"Another day, another dollar"
Sleep didn't come. Not at first. I was staring at the ceiling for a while, the events of the day mulling around in my head, the day long and yet fulfilling. I liked interacting will the customers. Each one a mystery ready to unravel. Some just came to the food while others the conversation. It was constant and I liked that. I smiled at the idea of being an Aunty and the fact I'd having a brother n law. Then I looked around the room I called mine for the past few weeks. It was no longer mine. It was my future niece and nephews. As much as I loved them I had to find my own place. Soon.
***
I closed my eyes for what seemed like a second and when I opened them again my alarm was going off. Seven hours gone in a single blink. I went to push snooze button and thought better of it. A quick shower and I made ready. I had to rack my brain to figure out where one of my shoes had disappeared to. Once that mystery was solved I packed a small bag with a few items including black yoga pants. It'll have to do till I buy some track pants.
As I entered the laundry I discovered a nice and tidy stack of folded clothes. My clothes. Janine had also dried Max's denim jacket which now seemed a more vibrant blue. In fact it didn't look denim at all. It looked violet. It looked more like a jacket for a large woman than a medium man. I paused. I shrugged and decided he had to have known. Maybe he's gay. Or very feminine.
I didn't have time for this. I quickly stuffed the jacket in to my bag when I noticed that there was a second jacket that I wore back in the day. It was hot pink with a fuzzy hood trim. It was a miracle of technology. A phase I went through in my late teens. An unfortunate era in my life where everything had to be pink. I sighed at the memory, a very unfortunate memory.
The bus collected me from across the street. Steve, the bus driver seemed like a capable individual and for the most part drove as a competent person. He was a hefty old clogger in his early 60s and had spent the last 30 years driving a bus in one form or another, giving ample qualification to be employed as city bus driver. Oh and he called me lovely which seemed like a good omen to me, well for my ego anyway.
I arrived at work forty-five minutes early, giving me enough time for a coffee and some breakfast. All the staff had gathered around, as if we were waiting on something. Cathy was sitting at the bar having a cup of coffee while talking to Mr Kacy. Their conversation was low key but personal. There was another staff member I hadn't met yet but assumed I'd have the opportunity later. Doris and Tony stood near by talking in the corner.
I checked the time. Breakfast was sounding better and better with every ticking moment. I eyed the kitchen with the eagerness of a hunting predator . Cathy looked my way and whispered something to Mr Kacy. He nodded briefly and went into the kitchen. Raj and Monk sat at the bar staring intently at their phones oblivious to the world around them, and Trev was eyeing up the unknown waitress. She lapped up the attention.
"Ok everyone let's get this party started. As you know It's Tuesday and we know what that means." Doris said reverently. The group in the know groaned.
"Two for Tuesday's." Everyone said in unenthusiastic union.
"That's right boys and girls, Two for Tuesday's. Where they get two meals for the price of one."
"Yay." The staff members grumbled.
"Just meals?" I asked curiously.
"Thank you for asking Karen. Since this is your first Tuesday the answer would be no." Doris said cheerfully.
"What?" Trev said as it was some kind of miracle. Raj and Monk looked up from their phones long enough to look confused.
"You heard correctly folks. No more Two for Tuesday coffee." She said smiling.
"That's awfully unexpected of you mother." Tony said with a bewildering look upon his face. "What's the catch?" He asked as if knowing what she was going to do next.
"All straight Coffee is free today." She said with a warm satisfied smile.
"Looks like it's going to be a busy day, hun." Cathy said looking in my direction.
"Ummm yay?" I said sarcastically not sure what I was in for. Everyone smiled at that.
Mr Kacy came out of the kitchen and placed a plate with scrambled eggs on toast and a strip of bacon while Cathy placed a cup of coffee beside it. I looked up smiling gratefully. I ate as quickly as possible and was amazed at how good simple eggs could taste when someone knows their way around a kitchen. The meeting went on as I consumed breakfast. This seemed to be a daily event to prepare the staff for the day.
"Before we end the meeting and I'd would like to officially welcome Karen to the Dine and Sip. She is and I hope will be a wonderful addition to the crew." She said proudly smiling broadly as she watched me shovel the last of my toast my mouth.
That bitch I thought. I waved at everyone unable to say a word. Everyone laughed and said hi in return. Doris stood there arms folded with a genuine smile upon her face. Then it dawned on me. This breakfast was a set up. This plate of delicious amazing food was designed to catch me out and put me on the spot. How dear they use food to catch me off guard. I'll show them! I'll teach them a lesson and eat everything on my place just to spite them. I never be caught out again I mentally ranted. When Mr Kacy placed a second plate in front of me
"Two for Tuesday." He said with a smile on upon face. Ok they win I thought to myself, I'll be indignantly outraged next time, as a hearty smile crossed my face as consumed yet another plate of tasty eggs, toast and bacon.
The breakfast run was busy. I was surprised at how many senior citizens knew about the Dine and Sip. I asked Cathy if she knew anyone named Max. Cathy had to think. There were three Max's that she described and none of them sounded like the Max I had met at the bus stop. I hadn't realised how common the name Max was. Around 11 am the crowd thinned out, an apparent calm before the storm, so to speak. I looked up and asked Doris if I could have a break.
"You haven't had one?" Doris asked surprised.
"It was too busy," I replied, "but their seems to be a gap now."
"Then go. The crowds at lunch make breakfast seem small by comparison and take Cathy with you. She tends to work through her breaks most days too."
"I will." I said smiling, and Doris smiled back. She was almost a completely different person from the other day. She paused and seemed on the verge of saying something else but nodded and returned to her office.
"Cathy, Doris says you suck at having breaks so I have to train you up!" I said with a straight face.
" Oh did she now?" She replied smiling at the obvious lie.
"Oh yes. I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen to me. She also called you names too. I told her what?! Cathy's not a bitch! She's an awesome worker. But she said to tell the cow to take a break." I said all serious. Cathy laughed. And then tried to slap the back of my head. I ducked with ease since Janine and I had played this game since we were kids. Except there was more screaming and punching involved.
Through the kitchen and out into the alley way was what staff members at the Dine and Sip called "The Executive Smoking Lounge". It was a discrete canvas strung up between the main building and the fence. There were two authentic park benches that magically appeared, that's if you take stock of what Raj and Monk say. Tony says they were here when they moved in and Mr Kacy . . . Well he's under the impression that what happens in fight club stays in fight club. What ever that means.
We were far enough away not to smell the rubbish skip but close enough for it to become obscure from view. There was an old outdoor table. Plastic and white. Something that looked like it was out of the 90s and then promptly forgotten. It was light but stable and one of the legs were tethered to a large concrete slab so not to blow away on a windy day. There was a pot plant pot that had seen better days but now held cigarette butts in which can only be considered as a collective ashtray.
We sat upon the benches and let our feet sigh in relief. Within moments Mr Kacy had arrived baring gifts. Coffee. Two in-fact. A welcoming surprise. We both smiled in appreciation. However Cathy and Mr Kacy gave each other a look. It was a moment, a brief private moment that made me feel as if I was intruding on something that was not mine to witness. Then the moment had past and the world moved along. Mr Kacy returned to the kitchen. Should I dare ask what past between the two? Or should I . . . Oh fuck it.
"What was that?" I asked cocking my head to one side.
"What was what?" She replied sipping her coffee.
"The thing?" I stated.
"What thing?" She said genuinely concerned.
"The thing between you and Mr Kacy?" I asked a tad quieter then I had intended. Cathy stared blankly at me not sure what I was on about.
"Mr Kacy and I are friends, Karen, I've known him since high school. That's . . . Many moons ago now. Jesus! That's decades now." She confessed.
"And you two never . . . .?" I trailed off.
"No. He's married with children." She pointed out.
"Yes but is he happily married?" I asked with a evil smirk upon my face.
"No . . . He's not." She replied with a sad look upon her face, staring at the door he had exited with a concerned look, a caring look and I suddenly felt guilty for asking.
At that moment Jill Miller walked out to join us. I hadn't had the opportunity to properly meet and greet with her with the busy morning rush. She was a thin pale girl with blue eyes and blond hair. She could have been considered beautiful if she didn't look so sour. She somehow made the uniform look inappropriate. Her cleavage on display was hard to miss with the vibrant burgundy and her skin tone.
She sat down in a huff. Her long legs folded over each other in almost an exaggerated fashion. Her posture was terrible. As if she had a hump or the beginning of a hump forming upon her back. For a moment the image of the humpback of Notre Dame came to mind. She glanced at both of us with a unfriendly snare. So off the bat I knew instantly that I wanted to hate her.
" You could have of come and got me"! She said.
No, it was more of a whinge than said. More a demand than request, with a voice well versed in bitterness. I looked at Cathy to gauge her opinion. Their was clearly a look of distain upon her face.
" You've had two breaks already." Cathy informed her.
"What are you the break police!" Jill accused with a snare.
"You're supposed to be out front while we take a break!" Cathy said clearly irritated.
"Maybe I don't care. Maybe I plan bigger things than working in this shit hole besides no ones out there!" She spat.
Suddenly the back door opened. Even though I'd nearly pissed myself in surprise I was glad for the interruption. I'd heard her speech before in one form or other and I wasn't in the mood. Monk came out looking concerned. He was wiping his hands on his apron looking from one to the other.
"Why isn't there anyone out front. There's a crowd out there." He said concerned.
"Opps." Jill said not even bothering to move.
"Nice to meet you Jill." I said controlling my temper.
I moved toward the kitchen without even looking back. Cathy followed without saying a word until we were clear out of ear shot.
"That was Jill." Cathy said shortly.
"I love her already." I said sarcastically.
"As do I." Cathy said.
She stopped and stared intently into my eyes. We both broke into laughter. As we entered the main room we were confronted with a crowd waiting to be served. I swallowed hard unfamiliar with a room full to Capacity. Cathy took control and I followed her lead.
As Cathy took the orders, Mr Kacy and crew cooked the meals and I brought them to the customers and so began Two for Tuesday's Lunchtime madness. Eventually Jill rejoined us, soon followed by Doris, who relieved Cathy. With three of us on the floor . . . Let me reframe that . . .With two point three of us on the floor we got pushed to the limit.
It wasn't perfect. I made a few mistakes. Orders to the wrong person or to the wrong table but so did Jill and she'd been here almost three years. It's no excuse of course. No major spillages but a few close calls. Cathy's interaction with the customers was amazing. She took their order made them laugh until both her and the customers were enjoying their themselves. Cathy's laugh filled the place with a warmth. Then just like that the worst of it was over.
After the chaos of lunchtime the emptiness engulfed the Diner. We were able to clear the remaining tables with little fuss listening to Harry Belafonte song 'Senora'. It was old song but boy it was a rump shaker. Cathy and I may have indulged, Jill had to leave early due to her split shift , four hour gap until her return and my finishing time. Somehow the afternoon went faster in her absence.
Cathy and I did our best to help out the boys but it became abundantly clear we were just getting in the way. They had a system and we weren't it so we let them know obe. With our tasks completed we retired to the "Executive Smoking Lounge". Trev tried to annoy us but Cathy wouldn't have it and chased him out of the Alley. As we returned to the main room we finally got a customer.
_____(OvO)_____