Tevalak stood outside his very first branch of ‘Tevalak’s’ and smiled. Everything was almost completed for its grand opening.
“Everything is in order, Mister T’Ren. Once we get final approval on the lease, we’ll be able to open.”
Tevalak squinted at Temalia, his Personal Assistant of three years now. “What do you mean ‘final approval’? I thought that was taken care of, Temalia!”
Temalia tapped her PADD and looked at him, offering a smile. “Just a formality. We’ll be fine!”
Tevalak sighed. “We’d better be. Those guys over at Vanilla Or Bust aren’t taking us moving into their neighbourhood well. I was already told that VOB customers are loyal to them and we won’t even get a look in. We may have to bring out the mascot…”
Temalia sighed heavily. “No, sir. The mascot is a bad idea. It was considered offensive on Mol’Rihan.”
Tevalak shrugged. “We’re not on Mol’Rihan. Honestly, I don’t know what they were getting so worked up about anyway! It was only a guy dressed up as an ice cream cone!”
Temalia nodded. “Mhm. You’re forgetting the giant pointed ears, sir.”
“I have pointed ears! So do you! It’s a Vulcanoid trait!” Tevalak exploded. “Do you think humans get offended about giant round eared ice cream mascots?” He continued, exasperatedly.
Temalia shrugged. “I imagine they would.” Her PADD beeped and she looked at the message.
“Bad news. The final approval has been denied, sir.” Temalia’s voice had the tiniest gleeful inflection.
Tevalak blinked. “But you said it was a formality?”
“Would you like to appeal, sir?”
“Of course I would! I am determined to see this open, Temalia! This is my dream! We are SO close! With you by my side, I know I’ll achieve it. The beginnings of a quadrant wide franchise!”
Tevalak pulled her into an awkward side hug as he smiled up at the shop sign that flickered on at that moment.
Temalia, who looked extremely awkward in the hug, handed him her PADD.
“One more thing, sir.”
Tevalak glanced down at the PADD for a moment, smiling but not reading it.
“What is it?”
“My resignation as your personal assistant, effective immediately.”
Temalia looked at Tevalak and unloaded.
“I wish I could say it’s been a pleasure, but it really wasn’t even close to one. Three years of taking your calls about analgesic creams that smell too strong, organizing your personal shuttle purchases, tasting your ice cream and the final insult, the absolute humiliation of pretending to be your wife at that trade conference on Earth where the Federation Ambassador to Mol’Rihan kept asking me about the Moba Fruit Scandal, because you blamed that all on your wife, who never existed in the first place because it was your idiocy that caused the scandal.”
Temalia stepped out from his side hug and straightened herself.
“I took the liberty of transferring the funds of my final pay check and a nominal bonus for the three years of my life I’ll never get back. You’re lucky it isn’t more. Goodbye sir.”
Tevalak’s smile froze on his face as Temalia walked away, the lighted sign fizzling out above him.