Overheard at Chipperfields' ... Part LXVIII

Kriss was working behind the counter cleaning up after the last order. In the corner by the juke box were the Emergency Medical Services crew who are regular late night regulars. Kriss looked up and smiled at her fiance, then startled slightly as the phone rang. She reached for the wireless hand set and answered it.

"Good evening, Chipperfield Coffee," she said cheerily, "how may I help you?"

Kriss' brow furrowed as she listened to the caller before speaking.

"Yes, we'll prepare an order to pick up," she said confidentally, "what would you like."

She again listened as the caller conveyed the order which she then repeated, "Yes, two large Rolo lattees to be picked up." she paused, "Yes, I got that, too, a cinnamon wedge and two snicker doodles."

Kriss paused to listen, "No, you're welcome." she said. She was about to hang up the phone when it dawned on her she hadn't gotten a name for the order, "oh wait," she implored the caller, "who is this for?" She again listened and her eye brow furrowed even deeper, "Okay, I got it ..." her voice trailed off as she hung up the phone.

"Problem?" asked one of the EMS crew sitting in the corner.

"Well," Kriss replaced the phone handset to the base as she spoke, "this guy just called and placed an order for two rolo lattes."

"So," said Kriss' fiance, "that happens all the time."

"Yeah, but this guy called me by name," Kriss continued.

"You work here," Kriss' fiance said, "you were raised in town, people know you."

"It's not just that," Kriss said, the smile fading from her face, "it's that he called me by name, placed his order, but I don't have a clue of who it was ..."

"Who did he say it was?" asked the first EMS'er.

"He said 'the order is for Percy and Pete.' " Kriss replied, "I don't know any one named Percy or Pete."

"Hmm," said the EMS'er as he shrugged and looked around the table, "any of you know a Percy or a Pete?"

"Well, there's old Pete out on Mountain Rd," said one, "but I doubt he'd be buying a fancy coffee."

"And there's Pete the crazy old guy out on the Dump Road," said another.

"My dad is Pete," offered a third, "but he's in Arizona."

"Well, who could it be?" asked Kriss, "I don't know anyone named either Pete or Percy that have been in here lately." She paused and looked at the table of paramedics who all shrugged their shoulders as they started laughing, "Should I do up the order and run the risk of it being a prank?"

"I'd do up the order," said her fiance, "and if no one claims them, you and I could drink them."

"You gonna pay for them?" asked Kriss.

"Um, no ..." her fiance paused, "if they are done up and not claimed, they should be free shouldn't they?"

"Not since Bonnie made me a manager, buddy," said Kriss, her eyes narrowing as she glared at her fiance, "or did you forget about that?"

"Didn't forget," offered her fiance sheepishly, "I was just hoping to get a little fringe benefits."

"You get your fringe benefits elsewhere,"she said with a saucy smile as she turned and started making up the lattes.

As Kriss was busy behind the counter the Paramedics discussed who Percy and Pete might be, and came to no firm conclusions. As she was working and the paramedics were arguing a police car pulled up outside and two of the uniformed members stepped out and headed to the front door.

The paramedics turned and greeted the officers as they stepped into the shop.

One of them stepped up to the counter and asked Kriss for the order he'd phoned in. Kriss looked confused.

"Phone in order," she said puzzled, "you didn't phone in an order."

"Yes I did," said the officer, "I called about five minutes ago for two Rolo Lattes."

"You didn't call in an order," said Kriss firmly, "The only phone in order I had tonight was for two Rolos for Percy and Pete."

"Percy and Pete?" said the member bewildered.

"Yes," said Kriss, "Percy and Pete."

"Um," Kriss' fiance was trying to interupt.

"Stay out of this," Kriss snapped, her voice sounding irritated, "the order was for Percy and Pete, not the RCMP."

"Honey," Kriss' fiance was trying again to interject in the conversation.

"Percy and Pete?" the officer again asked Kriss, this time a broad smile crossing his face.

"That's what I said," snapped Kriss, growing irritated at the conversation, "I'll do up two more Rolos, but these two," her hand waved over the cups in front of her, "are for someone else."

"Percy and Pete," repeated the officer, his voice struggling to surpress a laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Kriss was now very irritated, "what's so damned funny?"

"Well, I think I know who Percy and Pete are," said the uniformed officer, while Kriss' fiance was nodding behind him.

"Who?" asked Kriss.

"Me," offered the officer, "I think that order is for the RCMP."

"RCMP," repeated Kriss, "not Percy and Pete ..." her voice trailed off.

"That's what I was trying to tell you," pleaded her fiance, "Percy and Pete was actually the RCMP, you just mis-heard them ..."

Kriss growled audibly as her finace sat down, sensing retreat was the better action in this moment. Simultaneously, the RCMP officer put down a ten dollar bill and with a big smile took the two coffee cups, handing one to his partner, while he spoke: "Keep the change, I think you've earned it."

The two officers headed for the door shaking their heads and laughing. At the threshold of the inner door they paused and the second officer turned and spoke.

"Oh, and if Percy and Pete stop by, tell them 'Thanks for the coffee,'"

Kriss growled again as the two officers headed back into the night laughing.