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You had heard from Pierrot that it was Ticket Taker’s birthday coming up, but to be honest, it was hard to get a grasp of his personality, let alone just know what exactly he would want for his birthday.
He was one of those people that was definitely all business. Given his stern tone of voice and how he seemed to be the one that held a majority of the circus together, you thought for sure he would be a Capricorn. Since his birthday was today, it turns out he’s a Cancer. He definitely had the loyal quality that the water sign frequently possessed, and he had an air of mystery about him that reminded you of the moon. You knew this was going to be one of the toughest birthday gifts you would have to put together for him.
After your experience in his blue tent the first night at the circus, catching the reflection of a familiar face in one of the mirrors, you knew you saw him at the café before. The man in the blue suit that tried to give you the pink ticket. Come to think of it, the man did say he would be leaving town soon, so you assumed Ticket Taker wouldn’t appear in the café with his mysterious other identity ever again.
That was, until his birthday.
That familiar blue suited man walked into the café with its signature door chime. Half of his face always had this sort of shadow to it. You thought it was a trick of the light before, but this time made it clear that it wasn’t the case.
He brought a newspaper with him, as well as a work binder with what appeared to be some important documents. Likely some logistics with the circus no doubt.
Once he had a minute to comfortably set up in a nearby booth, you knew you had to speak to Ticket Taker. The boss was busy in the back and it was just you up at the front. With a deep breath to give your body a signal that it was “stage mode” time, you approached his table.
“Good morning, sir. Can I get you anything?”
If he recognized you, he gave no indication.
“A double espresso, please.”
His voice was a bit grated in tone. You could tell from being this close that he was exhausted. And the drink of choice was definitely a clue.
“Coming right up.”
You headed back behind the counter to start the espresso machine, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of empathy for him.
Ticket Taker always seemed so put together at the circus, but that appeared to be part of his stage presence. While Jester was the apparent leader of the troupe and the one who called the shots, Ticket Taker was the head of the logistics, planning, and no doubt numerous expenses and budgeting.
And with how he was here instead of presumably in his trailer or tent, you could only think that something must’ve happened. Almost immediately, a vivid vision came to mind of Pierrot chasing down Harlequin, all while chaos ensued, fabric ripped, and knives were thrown and caught in places that absolutely didn’t need knives. Add in the bonus sounds of something shattering in the distance, hoping it wasn’t a mirror, and the cherry on top was that all of that happened before 10:00 in the morning.
You could feel a migraine starting in your head just thinking about it.
The rich warm scent of the double espresso broke you out of your thoughts and brought you comfortably back into the café. Maybe that’s why Ticket Taker came here to work. A change of pace with a relaxing atmosphere, a warm drink, and some gentle music. Probably with orders to Pierrot and Harlequin to clean up their mess and “have it better than how it was before by the time he gets back.”
Without adding anything extra like sugar or milk, you placed it onto a saucer and brought it to his table. It was set down within his reach but safely kept away from the documents.
“One double espresso, sir.”
You could see Ticket Taker’s eye shift up to your face before glancing at the cup.
“Thank you.”
“Of course. Would you like anything else, sir?”
Ticket Taker seemed to hesitate at that question, halfway bringing the cup of espresso to his lips when he started to mull over his answer.
“No, there’s no need for anything else right now.” He answered, setting his cup back down on the saucer with barely a sound. Ticket Taker could definitely lead some classes on proper etiquette, but what stood out to you was what exactly he said, and against your better judgement, you decided to offer some pushback.
“I understand there’s no need for anything else, sir, but are you sure you wouldn’t like something to eat?”
His head slowly turned to face you, lowering the newspaper in his hand to the table. What made it all the worse was that the background music in the café couldn’t make a dent in how intimidating Ticket Taker was when the room was quiet.
“Excuse me?”
As much as you felt every nerve in your body practically scream in panic, you took a measured breath and offered to explain.
“I was concerned if you had eaten anything already this morning. Some customers have a pastry to go with it to avoid an upset stomach or a migraine.”
It was hard to tell what exactly he was thinking given his expression. He glanced back down at his work, almost like he was taking in just how many documents he still had to go through and file away. It definitely was a mountain, and though he was clearly good at his work given his penmanship, it would definitely be taking at least an hour. No wonder he decided the booth was a better option.
With a sigh, Ticket Taker started to massage his temple, feeling a headache already start to form as he gave his answer.
“Very well. I’ll be fine with something more simple and savory. I’ll leave it to your discretion.”
“Sure thing, sir. Any food preferences or allergies I should know about?”
“No, I’m fine with most foods. Just nothing too sweet.”
With a nod, you left him to his work before making your way towards the kitchen window. You motioned for the boss to head over so you could speak quietly, and thankfully he caught on almost immediately.
“What’s up?” He asked as he threw his used towel over his shoulder. Guess that’s why he was so busy in the back.
“I know it’s a bit early, but do you think you could put together a turkey club sandwich and some chicken noodle soup?”
“Already?” The boss asked, raising an eyebrow. He peered into the café through the window and noticed the occupied booth. “I take it this will be for the customer in the suit?”
“Yeah, he’s a…friend of mine.” You managed to say without completely fumbling your words. Truly, Ticket Taker was more of an acquaintance at this point. At least, from what you could read from the suited performer’s body language and temperament around you. You weren’t sure what sort of relationship you wanted with him, but amicable would be a start.
“He’s been having a bit of a rough morning. And I found out today’s his birthday. Go ahead and put it on my tab.”
The boss could see the stack of paperwork at Ticket Taker’s table from the kitchen window and grimaced. Even tax preparers didn’t want a stack of papers that high on their birthday. “Heard. You got something in mind for his birthday?”
You nodded. You had the perfect thing, but it would be of course once Ticket Taker was ready to leave.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the boss to get everything beautifully arranged in their dishes. A cup of steaming chicken noodle soup and a turkey club sandwich placed side by side on a long plate. You couldn’t thank the boss enough for putting this together. You brought it over to the booth, and found a suitable spot to set it down separate from Ticket Taker’s papers. Only when you moved the plate into Ticket Taker’s line of sight did he seem to register you were back.
“One turkey club sandwich with chicken noodle soup.” You quietly announced as you also set a silverware roll next to the plate. “Let me know if you need anything else, sir.”
Ticket Taker could only nod and quietly mumble a thank you as you walked away to give him some privacy.
It would be hard to avoid looking back over at his booth to see if he enjoyed his food, but you knew he needed some privacy. With only a few scattered customers coming in to order coffee and other drinks, there wasn’t much else to keep you occupied other than making sure all the menus were put away properly, fixing the chairs without making too much noise, and finding other sorts of chores around the store you could do quietly while keeping your eyes off of the booth in the corner.
You were nearly at the point you needed to take your fifteen minute break when you turned to see that Ticket Taker was standing at the counter. You swore you didn’t hear him get up from the booth, but to your surprise, you could see bare dishes stacked neatly at the edge of the table, completely with the napkin folded over the silverware.
He had his work tucked under his arm, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but his expression and overall appearance seemed… lighter? Like he was ready to head back to the circus and have some proper rest now that most of his work was done.
“How was everything, sir?” You asked. It was a standard customer service question, but you couldn’t deny you were curious.
“It seems… I really did need more than just the coffee.” He reluctantly admitted. “I appreciate the recommendation.”
While you were a bit disappointed to not hear what he thought about the food itself, it gave you a bit of joy to know that he truly did enjoy something more than just coffee.
“I should have more than enough here to cover the meal and the espresso.” He said as he presented his money to you.
“Oh don’t worry, sir. We appreciate you stopping by again. I went ahead and comped your meal for today.”
You swore the room froze with how his visible eye widened at that statement. And of course everything was going reasonably well until now. He leaned in closer over the counter, his money still in his hand.
“I’m afraid I must insist on proper payment.” From his pointed tone, you could tell there was some sort of line crossed. And yet he was still polite about it.
“I understand sir, and I apologize.” You said, trying to think of anything else to keep your tone calm. Once he was able to pay for the meal and the espresso, his expression softened and that seemed to appease him.
“I appreciate the gesture, though as kind as it is, this is still a business. Your time and work should be paid for.” He clarified, adding an extra amount of cash on the side as part of your tip and some for the boss.
You could understand. It probably was some sort of rule at the circus too. There was probably some sort of rule regarding gifts and bribery. Not to mention with everyone working every day at the circus. Handing out flyers during the day to performing at night, everyone was no doubt exhausted by all the work that they do.
But you knew of one particular loophole that just might work for the last remaining “gift” you wanted to give to Ticket Taker. It was still his birthday after all.
“Before you leave, I was wondering if you would be interested in something to take back with you.” From behind the counter, you presented a cake box. Opening it, you revealed an absolutely delicious looking chocolate ganache covered chocolate espresso cake.
“As I just said, I don’t-”
“I understand sir, but this isn’t charity.” You interrupted, hopefully in the most polite way you could. “Someone ordered a cake from us but had to cancel. Because this cake was made to order, we were still paid, but now we have this cake taking up space in our display. Would you be interested in taking it off our hands?”
Ticket Taker glanced up into your eyes, and something told you he was trying to see if you were lying. Against every reflex to glance to the side, you kept your eyes on his singular one before he heaved a sigh.
You weren’t sure if Ticket Taker was tired of arguing, or had to reluctantly submit to your loophole. Gifts and bribes weren’t allowed, but this cake was already paid for. There wasn’t a hidden favor in this gesture. Just a café that didn’t want this cake in their inventory, and didn’t want to senselessly throw it away.
“Fine. If customers are going to be rude enough to cancel at the last minute and leave this cake here to rot, the least I can do is take it off your hands.” You weren’t sure if you saw a faint smile cross his face. It was nice to theorize there was, but you didn’t dare to assume.
“Thank you, sir. Hope to see you again soon!”
Maybe it was from his work in the circus, but Ticket Taker was able to carry his work and the cake box without too much of a strain. With a final nod of acknowledgement, he finally exited through the door, the familiar jingle signaling that he finally left.
You swore you could finally breathe a sigh of relief, groaning as you folded your arms on the counter. Dozens of angry customers, screaming children, and equipment failing or breaking at a crucial time was nothing compared to the stress you felt during that whole exchange. It was incredibly painful, but honestly well worth it to have Ticket Taker head out with a cake for his birthday.
The boss stepped out from the kitchen for a moment and turned to you. “Is your friend alright?”
“Yeah, but he’s a bit stubborn. He insisted on paying for the meal.”
The boss nodded. “I’ve dealt with some customers like that. Some get angry, wondering if you thought they couldn’t pay or weren’t going to pay. Others have their pride hurt. And there are some that think you’re going to hold a favor over their head by letting you do that.”
From what you knew so far about the circus and from Ticket Taker’s tent, that last option was probably the most likely. With how much freedom the circus has, every single one of the people in the circus has probably dealt with someone wanting some sort of favor. No doubt Ticket Taker has probably dealt with people using bribery and unsolicited gifts to try and get tickets or favors from the circus members. The thought alone made you shudder.
Speaking of customers, the midday rush was starting to get underway, and it wasn’t long before the morning faded into another average day at the café.
By the time your shift was over, you were finally able to head over to the circus, red ticket in hand.
Like always, Ticket Taker was at the front entrance. He was in his usual circus attire, complete with top hat, two-toned mask, and impeccable suit. Still hard at work from what you could see.
Maybe work was what made him happy? It could’ve been a way for the day to pass by faster? You had to admit, just watching him continue to work was making you exhausted already. As the line slowly moved forward, an idea came to mind. Perhaps it was the loud music and sounds of the circus affecting you, but you couldn’t resist this one last thing to help Ticket Taker celebrate his birthday. One that hopefully cut off any unnecessary offers of bribery or favors from anyone in line. At least for a while.
Soon enough, you were next in line and immediately Ticket Taker zeroed in on you.
“Guest with the Red Ticket, so nice to see you again. I take it you’re here for Pierrot’s show?”
Though the welcome was friendly, you knew it was measured and practiced. He already stated that he was going to keep an eye on you, but there was no way he could predict what you were going to do next.
“I am, but I just wanted to say something before heading in.” Instead of continuing to face him, you turned toward the line of attendants behind you and announced with as much projection as you could muster.
“I hope everyone wishes you a wonderful birthday tonight on their way in!”
The first few people in line immediately started to cheer, already hyped up by the glitz and glamour of the circus, and that in turn got a few more people in line excited.
You swore his eye was boring a hole into the back of your head. Ticket Taker was not one for surprises or for situations like this, but you couldn’t help but continue.
“Can everyone who can hear me help me sing Happy Birthday to this hard working guy right here?”
Once again, there were a few more cheers, followed by a fairly rushed rendition of Happy Birthday. Glancing back at Ticket Taker, his eye was still staring directly at you. You weren’t sure if it was anger, confusion, or shock, and didn’t plan on staying in his line of sight to find out.
With a final ‘thank you all so much’, you decided to smartly evade the aftermath of what Ticket Taker wanted to say and leave him to the line of excited and thankful people.
You had a sinking feeling that what you did was going to be on his mind for the rest of the night, but from what you could hear and see in the distance, the people in line that were after you were wishing him a happy birthday. No ‘can I get in without a ticket’ or ‘what if I’m only inside for five minutes’. It wouldn’t have changed the whole night, but you hoped even that small little celebration was worth it.
A few well wishes from strangers and a cake to share with those you care about.
That was all you needed to make a birthday feel special.