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Everywhere I went, he’s at my side.
Brownie would tuck his gun out of sight and fasten a pristine apron around his waist, and follow me around the tavern. “Master Attendant, how may I be of service?”
Considering I’m currently holding an entire case of tequila in both arms, all I can do is huff and plop it onto the bartop. “Brownie. I love you, but I have five more of these-“ I nod to the case of booze on the counter. “What I really need right now is some help.”
Brownie’s not the most... physical Food Soul among the few that I watch over, so I’m a little surprised when he raises an eyebrow, shuffles out of the room and returns a few minutes later, cradled in his arms two bottles of gin.
I have to suppress a laugh.
Brownie sets both bottles on top of the polished counter, and turns to me, waiting for acknowledgment.
“Oh, Brownie...” I sigh, but nod, telling him which bottles to come back with before stepping behind the bar itself.
He’s a handful, that I can already tell.
“Everyone ready?” I say a few hours later, smoothing my hands over my shirt, shaking any loose crumbs off.
“Yes, Master Attendant,” Milk says from where she’s standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Hawthorne Ball and Sandwich are already prepared in the kitchen.”
“Tum Yum and Crepe are upstairs already,” Black Tea says softly as she appears from the door to upstairs, locking it with the key at her belt. Me and Milk are the only others with keys - mine is on a long cord around my neck. “Why is Brownie still here?” She cocks her head at me.
“I’m helping!” He insists, frowning and crossing his arms over his chest.
“The busier this place gets, the more help we need.” I sigh. “Until I do another Summoning, and who knows when that’ll be, he stays.”
“As you say, Master Attendant,” Black Tea nods solemnly from where she stands beside Milk, their hands linked together.
“Alright, let’s do this then.” I roll up my shirtsleeves and step underneath the bar.
Once I’m behind it, I nod to Milk, who takes the key she has on her own length of ribbon around her neck and unlocks the tavern’s front door. “Let’s do this.”
“Simple syrup!” I shout down the bar, and a moment later there’s a bottle of the stuff sliding down to my end of the back counter. Brownie is stacking clean glasses, his normal apron replaced with one of the tavern’s in a rich red, treble clef embroidered onto the pocket.
I pour the syrup into a shaker bottle along with rum and lime juice and within a few seconds I have the two requested mojitos ready, passing them to the customers at the bar.
“Master Attendant, I need two white wines, please,” I hear Milk say from where she’s standing at the server’s side station at the bar.
“One second,” I grab a bottle from the fridge under the counter and find Brownie beside me, his hands holding two wine glasses. “Thank you.” I nod, taking the stemware.
I set the full glasses onto the horned Food Soul’s waiting tray, and watch as Milk glides through the tavern before taking my attention back to my patrons at the bar. Everyone looks happy, and I take an empty plate from somebody before refreshing their drink with a smile. It’s only about eight o’clock, and the tavern isn’t completely full, but still looks a little busy for just Black Tea & Milk to handle themselves.
And then a large group of young men enter, all laughing and cheering; walking beside them are their Food Souls, and it appears they must have been out fighting. I look at the nearly-married Souls of my own, both busy with patrons already. “Brownie!” I shout down the bar, and the young Food Soul turns at his name. “Go grab a tray and help the folks who just entered but don’t get in Milk or Black Tea’s way, OK?”
“Okay!” He says quickly before slipping under the bar and off toward the new patrons. I keep my eyes on him as I continue to mix and pour drinks, only stopping as Sandwich comes from the kitchen with hot food for my bartop folks. I slide plates of savory pies, and platters of meat and cheeses to laughing patrons, and refill mugs of ale, beer and cider before I realize I’ve lost track of Brownie amongst the crowd building inside.
I eventually spot him talking to a table with two punk girls and their Food Souls (a Sweet Tofu and a Cola, who are both laughing at something someone said), and I have a moment of fear, but I see the smiles and laughs and brush it off for later.
But those fears are for nothing, because at the end of the night, after I’ve locked up the doors and the last dishes are being stacked to dry, Brownie comes to me and empties out his apron pockets - gold and silver spill out over the dark wood of the counter. “For you, Master Attendant,” he nods.
I run a hand over the tips - Milk & Black Tea receive them too, but never this much in one night. “Brownie, how did you…?”
“It is simply part of being the best butler I can for you, Master Attendant.”
I smile at this boy, who just wants nothing more than to make my life easier, and I let out a sigh before pushing the coins into my lockbox along with the others. “Brownie, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
As we’re walking up the stairs to the living quarters, Brownie escorts me to my room. Outside the door, he nods and bows. “Until tomorrow.”
“Thank you for everything, Brownie,” I smile again, and kiss his forehead. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
The blush spreading across his dark-skinned face is more than enough for me to understand what he’s feeling.
“Good night, Brownie.” I say, closing the bedroom door behind me.