Victoria and Tommy came in together. Tommy asked for a piece of rib and when Bill had fixed him his plate and he’d left the kitchen, he told her to bring him in two beers. She said okay. As she went out, Lorraine came in. She had dinner orders and since Bill was standing there, she just handed them to him, a four-top and a deuce, he saw as he read them.
“Shit,” he said. Gonna be here really late.”
“Me too. Tommy asked me to stay with Victoria till closing. Everyone else is cashing out. I saw more people coming in too.”
“Well, good thing all I have to do is strain the grease tonight.”
“You can sleep over if you want. I mean the girls are there but the couch is yours if you want it.”
“I do,” said Bill. “I’m tired and worn. But I haven’t been home and I need to get clean clothes and see my fiancé.”
Lorraine shrugged her shoulders and headed out of the kitchen.
Bill was busy breaking down the steam table when the dishwashers came back up. Being after midnight, the van had arrived to take them downtown. Bill told them to finish up the racks they had and then to cut out. He heard Jim mumble something, and while his instinct was to ignore it, his fatigue mixed with the bourbon and beer overrode his instinct.
“You got something to say?” Bill started toward Jim but the van driver stepped onto the line blocking him from leaving it.
“He ain’t got nothing to say,” the van driver said. “We’re all tired is all. Me, I been working like you since early this morning.”
“I ain’t got nothing to say,” Jim said.
With the van driver there, Bill didn’t have to keep an eye on Jim, so he went back to work. As late as it was, he could carry the leftovers to the back counter then stack the steam table pans and inserts over by the potwasher station. That done, he started soaping everything that was stainless steel. Everything soaped, he wiped it all down making sure it shone.
Next was the grease, first one, then the other, both of them still hot and working. Bill strained them with the round, wire skimmer. He dumped the crud into a pot and finally emptied that pot into the garbage. In the morning there was going to be a lot or work for the day crew. Since the dishwashers were going, he would cart out the trash before he left.
Marie was busy finishing her cleanup. She had taken her beer over with her and when she was finished it, she held the bottle up indicating to Bill that she wanted another one. Bill was tending to the orders working, but when Lorraine came in, he asked her to fetch the beers.
“Any new tables?” he asked.
“Just those people I told you came in. They ordered drinks and are looking at the menu.”
“I’m gonna call home in a bit. Maybe I won’t have to travel.”
“Well, my offer stands.” Lorraine smiled at Bill then went out for the beers. She returned a moment later. Bill was plating the deuce, which was an order for two Tops medium rare with French-fries. Since he was busy, she came around on the line and placed the beers where they were not in his way. Then she walked through so as not to cross behind him and waited for him to put up the steaks.
While that was happening, the van driver said goodnight and the dishwashers followed him out the door.
“Alone at last,” said Marie when Lorraine had gone out with the steaks. But they were not alone for long. A moment later Victoria came in with two new orders.
