He plated the results, dusted with powdered sugar. Theo and Tammy gathered around. The deep-fried Mars bar was first. Theo took a bite. The exterior was impossibly light and crispy, giving way to a molten river of chocolate, nougat, and caramel inside. It was decadent, absurd, and undeniably delicious. The Oreo was similar, warm, soft cookie encased in crispness. The deep-fried ice cream was a minor miracle, a sphere of hot, crunchy batter yielding to still-frozen, creamy vanilla within.
"Okay," Theo admitted, genuinely impressed. "That… is ridiculously good."
Tammy, after carefully dissecting her portion, conceded, "The frying technique is surprisingly competent, Henry. Batter consistency is adequate. Textural contrast is… notable." High praise, coming from her.
Henry beamed. "Right? Told you! People would love this stuff!"
"Putting it on the menu permanently right away feels like a stretch," Theo cautioned, thinking of inventory, prep time, potential mess. "But... people definitely liked the idea of freebies last week. How about this? Let's offer these free today, just randomly, to customers who seem like they could use a pick-me-up? Gauge the reaction."
Henry readily agreed, excited to share his creations. Around lunchtime, their first test subject arrived. A young woman, probably a college student, ordered a chicken and chips, her expression downcast, eyes red-rimmed as if she'd been crying. Jenny, her name tag on her worn backpack read. As she waited listlessly for her order, Henry caught Theo's eye, tilting his head towards the deep fryer with a questioning look. Theo gave a subtle nod of approval.
Henry approached Jenny gently as he handed over her food. "Hey, rough day?"
Jenny startled slightly, then offered a watery smile. "Uh, yeah. Kinda. Just… job stuff. Got rejected from like, three places this morning. Need experience to get experience, you know?" She sighed heavily. "Cost of living stuff is hitting my family hard, really wanted to find something part-time to help out."
"Ah man, that sucks," Henry said sympathetically. "Market's tough right now. Don't give up though!" He leaned in conspiratorially. "Hey, listen. Weird question. Ever had a deep-fried Mars bar?"
Jenny looked bewildered. "A what? Uh, no?"
"Trust me," Henry grinned. "On the house. Might make the day slightly less crappy."
Jenny hesitated, then shrugged. "Okay? Sure. Why not."
Henry practically skipped back to the fryer, carefully selecting a Mars bar, dipping it in batter with intense focus, and frying it with the loving care usually reserved for Michelin-star ingredients. He flipped it expertly, ensuring every angle achieved perfect golden-brown crispiness. The +1 enhanced fryer, Theo noted, made achieving this perfection almost foolproof, maintaining heat perfectly even with the cold candy bar plunged in.
Henry plated the dessert with another dusting of powdered sugar and presented it to Jenny. "Voila!"
Jenny stared at the strange object, then tentatively took a bite. Her eyes widened. A slow smile spread across her face, chasing away some of the sadness. "Oh my god," she mumbled through a mouthful of gooey chocolate and crisp batter. "That's… incredible." She took another bite. "It's so warm and crispy and sweet and salty… Wow." The pure, unexpected pleasure seemed to genuinely lift her spirits. "Thank you," she said sincerely to Henry, finishing the last bite. "I… I think I might have a sweet tooth now."
As Jenny gathered her things, a thought sparked in Theo's mind. Opportunity. He stepped over. "Excuse me, Jenny?"
She looked up, surprised. "Yeah?"
"Overheard you talking to Henry," Theo said, keeping his tone casual but direct. "About looking for part-time work? You mentioned needing experience." He gestured around the shop. "Look, it's a chicken and chips shop. Not glamorous like retail, definitely not corporate. But we're actually hiring right now, getting busier. If you're serious about wanting work, willing to learn… I could offer you a trial run. Evenings, weekends mostly."
Jenny stared at him, then at Henry, then back at Theo, stunned. "Seriously? You'd… hire me? Even with no experience?"
"Everyone starts somewhere," Theo said simply. "Attitude matters more. And your willingness to help out the family, definitely earned you some points. Interested?"
Tears welled up in Jenny's eyes, but this time they weren't sad ones. "Yes! Oh my god, yes! Thank you! So much!"
"Okay," Theo smiled faintly. "Think about what hours might work with your studies, give me a call tomorrow or the next day to confirm."
Jenny practically floated out of the shop, clutching her chicken and chips. Henry gave Theo a thumbs-up. Tammy, however, who had observed the exchange silently while meticulously wiping down the counter, wore a tight-lipped expression. Theo caught her slight eye-roll as she turned away. Great, he thought wryly. Another trainee for Tammy to be subtly critical of. And probably doesn't approve of the free dessert either. He was getting used to her quirks, but her negativity was a constant low-level hum.
They ended Tuesday with 140 sales, the momentum holding steady. The free deep-fried desserts were a smash hit, every customer offered one reacted with delighted surprise, raving about the unexpected treat. Theo and Henry agreed, desserts needed to go on the menu, officially, starting next week.