Mindy Lee Sunrise

Chapter 2

"Honey, would you mind taking a look at this new cut on the workers union," Enrique asked waving over Mindy with his hairy hand and long fingers. She had bought him a few leather bracelts to celebrate their one year anniversary. Enrique was the first hipster boyfriend Mindy ever had and she decided it was worth all the hype. Enrique was thoughtful and kind and passionate (not about his wardrobe) but about his work as an independent documentary filmmaker. And his figure.

"Did you get a chance to try that new spin class at Equinox?" Enrique asked. Mindy rolled her eyes before she leaned in over his shoulder to check out gritty footage of hispanic protestors in front of a government building in DTLA.

"Wow."

"Thanks babe." Mindy wouldn't exactly say she loved Enrique. He didn't pull at her heart strings and make her excited and curious and open to the world one thousand times over the way Carlos did when she was fourteen. For better or worse, that was her measuring stick. If she was not ignited, she was not in love. But she liked him. And he was great with Milo. He helped him with his homework and took him out to the movies. Mindy seldom asked him to stay over, having grown accustomed to sleeping alone for so long. He also didn't have a libido as strong as Mindy, something she was secretly ashamed of.

She kissed him on his cheek - his perpetual 5 o'clock shadow that made him perpetually sexy.

"See you tonight," he asked, grabbing her arm.

"I am picking up a late shift tonight." He grunted. "My mom is going to get Milo so we'll be all set."

"You sure?"

"Love you!" She replied, waving him goodbye. Milo was already standing by the car, anxiously waiting for the door to open. "How is my little minion?" She ruffled his hair and gave him a kiss on the cheek before going to the drivers side of the car.

Her drive to work was too short. Even though Mindy had a working air conditioner in her car, she loved keeping the window down letting the LA heat seep deep into her bones. It was only May and she was sure the influx of college students would begin to fill Molly's restuarant as they came back home from school.

Mindy walked in smiling at Lucy, her co-worker from Hunduras who happened to be the best waitress in the valley. Mindy made sure she felt that way and often gave her some of her own tip to make sure Lucy's beautiful face showed up and smiled at the truck drivers and construction workers and single moms who showed up day in and day out.

Molly punced her hand on the bell and the ring brought Mindy out of her head.

"There's a new customer."

"I know, I saw Wall Street walk in and I thought I'd give her to Lucy and take care of the books for a bit." Mindy turned around and watched as the high heeled, slick skirt beauty sat in the booth, looking like she just walked into Home Depot. Everything was sticky.

"She seems difficult. I don't want Lucy dealing with difficult." As Mindy wrapped her apron around her waist she walked over to the slick businesswoman who was now looking for her reflection in a spoon. Lucy looked relieved. The last time Lucy dealt with difficult, the construction worker made Lucy cry and the humiliation crushed both Molly and Mindy alike.

"First time," Mindy asked, flipping open a new page on her notebook.

"Sure is," the woman said, sitting up. "What kind of coffee do you have?"

"Regular and decaf." The woman looked confused.

"I'll have a bowl of fruit."

"You sure? Our steak and eggs is a real hit around here." The woman turned her perfectly sculpted jaw and looked around as the men wiped their scruffy faces with their hands instead of a napkin.

"I'm sure," she responded. "Hey, you know..." Mindy pulled herself back from turning away and looked into her dark green eyes. The woman's skin was a thick layer of caramel. Mindy was not in the mood to daydream about running her fingers through a woman's hair. Today was not the day. She had to keep her mind on straight lest she takes out her sexual frustrations by cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom again. "How long as this place been around."

"A long time," Mindy responded. "The woman over there, she's the owner, Molly. She started this restaurant when her daughter died from cancer."

"Oh." She didn't seem interested. "And how many staff do you have?"

"Well, it's usually just me. But we get by with Lucy's amazing. She's so great. She has a two-year old and an five year old to take care of."

"So it's just you?"

"It's just me."

"For a restaurant this size? Who cleans the bathroom?" And just as Mindy's head turned sideways she heard Molly's bell ring again.

"I should, get that order in for fruit right away."

"Please do."

Mindy walked over to the kitchen as Molly slid plates of steak and eggs onto the steel counter.

"That is for table 5, 7, and 13 and please encourage Lucy to hurry up."

By the time Mindy made it around to give the green eye inquisitor her check, the woman was already reaching for her wallet.

"You, it's very much a family run business and we all pitch in around here."

"The woman stood up making herself slightly taller than Mindy, tall enough to where she had to til up to look at her. A wiff of some expensive musky perfume filled Mindy's nose and her temptation to dream of running her fingers through the woman's thing curly black hair-

"And how is that working out for you?"

"We get by." The woman smiled and walked away giving Mindy a lovely sight for a good seven seconds.

The day went by without missing a beat. Mindy waited on more than her share of tables and before she knew it, it was three o'clock and it was time to close. She wiped down the coutners one last time and soon as the last customer left, she put on her gloves and scrubbed the bottom of the toilet.

Molly wrapped her chubby arms around Mindy, giving her a big hug before the two parted ways.

"I'll take care of the booking tonight," Mindy informed. Molly gave her an envelope.

"This came by today while you were cleaning the bathroom. Can you take a look at it?" Mindy took the envelope and kissed Molly goodnight.

The drive home was filled with Bruno Mars beats and a run down of the drama on the playground from Milo. He always talked about what basketball game he played, intentional about skipping the details of the girls that seemed to wait for him as he got picked up each day.

That night, after a spaghetti dinner and one hour of 500 Rumy, Milo went to bed and Mindy pulled her lap top onto the couch and went to work. She pulled up the excel sheet and started looking at the numbers. No matter how they changed the menu or how much they offered in their portions, they were still coming up short.

Mindy sighed and noticed the envelope that Molly had given her. She picked up and noticed it was from "Castillo Enterprises." Mindy peeled back the flap and using energy she did not have to open it up. It was a one page document detailing the immidiate eviction of the restaurant. There was something about the land being bought and that every store was being evicted, lovely laced descriptions of gentrification. When she finally got to the bottom of the letter, she read the threat.

If you decide to rebuttle this, you must take it up with the court of law. We will assert our right to begin an investigation to ensure your restuarant is up to code.

"Up to code! What the-" Mindy's head spun in one thousand directions. She could hardly breathe. She stood up, ran to the bathroom and threw up her spaghetti dinner.