Season of Longing

by PudgyAndPink

Vanilla Frappe

Delilah had a horrible night. The driver had shown up and dropped off the bed...but it was little more than a mattress that now rested on the floor. The house was dusty and rickety. The pink pony had taken a shower only to find the shower head was busted. Bath it was...good thing there was a shower place across the street. Her luggage was piled in a corner though it was neater than the house in her opinion. She shuffled through her saddle bag for a brush after her bath. Her hair was already turning into its final form. She hated it natural...It was wild and tangled. She preferred the wavy effect but, she barely had enough hair products. So there was a horrible little curl stubbornly standing against her brush. Delilah felt like she wanted to cry…

No. She can’t cry today. She had to find a job. Delilah sighed softly not knowing where to start in looking for one. Then a flash of color flitted over her memories. The coffee shop’s ‘Help Wanted’ Sign. Delilah blinked as she thought about it. It was close by. Maybe if she saved enough she could talk to her father about fixing up the shop? She hesitated at that thought. She didn’t want her mother to think she was floundering. It would put unnecessary stress on her. She had to start somewhere. The coffee shop seemed like the best option.

Delilah found herself standing outside the coffee shop. She fussed with her mane as it seemed to refuse to stay in neat waves. The chubby pink mare swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Inhale. Exhale. With that, Delilah opened the door to the coffee shop. Her ears quirked as she heard a charming little bell jingle above her head. It signaled the sterling white unicorn at the counter she had entered. The unicorn was a rather attractive looking mare. She reminded Delilah of those Canterlot models she saw in fashion magazines. Tall, thin with a longer horn than the average. Her eyes were a crystal blue half covered by heavy pink shadowed lids. Her mane made Delilah want to rip her own out of her head. Smooth chocolate strands in waves like a chocolate whip cream. Delilah wanted to shrink into nothingness as the prettier pony smiled at her.

“May I help you, Darling” the unicorn’s voice had a regal air to it similar to Sweet Gold’s but, this one was a natural dialect not learned as her country friend’s. Delilah swallowed trying to find her courage and not turn around to flee.

“I...I’m here to...um...I saw the help wanted sign and…” the chubby pink pony broke eye contact from the elegant unicorn. The white mare quirked a brow showing she was confused by the earth pony ’s timidness.

“Oh you are here to apply for the job?” she asked cutting Delilah’s train of thought off. Delilah straightened and blinked before she nodded a confirmation. The unicorn smiled a movie star smile. She trotted out from behind the counter showing she was indeed taller than Delilah by a good head. “Oh that’s wonderful!, my lazy sister, Mint Chocolate, hasn’t come in today and I’m DYING for some help” Delilah smiled sheepishly wondering if that meant she would get the job if she did a good enough job helping this unicorn.

“I’m Delilah May”

“Pleasure, I am Vanilla Frappe”

“Oh okay, what do I do?” Delilah asked but, the answer made her blood freeze over.

“Well we will start you on baking more cupcakes...we ran out yesterday and my SISTER forgot to tell me” the unicorn mare sighed dramatically. Delilah wanted to just crawl under a rock. Everyone in her home town knew her mother's baking was the best in town. They also knew Delilah had not gained an ounce of her mother’s baking talent. Delilah prayed they had smoke detectors…

“Now follow me” Vanilla chimed happily oblivious to Delilah’s discomfort “I’ll get you started”

Delilah slipped the apron over her head as Vanilla handed her a hair tie to keep her mane back. Fussing over the wild curling, Delilah put it in the messiest bun she had ever seen. Vanilla didn’t say a word though. She just seemed too happy to have someone there.

“So why are you applying to work here, Darling,” the unicorn asked as she got flour and baking soda down.

“I...I uh...I need a job because I’m renting a shop down the street…” Delilah replied squinting at the recipe book.

“Oh goodness it isn’t that old rickety place, Crisp Apple owns is it?” the mare asked, “I think that place should be torn down”

“You and me both” Delilah muttered

“What was that, Darling?”

“Uh...Unfortunately Ma’am…” Delilah said sheepishly “I’m hoping to save some money to get it fixed up a bit...Maybe have my own flower shop someday” the sterling white mare’s eyes lit up.

“Oh you are an entrepreneur as well?!” she gushed smiling that same bright smile “Oh this is wonderful!” The mare set the ingredients on the counter in front of Delilah. “The oven is right over there and here is the timer,” Vanilla told her “I’ll be back to check on you in a while” She then left Delilah panicking internally.

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Sweet Gold said goodbye to the lovely shop owner she bought a new outfit from. She smiled to herself as she tucked the blue dress into her saddle back so no one would see it on her way home. This was a wonderful day shopping. Especially since she was shopping for her new friend. She felt only a little bad about putting her in this situation. She was a sweet girl. Even if she ogled her husband the moment they met. Sweet Gold smiled to herself. Perhaps she had taken too much joy in it.

Sweet Gold was ripped from her thoughts as a loud siren cut through the normal chatter. Sweet Gold turned watching a fire cart speed down the road telling others to get out of the way.

“Oh dear” Sweet Gold mused watching them blaze away “I hope everything is alright”

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Delilah May stood in horror next to Vanilla Frappe as the fire fighting ponies rushed into the flaming kitchen. Delilah slowly turned her head and looked at Vanilla Frappe. Her eyes were twitching and Delilah could tell the unicorn was under stress. Delilah wanted to cry. Her bottom lip trembled and she looked to back to the flames.

“...Am I fired?” Delilah asked her voice cracking with emotion. The unicorn turned with her eyes cold and narrow. The unicorn looked her up and down seems to consider it for a long moment. She opened her mouth to say something then shook her head and put her hoof to her muzzle.

“No…” Vanilla replied, “How you set the oven on fire I will never know...but you are not fired…” Delilah blinked in surprise. How lucky was she???

“Mint will train you on coffee tomorrow…” Vanilla sighed “No open flame”

Comments

[Lord Legion]

Oh no. That didn’t go so well. But hey, Vanilla seems like a very understanding individual though. Hopefully things will improve for Delilah from here.

[PudgyAndPink]

9421937
Think of it more Vanilla's desperation for help around the shop because her sister is "lazy"

[Lord Legion]

9422414
Ah yeah. Really a bummer that her sister flaked out on her like that. But that did give Delilah the opportunity she needed.