Because nothing much was happening, Bill waited as long as he could before going upstairs to set up the line for the dinner. He hung out with Henry Lee long after Mary had gone back up even though there wasn’t much meat to cut. He asked Henry Lee if he wanted to get started on the hamburgers and bleus for the morning but Henry Lee said they’d have enough time to do it then.
So they drank. Then Bill ran up quickly to ask Mary if she wanted to join them when they went into the deep freeze to smoke another joint. Mary said “sure” and told Bill she wanted a joint to smoke at home later on.
On the stairs on his first trip carrying things up for the dinner, Bill popped a black beauty. He still had meat trays to carry but on this particular trip he had not taken any with him. Instead he carted up a case of fries which he would unload into the reach-in box on Bea’s side of the kitchen.
Upstairs, as was customary for him to do, he unloaded the baked potatoes from the convection oven, always two at a time in each hand. This time he put them directly into the steam table pan and stacked them carefully. Once he had the pan set into the steam table, he covered it with aluminum foil.
Mary had already placed most things over on the line. Bill helped her carry the last items then made sure everything was in place and set the way he wanted.
The only thing left to do was to make the final trips up and down the stairs to restock everything that was still needed. Fried fish, fried shrimp, onion rings and all the meats—these were the things he checked, rechecked and noted so he would know what he had to bring up.
Bea caught him on one of the freezer trips. She walked into the freezer while he was gathering things. He didn’t hear her at first because she sneaked up on him until she was only a few feet from him where he worked facing the shelves.
“Been avoiding me?” she asked.
Bill turned to see her. She was almost within his reach. “Why would I avoid you?”
“I don’t know. Why would you?”
Bill smiled. Even though it was cold in the freezer, he took a moment and drew her to him. “Maybe we should go somewhere else,” he said. “It’s too damn cold in here.”
“It’s almost time for me to go home. Everything’s done upstairs. I’m about ready to change clothes.”
“There’s always tomorrow,” Bill said.
“That’s for shit sure. Anything I can help you with?” Bea said.
“Nah, I got it.”
Bea turned and left the freezer. Bill stacked trays of various items and when he had four trays stacked, he hoisted them up on his shoulder, left the freezer, swung the door shut and kicked it closed behind him with the flat part of his foot. He set the trays steady on his shoulder and made the trip up.
Up in the kitchen Bea was sitting on her stool reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. Esserine was busy on the station making sure everything was in place and set the way she wanted it, same as Bill had done for the line.
Then everything was set. Mary and Bea went downstairs to change clothes. Grandma and Jimmy were in.
Bill double-checked everything on the line one more time and made sure nothing was missing. Before he went out to sit in the hall he went around back and double-checked all the ovens to make sure they were empty. Satisfied, he lit a cigarette on his way out to the hall.
