Bill and Alfreda christened that van and Marie, Alfreda and Jenny, Pam’s cousin, were the three who used blackmail, or it’s threat, to get with Bill for vengeance on their significant others. Bill didn’t mind all that much. He would never have touched any of them if he’d had a clear choice. He did have choices, not clear ones, and he made them.
Christmas approached. Lunches got busier and busier. Bill worked around the clock, straight through the afternoons and into the night through the dinner. Opening to closing, seven days a week through the month he worked because he owed Alvin three days for getting Christmas off and he was paying in advance.
They hired several new waitresses at the beginning of the month. Drenovis was in his glory, strutting as if he had something to strut. The two new girls hired for the East were about thirty and sweet. Bill called Lorraine and Victoria aside and asked them to let the new girls know about Drenovis’ Riviera, about the pressure to accommodate him in the back seat. They told Bill that was first thing they did and they’d already done it. Then they both asked if they should warn them about the excessively horny broiler cook and they had a good time goofing on Bill about it. But as the days rolled along, the new girls trailed, learning the menu, then working shifts on their own.
Over on the west side they hired three new girls. Bill was working a lunch there one day Alvin was off when he met two of them. They had both, by the rumors, visited the back seat. Bill and Alfreda were talking about it, or Alfreda was expressing her disgust. She remarked about how she disliked managers, him in particular. Then she talked about how beautifully Robert sang, not only in church but with his friends, who were mostly members of the choir. They had cut a tape and Alfreda said she had sung some backup on it. Mary sang too, but she wasn’t on the tape.
Bailey came in that day. He strode up to the open hearth unabashedly and shook hands with Robert and then Bill.
“Get to visit with two of my probationers at one time,” he said.
“Huh Glory,” Robert said.
Bill didn’t say anything. He was cutting the round, busy making sure it was even and all beautiful.
“I see you’re learning the trade,” Bailey said to Bill.
“He’s not a natural, but he’s doing great. They’re gonna make him a manager.”
“I’m doing okay,” Bill said. “And I’m really grateful for the job.”
“I’ve been seeing some of the cops watching you.”
Bill stopped slicing and made direct eye contact with Bailey. “They follow me home sometimes. They did it all the time before.”
“I know. I told them to ease off you. And I told them to talk to their Whitehall friends too.”
“And they said they would?”
Bailey smiled at Bill. “Let’s say that we all play nicely in the sandbox.” Then to Robert he said, “Play my numbers for the rest of the month.”
“Lord have Mercy,” Robert said. “Huh glory,” he sang out. “Buy my tape, sweetheart. The money goes to the church. And get your girlfriends to buy it too.”
“Deal.”
“What you eating?” Bill asked.
“What you’re cutting.”
“Tell the waitress to let us know it’s your order.”
When Bailey had walked away from them, Bill told Robert he was glad they played well in the sandbox.
“Oh, I been watching out for you. When you started messing around, getting comfortable, you know, I started talking with Bailey. He comes here almost every day. He mostly eats for free, but not when he’s got friends with him like today.” Robert pointed with a head gesture to where Bailey had gone to sit. He was with four other men at a six-top. “It was just a freak mistake that I got busted,” Robert said.
Bill noted that Bailey and his friends were drinking. He noted that Lucy was hanging around their table and flirting and so were some of the waitresses.
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