Rosie had a glow. Bill smelled of her. They let themselves out of the ladies room carefully and walked back slowly. Bill lit a cigarette and they shared it as they walked.
Neither of them said anything for most of the walk back. Rosie told him she would have liked to have held hands. That was impossible.
Just before they got to the ramp, Rosie, having made sure no one was around, kissed Bill. “Too bad we have to go back,” she said. Then she said, “Don’t say anything, not now, not ever.”
Bill didn’t say anything. He went up the ramp first and stopped by Kalista to get an espresso.
Kalista knew. Bill knew Kalista knew because he sensed it. He felt it. Maybe he just imagined he felt it. She didn’t say anything, at least not right away. She made him the espresso and sat back in her seat. She was sitting not doing anything when Rosie came up the ramp. Rosie did not stop. She went straight on through the double doors and back out into the dining room.
“Any orders?” Bill asked when he went back into the little kitchen.
“One,” Jimmy G said. “You back now?”
Bill shook his head yes.
“Good.” Jimmy G smiled. Without any fanfare, he simply turned and left the kitchen.
Bill, all alone, started the clean up. He began by shutting down the heat to the steam table. Then he started breaking down the food that was out, putting film on the leftover specials and wrapping everything that could be wrapped. He did not work hard, but he worked steadily.
As soon as Rosie had returned, Jo Ann came by the open hearth to say good night. She was the only waitress who had not kissed Bill and she wouldn’t. She blew him a kiss through the open hearth serving window and told him she would see him tomorrow. Bill wished her a safe home, watched as she walked around and past the doorway. He heard the double doors open and close and that was that.
Edelgarde was next, not to leave because she and Rosie always closed together, but to come by the serving window.
“Hey baby,” she said.
“Hey.”
“Rosie got the glow.”
“What glow?”
“The glow.”
Bill smiled. “The Christmas glow?”
“Yeah, that one.”
“Well good for her.”
“I want that glow too.”
“Think of Christmas.”
“Very funny.”
“I have to clean up. And I don’t know where my partner is.”
“What you got to eat?” Edelgarde asked.
“What you want?”
“You know what I want.”
“I have fish and chicken specials left over.”
Nah. I’ll get some of Kalista’s pastry. Seems like you’re not offering anything sweet.”
Bill blew Edelgarde a kiss over the counter. “How’s that?” he asked.
“Not even close,” Edelgarde said. “But I’ll take what I can get.”
“Sure you don’t want some food?”
“I’m good,” Edelgarde said.
“I’ll see you in a bit,” Bill said.
Edelgarde went around and out the double doors. Bill continued with the clean up. He still worked slow and easy. While he was working Caesar came by. He ordered a steak from Bill and Bill took one out and threw it on the grills. Because nothing had been working, the grills were red-hot. The steak sizzled and Bill only waited a moment before he turned it to diamond-mark it. Then he flipped it, and when he did he settled it into a different spot on the grill. Since that spot was red-hot too, he repeated the process, left it a moment then rotated it to diamond-mark it.
Caesar fed, no tables working, no orders and it not looking like any more orders were coming in, Bill went out by Kalista. Jimmy G was just about asleep again, not quite but all but. Edelgarde was eating a pastry and drinking coffee. Rosie was smoking a cigarette and drinking a coffee. Kalista was wrapping up her leftovers and finishing her closing up routine.
Bill lit a cigarette and took a coffee. He walked a bit down the ramp and leaned against the wall. He realized he was tired.
