They had another gangbuster night. Early on they had a good first seating, the early diners, couples with young children staying in the hotel and some businessmen, singles who maybe had business appointments later on.
Bill and Jimmy G were still getting used to each other, learning the dance. Jo Ann had the bulk of the early tables. She was all business but she continually told Bill how pleased she was that he had found his way to them. She emphasized that he couldn’t possibly know what it had been like without a regular cook, and she let slip that last night they’d had a lot of compliments which Caesar had refused to pass on.
During the early seating kids ate hamburgers. They also served deep-fried chicken strips for kids. Jo Ann had most of the orders at first, but as it got busier, and then busy even in that early turn, Rosie and Edelgarde had to step in, had to make sure everything from their end out there ran smoothly.
Caesar was subdued. For the most part he stayed away from the kitchen. If on the first two nights he had come into the kitchen to check out the food, this night, Bill’s third night, he was absent. Bill didn’t miss him, to be sure, and neither did Jimmy G because in the first lull he told Bill precisely what Jimmy Banquet Chef and the executive chef had told Caesar.
Bill couldn’t help but be pleased. The two chefs had given Caesar much more than a cease and desist. Overall, it was, what they delivered, more like an order of protection.
“So,” Jimmy G said in that first lull, “you can do as you pretty much see fit. The two chefs aren’t going to bother you about anything except the food quality. That’s your baby now.”
“And…,” Bill said.
“And you’re in charge. And that’s all there is to it. So I could call you boss.”
“You’re senior cook,” Bill said.
“Not me,” Jimmy G said. “I can do what I want because I’m family and I’m no longer on probation. And I want no responsibility.”
“Neither do I,” Bill said.
“Well, too bad for you. Caesar’s stewing because this was his room. But now it’s more yours than his.”
“Get out of here,” Bill said.
“No,” Jimmy G said. “It’s all yours from the kitchen end and that’s what drives the business.”
“Responsibility sucks,” Bill said. “That sucks.”
“Don’t steal and don’t do anything terrible. You want to bang Millie or the two gorgeous Germans, knock yourself out. The chefs won’t say boo. Jimmy told me already.”
Bill took it in. He didn’t answer. He didn’t say anything. He and Jimmy worked the orders they had and when the board was mostly clear, Jimmy disappeared for a good while, long enough so that Bill worked a good amount of orders on his own.
“Looks like we’re gonna be really busy,” Rosie said when she was turning in an order. “You okay without Jimmy here?”
“I’ll make out fine until he comes back,” Bill said.
“Caesar’s fuming,” she said.
“Ain’t nothing I did,” said Bill.
“Oh, yes it is,” Rosie said. “And he deserves it. What goes around, comes around. But he’s likely to take it out on us girls.”
“You let me know if he does,” Bill said.
“Why? What are you gonna do?”
“I got an in with the chefs,” Bill said.
“Already?”
“You bet.”
“How so?”
“You wanna know?”
“Course I do.”
“Well, what are you willing to pay?”
Rosie laughed. “Touché,” she said. “Whatever you want, baby boy.”
Jimmy G stayed away a long time, so long that Bill cleaned off the board all by himself. Not even seven-thirty and they had turned the room once. Bill sneaked out when he could to get himself a coffee. Jimmy was sitting with Kalista, his aunt. They were talking. He was smoking a cigarette. Kalista smiled at Bill, a big, warm smile.
“That dinner was wonderful,” she said.
