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May 28, 2007 16:44:20 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:44:20 GMT -5
Daniel Quinn put down his pen and stepped back to admire his work. "Cook needed," it read. "Inquire inside." Not bad, he thought.
What he really should have written would have went something like this: "Help needed immediately! Anyone who can put together something edible immediately run inside and find the confused looking boy who doesn't know what the hell he's gotten himself into. Will pay close to whatever you want. Might even give firstborn child."
He sighed. What had he gotten himself into anyway. There he was, 24 years old, with no prior experience of running anything. He had worked in his father's store, dealing with customers, taking inventory, and counting money, but never had he actually been in charge of running something. He breathed in deeply, the smell of must and old wood seeping into his nostrils. The place had been closed for years now. How did he imagine he would get his grandfather's pet project back up and running to its full glory again? Whatever would happen, he at least had to try. He dusted off his hands, and went and firmly pasted the sign he had just created into the window. Then he went to the front desk and sat down on a stool. Chin resting on his hand, he waited. For something. For someone. For anything.
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Kill Kilpatrick
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"But I tried didn't I? Goddamn it, at least I did that!"
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May 28, 2007 16:44:44 GMT -5
Post by Kill Kilpatrick on May 28, 2007 16:44:44 GMT -5
The wind was biting at his back and hustled him through the front door of the house. Coram Kilpatrick's feet slipped on the wet wood boards before he regained his balance again, one hand flung out to catch the doorsill.
He looked up once he'd steadied himself and locked eyes with the young man sitting behind the large desk he found himself faced with. He leaned back and pulled the door shut against the wind.
He was homeless, once again, turned out on the street for a number of reasons, ones he wouldn't get into at the moment, but it had seemed a stroke of luck that Coram had stumbled upon the Donnelly House. It was just what he needed, short term anyway.
He cleared his throat and stepped forward, lifting his chin to eye the man behind the desk.
"Any beds free?"
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Molly
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May 28, 2007 16:45:06 GMT -5
Post by Molly on May 28, 2007 16:45:06 GMT -5
Molly O'Mahoney did not waste any time standing in front of the building. She did not linger to consider what she was about to do, or to steel her nerves, or even to read the sign the whole way through. Instead, she recognized the number, marched up the steps, and was through the door before she could think twice. Before she could second guess.
It was because of this somewhat hasty action that Molly found herself on the floor mere moments later. She wasn't exactly sure how it had happened - the wooden floorboards were slick, and she was still a little unsteady in her new boots. Actually, she didn't really care how it had happened - she was too busy trying to figure out what to do next. Her fair cheeks flamed red as she started to scramble to her feet, avoiding eye contact with the tall man that she had managed to take out on her way down.
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Kill Kilpatrick
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"But I tried didn't I? Goddamn it, at least I did that!"
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May 28, 2007 16:45:24 GMT -5
Post by Kill Kilpatrick on May 28, 2007 16:45:24 GMT -5
"Jesus Christ!"
Coram added a few more colorful curses to the stream that came out of his mouth as he tumbled to the floor. He hit the wood hard, taken off gaurd by the slight girl who had slammed into him. Already off blance, Coram had fallen, arms flailing.
Once the initial shock of impact was over he stared at the girl who had knocked him over, unsure what to say after such a meeting. Instead of speaking, he pushed to his feet, rubbing his backside, and offered a hand to the girl.
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Molly
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May 28, 2007 16:45:43 GMT -5
Post by Molly on May 28, 2007 16:45:43 GMT -5
Molly saw the man's hand from the corner of her eye, but stubbornly ignored it, her face still flushed and a little hot. She regained her balance and brushed off her skirts, wildly trying to think of something else to she could distract herself with. The answer came in the form of Daniel Quinn, the bemused looking man sitting behind the desk.
She forced a smile to her face and looked at him expectantly, even taking a couple careful steps past the man whose language had assaulted her ears just moments before. She realized that completely ignoring him was not the most polite thing to do, but she really just didn't know any other way to go about it.
Maybe if she pretended nothing had happened, her embarrassment would just up and leave?
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Kill Kilpatrick
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"But I tried didn't I? Goddamn it, at least I did that!"
Posts: 48
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May 28, 2007 16:46:03 GMT -5
Post by Kill Kilpatrick on May 28, 2007 16:46:03 GMT -5
Coram was a little flabbergasted at the girl's behavior, but only a little. He'd dealt with much worse, and he was sure she had as well. After all, he didn't much blame her for ignoring his hand. She had made a pretty fool out of herself.
At the thought, Coram laughed quietly, shaking his head as though she were some adorable, misbehaving child. He let her ignore him, unbothered by it. Besides, it looked as though they were about to be living under the same roof, and Coram had no desire to make enemies so quickly.
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May 28, 2007 16:46:23 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:46:23 GMT -5
Daniel had been sitting alone at the desk for the whole afternoon and on into the night. He'd cleaned up everything, fixed everything, tidied everything he could find. Soon, he'd become just plain bored and had drifted off into a peaceful slumber until the front door swung open with a loud creak and slammed shut.
He jolted awake, feeling slightly embarrassed from nearly slamming his face into the counter and very much out of sorts. He tried to collect himself and set about tending to business. And then a hurricane came through the door. He witnessed the whole event, somewhat shocked, but very amused. Quiet throughout, he waited, and cleared his throat twice before speaking.
"Sorry," he said, careful to not chuckle in between his words. "I guess I got a little carried away with the floor wax. Wanted the place to look as nice as it...." He paused, glancing around his surroundings quickly. "....could."
He reached under the desk and pulled out the ledger. It was thick, leather bound, and brand spanking new. He opened it to the first page and produced a pen from behind his ear. "Yeah, we got beds. Thirty two of 'em to be exact. You two are my very first. Ladies rooms are the next floor up. Gentlemen's are above 'em. Just need to know your names. Sign right here and I'll assign you a room. It's a nickle a night. I'd like to offer you meals for the same price, but right now we're short a cook. Any one of you know your way around the kitchen?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
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Kill Kilpatrick
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"But I tried didn't I? Goddamn it, at least I did that!"
Posts: 48
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May 28, 2007 16:46:55 GMT -5
Post by Kill Kilpatrick on May 28, 2007 16:46:55 GMT -5
Coram stepped forward and took the pen from the man's hand. He smiled, as friendly as he could get, at Daniel and wrote his name in wide lettering. Kill Kilpatrick. It was a rare day when Coram told anyone his given name.
"Perfect." His Irish brouge was still rough and strong despite the many years spent in New York. His grin remained. "All I need is a bed. Don't require much else. Sorry about the food though." He shrugged, setting the pen down and spreading his big hands flat on the desk. "'Fraid I don't know much about cooking." He sent Daniel an apologetic look. "I'm quiet though, and I don't bite."
Upon those words he sent a wink to the girl standing alongside him. Coram looked back up at the proprietor and stepped back from the desk. "Perhaps better luck with the lass."
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May 28, 2007 16:47:26 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:47:26 GMT -5
Daniel took the pen and wrote a quick 5 by Kill's name. Kill, huh? He hoped that it wasn't his real name, and he also hoped it wasn't a nickname based on his favourite pastime. Daniel didn't bother asking what his real name was. He didn't really need to know, as long as he paid on time and didn't cause any trouble. "You'll be in room 5," he told Kill. "Up two flights of stairs, first door on your left. The washroom's at the end of the hall. Take any bed you want, since there's no one else here. If you ever do require anything, and can't find me here, my room's right over there." He pointed behind him, in the back left corner of the room. "Just have the decency to knock first."
He looked down at his ledger and scrawled a number 1 by the next line. "Miss? You'll be in room one, if that's alright. Please sign here."
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Molly
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May 28, 2007 16:47:47 GMT -5
Post by Molly on May 28, 2007 16:47:47 GMT -5
Molly, who had been watching the tall man leave, was jolted out of her thoughts with Daniel's "Miss?"
She turned back to the desk and flashed another nervous smile, then took the pen and signed her name (Miss Molly O'Mahoney) in careful and painstakingly slow cursive. Satisfied, she set the pen down and placed a nickel alongside it.
"Thank you," she said, retrieving her carpet bag from the floor, "but I don't know if I'll be much help, either." Then she hesitated and tilted her head a little. "How, ah... how much does it pay, again?"
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May 28, 2007 16:48:12 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:48:12 GMT -5
Daniel smiled, laughing a little to himself. How much does it pay? He wondered if she would take payment in marbles or nails because that's really all he had.
"Well," he said slowly, scratching his head. "Right now I can't offer much. Free room and board is all - and my undying gratitude. Don't know if that'll mean much to ya though. When...and if...we get more boarders, I can figure up a sum, but for now, I'm a wee bit on the side of broke." He shrugged as he said it, even laughed at himself out loud. But inside, he hated to admit it. Hated to admit how much he would be relying on others for his livelihood. He should have listened to his father and just worked in his shop. He should have never gone off chasing dreams, especially his grandfather's.
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Molly
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May 28, 2007 16:48:41 GMT -5
Post by Molly on May 28, 2007 16:48:41 GMT -5
She hesitated again, weighing her options. She did have a little money - just what she had recently saved - but no job prospects. She wasn't comfortable in a kitchen, but she could work with it and was sure that things would only get easier.
The man - Daniel - was watching her closely. Maybe she could find some other job, work double, until he had earned enough from the boarders to give her a salary. At least she would have a free (and clean!) place to sleep.
Molly set her bag back down slowly, almost cautiously. Finally, she said, "Well... I think maybe I'm interested in that."
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May 28, 2007 16:49:11 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:49:11 GMT -5
He could have kissed her right then. Jumped the counter, picked her up, and kissed her. Instead, he pushed his cap back on his head and looked at her wide eyed. "Really?" he asked, his sheer glee coming through in his voice. "Well, um, lemme show you your kitchen." He leapt over the counter and motioned for her to follow as he walked across the lobby.
"Name's Daniel, by the way," he said, extending his hand. "Don't know if I remembered my manners and introduced myself properly." He walked her to the kitchen and the flipped on the light switch. "Voila!" he said with a wave of his hand. "The pantry's over there. It's pretty huge and also pretty empty. Full of cans and jars of things. I've been living off of bread and jam. We'll have to get you some real food. It's not bad though - lots of space. Pretty modern appliances, seeing how old the building is. Think you could do something in here?"
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Molly
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May 28, 2007 16:49:50 GMT -5
Post by Molly on May 28, 2007 16:49:50 GMT -5
She gazed about the room, impressed and also a little intimidated. She was already second-guessing her decision, but Daniel had seemed so happy at her acceptance that she couldn't even consider taking it back. So she smiled a little and just nodded, not trusting any words.
"So, will I start in the morning?"She hoped that she could get settled in a little before getting to work - and she also hoped that there was a recipe book or two in one of those old cupboards.
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May 28, 2007 16:50:14 GMT -5
Post by Daniel on May 28, 2007 16:50:14 GMT -5
"Oh yeah. Yeah. The morning's fine. Hell, start next week if you want to. You'll probably wanna get acquainted with your surroundings. Probably try out a few things. Take your time. I love bread and jam. Could eat it for days. We've got lots of jam....and...." He did a mental scan of the pantry's contents as he spoke. "....um, pickles." He smiled, a wide, lopsided grin painted on his face.
"I 've got money for supplies and things. You could do the shopping, or I could. Not sure I'd come back with the right stuff though. Probably better if you do it. And if you ever need someone to taste test, I'm your man. I've got a stomach of lead. My ma was trying to teach my kid sister how to cook one summer. For months we ate burnt food, raw food, overly salty food...if I can live though that, nothing can phase me."
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