The fish was dished up last. It went in and was cooking while everything else was coming out. The stewards were in place working with their cook to arrange the dish-up station how the cook wanted it. Bill’s stewards, two of them, who now worked with him whenever he was working, knew Bill was a lefty. They set the station accordingly.
And so the banquets went.
Saturday night came and went too. The rush started early and ended late. Everyone worked hard, mostly non-stop until almost closing. Jo Ann stayed all the way to the end. She told Bill that Caesar was thinking of making them all work the same hours. She wasn’t crazy about the idea, but if the business level stayed as it was, it was worth it. She ate first, at 11:30. Bill offered her a choice of the rolled filet of sole or chicken breast. Joanne chose the fish.
Rosie and Edelgarde ate after Jo Ann. They both ate the fish too. They were famished, at least that’s what Rosie said. She said they’d really worked hard and she was sure they were making a lot of money. A lot of money for them on a night like this could be two or even three times what a cook’s salary was.
“Drinks on me,” Rosie said.
For the first time since he’d started this job, not even a full calendar week yet, Bill was tired. He could feel it in his bones. First thing he did when the board was empty and all the orders were out was run to the restroom. He did not dilly-dally. He did his business and went right back to the room. Katrina had espressos ready and handed them to him.
“Look after my nephew,” she said.
Bill looked at her. Her words surprised him, caught him off guard. Instinctively he said, “I’ll do my best to keep him out of trouble.”
“You good boy,” Kalista said. “My other Jimmy take care of you.”
So there it was. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. And it was okay. It pretty much assured Bill that he would fare well there and that Caesar would not be able to hurt him in any way. For all their notions of machismo, for all that male supremacy stuff, Kalista ran the family. She was the matriarch, the boss, and what she said went.
Jimmy G was sitting down resting. Bill handed him his espresso and stood by him to drink his own. It was almost midnight already and getting toward the end of a very long day.
“We’ll start to clean up in a few” Jimmy G said.
“My dogs are killing me,” Bill said.
“Ya,” Jim G said. “When we’re both ready. And then one trip, no more.”
“Good deal,” Bill said.
Jimmy G sat. Bill ended up doing something he rarely did which was sitting up on his counter opposite the Garland. He just about never did anything like this, but no more orders were coming in and no customers could see him where he was.
They rested a bit, and then, because they had to, they finally got up and started the last phase of the day’s work.
They worked slowly, meticulously, purposefully. Assured that the room was closed and no new orders would be coming in at all, first thing they shut down the stoves, the Garland, and the steam table. They left the warmer lights on, but that was just because those were the last things that were ever turned off. They wrapped everything that was staying here in this kitchen and put it away. Then they wrapped everything that was going back to the main kitchen. Jimmy retrieved their cart and they set everything on it.
Just before they headed out of this kitchen and back to the main kitchen, Bill asked Rosie to send Caesar over.
“We’re done,” he said to Caesar when Caesar was there. “We’re heading back to the main kitchen.”
Caesar did not say anything. Both Bill and Jimmy said good night to the waitresses and headed out.
