthusiasm than I felt. By her pleased expression, I must have sounded convincing.
You've got this under control, I told myself. It's going to be fine. You'll get used to the job and everything will work out.
It had to. I needed the insurance and the income. Everything was so expensive these days. It helped that I rented an apartment from my mom and step dad who gave me great rates.
The day started off busy and continued in a blur of learning. Leah was nice and patient, considering the fast paced environment. I wanted to make a good impression and learn as quickly as I could, and she seemed to respect that.
I didn't really think about my encounter with Kevin. Working in a place this size, I probably wouldn't see much of him again, anyway, but I was wrong. Around noon, he appeared to repair a window that had been damaged by a tree branch during a recent thunderstorm.
"Took you long enough to get here," Leah said when he arrived, this time dressed in a conservative button-up shirt, pants, and work boots. At first I thought she was actually busting his balls, but her teasing grin said otherwise.
"Shut up," Kevin said rather playfully. "As soon as I got the work order, I decided to come personally, Leah, just for you."
"I bet you say that to all the old ladies."
"Old? You? Just stop it." He put down his tool box and turned to me. "How's the first day going? Is Leah treating you right?"
"She's great. I'm probably driving her crazy, though. Lots of questions."
"You know what they say, the only stupid question is the one that's not asked," Leah said.
Kevin set to work and Leah and I continued preparing meals, serving customers, and cleaning up. While he fixed the window and checked around for any other repairs, I couldn't help glancing at him. He was undeniably cute. Strange, but when he left, the place felt a little empty, despite all the customers.
"Kevin is such a good guy," Leah said. "Don't know what we'd do without him around here."
"He seems very nice."
"I've been here about seven years and he's always been great. Courteous. Dependable. You don't see many people like that."
She was right. How many times had I been called to replace cleaners who did their job half-assed? Too many. Not that I was complaining. Their laziness meant more cash for me. I already missed being self-employed full time, but I told myself this is what I had to do, and so far working here wasn't so bad.
By late afternoon, I started feeling more comfortable on the job. The customer flow slowed down a little, and Leah and I chatted about TV shows and books while we worked.
A slim girl with long, dark hair and big brown eyes approached to order a soda. She wore several layers of clothes and carried a backpack.
"Hey, Casey," Leah said.
"Hey," the girl said softly. Her smile looked forced, as if she carried the weight of the world but was trying not to show it. "Can I get a diet orange soda, please?"
"Sure, honey," Leah reached for a cup, but I'd already grabbed one to fill the order.
"This is Mia. She just started today. Mia, Casey is one of our regulars. Comes by most days after school. No charge today, honey." Leah shook her head as Casey opened a change purse.
I handed the soda to Casey who thanked me in her soft voice.
As the girl walked away, Leah's smile faded and she shook her head slightly. "I don't know why, but I feel bad for her. She's here pretty often and she has a far off look, like there's always something on her mind."
"Maybe there is," I said. "I guess you never really know what's going on with other people unless they tell you."
Leah nodded. "Yeah. That's true. Well, let's get back to work. Get this place cleaned so we can blow this Popsicle stand ASAP once we close."
That night, I left work feeling more comfortable than I had before I started. Yeah, this would work out. I knew it would.