If you want to read 20 Chapters ahead, be sure to check out my P-Tang12!!!
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(A/N: Don't forget to give those power stones to Skyrim everyone!)
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The laughter continued until Jasper abruptly entered into the conversation. The manager stepped into the break room, wiping his hands on his pristine apron, a stern, no nonsense look on his face. Jasper jokingly says, crossing his arms, "Well, if none of them are working, they certainly wouldn't get paid today. Break time is over, gentlemen. Table four needs clearing, and we have a line out the front."
The threat of lost wages, even jokingly delivered, was highly effective. The employees immediately leaped from their seats. They practically scrambled over each other to leave the break room, pushing through the swinging doors toward the dining patio.
While leaving, they called out in unison, "Of course, manager! Right away, manager! Don't worry, we're on it!"
Mary-Beth laughed aloud, a bright, musical sound, seeing these antics. The sight of hardened outlaws like Sean and Lenny scurrying to obey a civilian restaurant manager was endlessly entertaining to her.
Before then, Caleb gently guided her by the small of her back. He had her sit down at a small, private table tucked away in the corner of the break room, away from the chaos of the main kitchen but close enough to smell the food.
"Wait right here, Mrs. Thorne," Caleb winked, using the title again to make her smile. "I'll be right back."
While she settled in, pulling a small notebook from her pocket to jot down some thoughts, he went to the kitchen to join Simon and Troy.
The kitchen was a hot, chaotic symphony of sizzling meat, clanging pots, and shouting orders. Simon and Troy were working the massive iron grill, sweat beading on their foreheads as they flipped dozens of thick beef patties.
"Boss is in the kitchen!" Troy called out, wiping his brow.
"Step aside, gentlemen," Caleb said, rolling up his sleeves and tying a clean white apron around his waist. "I need the prime spot on the grill. The owner is cooking for his lady today."
Simon and Troy gladly made room, watching with a mixture of respect and professional curiosity as the boss took over.
Where he will make the burgers and fries himself for him and Mary-Beth. Caleb didn't just cook, he utilized his max level Cooking Skill. His hands moved with terrifying, beautiful precision.
He took two massive, half pound balls of freshly ground, premium beef and smashed them flat onto the screaming hot iron griddle. The sizzle was deafening, the smell of rendering beef fat instantly filling the room.
He seasoned them perfectly from a high altitude, raining down coarse sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and a secret blend of smoked paprika and garlic powder he had personally developed. While the crust developed on the meat, locking in the juices, his knife blurred as he sliced a large Idaho potato into perfectly uniform, thin sticks.
He dropped the fries into a vat of bubbling, golden beef tallow. They hissed violently, instantly beginning to turn a beautiful, crispy golden brown.
He flipped the burgers, the crust dark and caramelized. He laid thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese over the meat, covering them with a steel dome and a splash of water to steam the cheese into a perfectly melted, gooey blanket.
He toasted the brioche buns on the flat top, smearing them with a tangy, house made sauce, crisp iceberg lettuce, and thick slices of ripe, red tomatoes.
He assembled the masterpieces in seconds, sliding them onto two pristine ceramic plates, flanking them with towering mountains of the perfectly salted, golden fries. The visual presentation alone was enough to make a man weep.
But he wasn't done. He removed his apron, washing his hands quickly. Also, he goes to take some ice cream as well for Mary-Beth.
He exited the back door of the kitchen, stepping out into the cool shade. He walked to the cold shed situated directly behind the restaurant. It was a heavily insulated, thick-walled structure packed with massive blocks of ice shipped down from the Grizzlies via their ice breaker. Inside, it was freezing.
He unlocked a special metal lockbox and retrieved a small, frost covered tin. Inside was a batch of incredibly rare, hand churned vanilla ice cream that wasade by the boys and the girl.
He carried the freezing tin back inside, grabbing two small spoons. He placed the heavy plates of burgers and fries onto a large serving tray, added the tin of ice cream, and carried the entire feast back into the break room.
Mary-Beth looked up from her notebook as he approached. Her eyes widened at the sheer size and smell of the food he was carrying.
"Caleb," she breathed, her mouth watering instantly. "That looks... absolutely divine."
"Only the best for you, Mary-Beth," Caleb said, setting the tray down on the table. He took his seat across from her, pushing a plate toward her. "Burger, fries, and a little something sweet from the cold shed to finish it off."
They sat together in the quiet corner of the busy restaurant, eating the incredible food. The burger was a revelation, juicy, intensely flavorful, the melted cheese and secret sauce perfectly complementing the savory beef. The fries were impossibly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
As they ate, listening to the muffled sounds of laughter and clinking glasses from the patio outside, Caleb looked at Mary-Beth. Her face was flushed with happiness, a smudge of ketchup on the corner of her lip, completely relaxed and safe.
Caleb wiped the smudge with his thumb, the gesture incredibly gentle, and with a small chuckle says to Mary-Beth to eat slowly, as the foods wouldn't gone away. "It's all yours, darling. No one is going to steal it."
Mary-Beth nodded her head with a bright smile at Caleb, her cheeks flushed with the simple joy of the moment. She took a more delicate bite of the burger, savoring the rich flavors.
And as they continue to eat and drink from a cold glass of water that Caleb poured from a sweating pitcher into a glass for the two of them to share, the bustling sounds of the kitchen behind them seemed to fade into a comfortable background hum.
It was at this time Jasper finally joined them. The young man that Caleb saved in the past in the dark, twisted Rhodes gunsmith basement had changed remarkably. He was no longer the terrified, broken boy chained to a bed frame.
The clean air of Valentine, the responsibility of a legitimate job, and the unyielding protection of Caleb Thorne had transformed him. He stood taller now, his shoulders broad under a crisp white shirt, his face clean shaven and filled with a sharp, intelligent confidence. He had become even more mature.
He walked over to their quiet corner table, wiping his hands on a towel. He greeted the boss and the madam, of course, offering a respectful nod to Mary-Beth, while apologizing to Caleb for making him wait. "Sorry to keep you, Boss. Lunch rush is hitting hard today. A whole cattle drive just rolled in from Emerald Ranch."
Caleb shook his head, leaning back in his chair with an easy, relaxed posture. He says, "Why would you apologize, Jasper? It's normal for me to wait. After all, you are busy running the floor, and it's because of you now that my restaurant worked very well." Caleb gestured to the sounds of the packed patio outside. "You've built a tight ship here."
Jasper chuckled, a genuine sound of pride, thanking the boss for the compliment. Before then, Jasper's tone shifted to the business at hand.
"I've got the ledger tallied, boss," Jasper explained, keeping his voice low so as not to draw attention from the kitchen staff. "Which I have put into a secure lock box. I have to take that lock box first from the office safe." Jasper paused, confirming the usual protocol. "Cash as usual, right boss?"
Caleb nodded his head at that, confirming the untraceable method he preferred for all his legitimate businesses. Saying, "Yes, cash as usual, Jasper. Just give me the lock box, and I will bring it back with me as I will leave town right after you give me the money."
Jasper nodded his head at that, his expression turning entirely professional, before leaving for a moment to take the money from a secure place that only he is the one who know it.
Caleb and Mary-Beth waited for a moment in the quiet corner. Mary-Beth finished the last of her fries, completely satisfied, while Caleb finished his coffee.
Shortly after, Jasper returned to the restaurant where he entered through the back door in the kitchen, bringing the heavy, black iron lock box with him. He navigated smoothly past the busy cooks and walked over to their table, and then put it on the table with a solid, metallic thunk.
Jasper leaned in, wiping his brow, and saying to Caleb that, "Boss, you shouldn't always bring the lock box with you every single time."
Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"
"Because," Jasper explained with a long-suffering sigh of a man trying to manage expenses, "I have to buy a new one each time you take the lock box with you. The hardware store is starting to ask questions about what I'm doing with so many strongboxes."
Caleb chuckles deeply at the practical complaint. Saying, "Sorry for that, Jasper. But I need a secure, inconspicuous case to bring all of that money with me, right? A canvas sack tends to draw the wrong kind of attention on the road."
Caleb reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a crisp twenty dollar bill, sliding it across the table toward the manager. "And also, you can use my money to buy the new lockbox so that the money for the restaurant's daily operations and for the staff wages wouldn't be cut for a small amount. Keep the books clean."
Jasper looked at the twenty dollar bill, which was more than enough to buy five strongboxes, and could only sigh, shaking his head at the boss's casual disregard for minor expenses.
"You always have an answer, don't you, boss?" Jasper pocketed the bill smoothly, before giving him the small brass key of the lockbox.
"Part of my charm." Caleb pocketed the key Jasper handed him.
Jasper lingered for a moment, looking over his shoulder toward the empty desk in his office. He then asked, "When will Mr. Strauss come back here?"
Caleb looked at Jasper, slightly surprised by the question. "Herr Strauss? I have him assigned to a massive project up in Strawberry right now. Why?"
Jasper rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly embarrassed. "Because I actually miss the strict old man." Jasper laughed self deprecatingly. "Because with him here, I could rest easy with the handling of the restaurant's finance. I'm good at managing the floor, ordering supplies, keeping the cooks in line... but the ledgers? Because it was handled by a much more meticulous and smart man like him, I didn't have to worry about a single decimal point."
Mary-Beth, hearing that, let out a bright, musical chuckle. "I never thought I'd hear anyone say they missed Mr. Strauss. He's so... severe."
After all, the Austrian accountant was notorious within the gang for being overly strict, humorless, and a stickler for the smallest details.
Jasper, who heard that, also nodded his head in complete agreement, a rueful smile on his face.
"He is. But he's also brilliant. I got a massive headache having to do both managing the floor operations and balancing the financial book again after not doing it for some time, thanks to Mr. Strauss taking it over," Jasper complained good naturedly. "I will take a strict, nagging Mr. Strauss over these accounting headaches at any time of the day."
Caleb at this time chimed in with a warm, reassuring smile. Knowing the massive scale of the hotel project in Strawberry, it would be a long time before Strauss was free. "He will return when his job in the other place ended, Jasper. It's a big project, so it might be a while. So keep your spirit up. You're doing a phenomenal job."
Caleb offered a practical solution. "And if you feel overwhelmed by the numbers or the crowds, you can have the others replace you to oversee the floor operations for a moment. Put Lenny in charge of the patio for an hour while you do the books. He's smart enough to handle the customers."
Jasper nodded his head at that, taking the advice to heart. The lunch rush bell dinged sharply from the front counter, signaling another wave of hungry patrons.
"I have to go back to man the window counter now," Jasper said, straightening his apron.
Caleb nodded his head, picking up the heavy iron lockbox. Saying, "Yes, of course you can continue your work, Jasper. We won't keep you. Me and Mary-Beth will leave the town now."
Mary-Beth, hearing that, gracefully stood up from her seat, brushing a few stray crumbs from her riding skirt. The both of them waved goodbye to Jasper, who offered a quick salute before rushing back into the chaos of the kitchen.
Where Caleb held the lock box securely under one arm, ensuring it was out of sight, and the both of them left through the backdoor of the restaurant, stepping out into the cool shade of the alleyway behind the building, avoiding the crowded patio entirely.
Once they were clear of the building and standing near the edge of the treeline that bordered the town, Caleb whistled sharply for Morgan.
The intelligent mare, whom he had left hitched near the front, immediately recognized the specific pitch of his whistle. She arrived soon after hearing it, trotting briskly around the side of the building, her saddle leathers creaking softly. "You called?" she projected, skidding to a halt in front of them.
Caleb stepped forward, patting her neck. He helped Mary-Beth get up first onto Morgan, lifting her effortlessly so she could sit comfortably. Before then, he gave the heavy iron lockbox to her to hold securely in her lap. And then Caleb got on Morgan, swinging his leg over the saddle and taking the reins.
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Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 8/10
- Agility: 8/10
- Perception: 9/10
- Stamina: 8/10
- Charm: 8/10
- Luck: 9/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl MAX)
- Rifle (Lvl MAX)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl MAX)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl MAX)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 2)
- Sneaking (Lvl MAX)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl MAX)
- Poker (Lvl MAX)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl MAX)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 2)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 4)
- Bow (Lvl 3)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 4)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 3)
- Crafting (Lvl MAX)
- Persuasion (Lvl MAX)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl MAX)
- Teaching (Lvl 3)
- Trilingual Language Proficiency - G, I, & C (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 50x50x50)
- Acting (Lvl MAX)
- Alcohol Resistance (Lvl MAX)
- Treasure Hunter (Lvl MAX)
- Drugs Resistance (Lvl MAX)
- Business (Lvl 2)
- Leadership (Lvl 2)
Money: 3,322 dollars and 60 cents
Inventory: 250,992 dollars and 61 cents, 11 gold nuggets, 70 gold bars, 1 Double Action, 1 Schofield, 2 Colm's Schofields, 1 land deed (Parcel), 1 Mauser, 1 Semi Auto Pistol, 1 Lancaster Repeater, 1 Old Wood Jewelry Box, 1 F.F Mausoleum small brass key, 1 Ruby, 1 Braithwaites Land Deed, 1 Broken Pirate Sword, 1 Milton's Safety Deposit Key, 1 Senator Pendleton Sealed Envelope, Proof Of Marlin-Thorne Firearms Co., 10 Dynamites, 1 LeMat, 1 M1899, 1 Carcano, & 1 Ownership deed of Doyle's Tavern
Bank: -