Rod, again - Chapter 4, Plan B

Rico was wiping the counter when Nina’s car pulled up next to the shop. He watched her as she climbed out and made her way to the side door. He knew she’d gone to see Old Stinky but he couldn’t tell from her expression if she’d been able to convince him to return. Privately, Rico was glad he was gone. He still recalled bracing himself when he saw the stinky truck at the drive-through window. As Nina entered, Rico looked at her expectantly, hoping she would relay the details of her visit. Instead, Nina quickly slipped into her office and closed the door. Rico frowned. He deduced that things had not gone well.

Fifteen minutes later, Nina emerged. Rico was still wiping the counter. It was the mid-afternoon lull. The evening rush wouldn’t start for at least another hour. Rico didn’t notice Nina. He was lost in thought, daydreaming that he was a ninja, silently wiping the counters. Rico was fascinated with ninjas and often imagined he was one. His understanding about them was sadly limited, however. He knew they wore black and he knew they moved silently. He was unsure about anything else they actually did. Consequently, when Rico dreamed of being a ninja, he was still doing his normal tasks, just silently and wearing black. Even so, Rico found this exciting. Counter wiping was especially satisfying because it was something Rico could already do fairly quietly. It provided a sort of validation to him that perhaps he did possess the heart of a ninja. He was thinking about this when Nina spoke. Her voice, suddenly present and so near, startled him. He jumped and made a very un-ninja-like squeak. She’s the real ninja, Rico thought. Overweight and old, she was still quiet as a cat - even in flip-flops.

“Rico” Nina began, “As you may have guessed, it didn’t go real well with Rod today.”

Rico nodded and tried to look serious. He threw in a little frown for good measure.

Nina continued, “Rod has cleaned up from how you described him. He doesn’t stink at all. In fact, he seems to be hypersensitive regarding odors. He has apparently developed some sort of aversion to our fine food. He can’t bear to smell it, let alone eat it. Why, when I offered him a free frybread, he puked on my feet!”

Nina heard a sound from the kitchen. She couldn’t be certain, but it sounded a bit like a chuckle. Apparently, Chet was enjoying her troubles.

“Anyway,” Nina went on, “I have a special assignment for you, if you’re willing. I’d like you to spy on Rod for a day or two and find out what sort of food he does enjoy. We may not be able to accommodate him, but I want to know that for sure. So far, I know he seems to eat a lot of carrots.” Nina raised her voice, “Chet, I know you’re listening, this involves you as well. Depending on what Rico finds, we may have to come up with some new menu offerings.” She knew that would get his attention.

Chet popped his head out from the kitchen. He had been lobbying for changes to the menu for years but Nina refused to budge. “Really?” he said, somewhat exasperated, “After all this time and all the things I’ve suggested; now you’re willing to try new things? All for one guy?”

“One guy who used to be our best customer,” Nina reminded him. “The type of customer we want to keep. I want him back, and more like him.”

Rico only vaguely paid attention to their conversation. In his mind, he was already dressed like a ninja, lurking outside Rod’s home. He eagerly accepted Nina’s request and spent the rest of the day mentally preparing. Nina advised him to wait a few days before beginning his surveillance. She wanted to give Rod some time to recover from the incident in the parking lot. That was fine with Rico, he needed time to shop for some black clothing.