Mary, Bea and Henry Lee ran out the door early. Grandma did not come in at all and so they did not run fried chicken on the menu. Except for some snow days when the winter weather was really bad or snowstorms were predicted and imminent, this was one of the slowest nights they’d ever had.
So Bill and Jimmy spent a lot of time in the hall, Bill sitting on his milk cases, Jimmy outside the back door most of the time, smoking cigarettes and daydreaming.
Arlene, Brooklyn, Lilly and Victoria were working. Arlene and Victoria would leave early but not after Arlene spent a lot of time hanging out with Bill in the hall. And for the first time, ever, by her suggestion, she and Bill went downstairs together and added to the stories the walls in this place could tell if they could talk.
That happened when Bill asked Arlene what she wanted for dinner. It was at half past eight and she and Victoria were getting ready to call it quits as soon as Tommy said they could.
“You,” Arlene said after making sure no one could hear her. “Now, here, downstairs.”
They had no orders working, had not had any orders for awhile. Jimmy was standing in the hallway, smoking a cigarette.
“Really,” Bill said, meaning, really what do you want for dinner.
“I just told you what I wanted.”
So Jimmy covered for Bill and no one needed to cover for Arlene because they didn’t have any customers to speak of. The closing girls, Lilly and Brooklyn, got the customers coming in.
Arlene ate a steak. She ate it in the hall with Bill standing by to make sure no one saw. By this time Jimmy was already downstairs changing to go home. Tommy said he was tempted to close early but he said he wouldn’t because you just never knew.
“So they made a bet,” Arlene said. “Fifty bucks for the first one to get with you.”
“You gotta be kidding.”
“No kidding. They heard about the stuff goes on around here and apparently they had a discussion about you and decided you are doable. So they made a friendly bet to see who could get you first.”
“You know,” Bill said, “I was a fat, roly-poly kid with thick glasses and a flat-top haircut. I couldn’t get a girl if I—well you know what I mean. No one would look twice at me. And now, it just keeps coming at me. Where the hell were these girls when I was in high school and college?”
“What it is,” Arlene said. “And that’s what it is too.”
“I’ll just have to do them both together.”
“You need to just keep to yourself. Me, I am not going to say anything to your fiancé. I’m bowing out gracefully and going to stay your friend. I suspect Lorraine is doing the same thing and Mary will too. So take it from me, pal, stay away from those two.”
Bill smiled. Jimmy came up the stairs and walked out the back door after saying good night to Bill and Arlene. Victoria came in and found them out in the hall. Bill cut her a piece of prime rib and cut it into pieces before putting it on a plate. He put a baked potato and vegetables on the plate with the meat. She sat in the hall with Arlene and Bill to eat.
“Never seen it this slow,” she said.
“Some snow nights have been like this,” Bill said.
“Well I sure didn’t make any money. No one is making any money.”
“Thank God for yesterday,” Arlene said.
