The only benefit to this job was the free food. The ONLY benefit.
Otherwise, Caleb really hated being the sole staff member at "The Golden Burger" in downtown New Hope, Pennsylvania. His boss, Brian, was nice enough, but the smells, sounds, and muck that always seemed to follow him home at the end of each day were enough to drive any man mad.
The worst part was when he had to work at the register, handling customer orders... and all the complaints that came with them.
"My food is too cold. Put this in the oven and heat it again." "I told you, NO onions on my burger! I found three pieces hiding under my lettuce, so I want a new burger." "I don't want that box of fries, I want the one right next to them." "Why do I only have two packages of ketchup? I specifically asked for three." "You put too much mustard on this. Can you scrape it off?" "What do you mean I can't get a refund! I only ate half of it!"
Unconsciously, Caleb's hands began to squeeze the steering wheel a little tighter than was necessary, and the pressure made the truck drift slowly toward the parked cars on the side of the street. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had to jerk the vehicle away, narrowly missing a rear-view mirror in the process.
Enough reminiscing. He vowed to pay strict attention to the road until he reached his next and final stop.
Unlike shop work, Caleb rather enjoyed making deliveries. He could turn the station to whatever he felt in the mood for- today was a classics day, so he was listening to Doctor Dre and Tupac- and all he had to worry about was delivering the right sandwich to the right customer. An insulated pack on the passenger side seat kept the food warm and his clipboard and GPS kept him going in the right direction.
Best part was, if anyone had any complaints to make about their food, by the time they were ready to make them, he would already be 5-10 minutes away, heading toward his next location. All comments on delivered food went to the 800-line for the restaurant that patched directly to Brian McGillivray's office, where his Irish charm and easy-going manner soothed all kinds of disgruntled customers. The prime beef and fresh products certainly weren't the only reason people kept coming to The Golden Burger.
Caleb continued moving down Richmond until he hit Main and turned right at the fire station. This was the closest thing to a shopping district New Hope would ever get. It was a 6 block stretch of road on a shallow hill, bordered on both sides by shops, restaurants, and businesses of all sorts. Main was the only road in and out of town, so the Shopping District, small as it was, kept itself afloat by the steady traffic that flowed through the town every day.
His last stop was on the fifth of the six blocks of the shopping district-Bob Doe, manager and liscensed veterenarian of the New Hope Animal Clinic- and he pulled into one of the empty parking spaces in front of the glass-fronted building. Doc Doe was an easy enough customer to serve- he never did anything but sign for his burger and offer a decent tip. Never bothered with idle chatter or making him stick around so the burger could be double-checked. He wasn't much of a people person, and Caleb guessed that the only things he really cared about were his patients, #9 special with bacon, swiss and red onions, and his little assistant that he enjoys bickering with.
Whatever floats his boat. None of his business.
Caleb grabbed his clipboard to record the time he arrived. 5:18pm. He yawned once, then stuck the board under his arm, grabbed the last paper bag from the insulated pack, and maneuvered out of the truck. Doc was wonderfully predictable, so if all went according to plan, Caleb would be in and out in under two and a half-