Day 3. Banquet Day 1 for Bill.
Bill got in a little early. The feel of everything was different, from the traffic pattern to the parking situation which was a little tricky since there were two trucks he had to get around in order to get where there was an out-of-the-way place to situate his car for the day. The position of the sun in the sky was different as was the feel of the morning air.
Inside, he found the security guard and time-clock men were different too. He hadn’t expected that but it didn’t matter much. He knew what to do, said good morning to security and walked right up to the time-card window and told the man his number. No one said anything to him and Bill didn’t think much of their silence either way. In time he would come to know them, they would come to know him, they would establish a simple, cordial working relationship.
First stop was his locker. He picked out his dirty uniform and headed over to the laundry. Millie was waiting for him, a little too eagerly, he thought. Only his third day at work here and already “everyone” knew about him and Millie, except there was no him and Millie, there was just Millie who was being outright annoying.
Pink. Millie was all pink. That’s what Bill saw. She wore a pink uniform with the top three buttons open so Bill could see her cleavage, what little there was of her skinny self. Her hair was down today and hung about her shoulders. She wore pink lipstick, had pink nails and made sure when she fetched his clean uniform that he saw her pink toenails.
“I knew you were in early today, baby,” she said. “The banquet chef told me. He told me to make sure you always get the best uniforms, you know, best pressed and starched in your size. For you, baby, anything. And I do hope you know that anything means anything, literally.”
“Millie…” he started, but from over the counter she reached her hand to his lips to stop him from saying whatever it was he was going to say.
“Listen, love,” she said. “He told me you were a great cook and he doesn’t want to lose you. And he told me that like everyone who starts out you’re on probation for ninety days. So he told me if I really like you, and you know I do baby, to be cool till your probation’s over. I remember I was on probation once. But then there was no one here like you.”
“It’s nice you feel the way you do,” Bill said.
“But…” Millie said. “Go ahead, what’s the but?”
“But is that I’m married.”
“I can see that,” Millie said. “I see your ring.”
“So…”
“So what?” Millie said. “I don’t want to marry you. I don’t even want to go out with you, or date you. Get the idea?”
“I got the idea,” Bill said. “I’m not dense.”
“Well I know you’re not dense. Word is that you’re a college graduate.”
“Yeah. Well let me tell you something. Just because you’re a college grad doesn’t mean you’re smart. Still though, I’m not dense.”
“Well then,” Millie said, just eighty-seven more days.” She smiled at Bill. “Meanwhile,” she said and ever-so-quickly with absolutely no warning, she lifted her uniform dress and flashed Bill a look not at her panties because she wasn’t wearing any. She flashed him a look at her privates, her privates in all their glory.
“Just a little something for you to think about, a little picture for your mind.” She smiled again and just as quickly let the dress down and smoothed it over her. “Just eighty-seven days,” she said.
