The girls, Rosie, Edelgarde and Jo Ann had Christmas uniforms. They were more modest, cut higher and fuller on top so as not to show much bosom and cut lower and longer on bottom so as not to show anything there. They still bore resemblance to French Maids’ uniforms, just not the general “man” idea of French Maid uniform. They were green and red in design, all Christmas with the traditional Christmas ornament decorative pattern one might see on Christmas wrapping paper.
No one looked happy. Bill and Jimmy G were more happy than the others out there, or so it seemed. They had taken another shot of whiskey and carted a beer apiece on their kitchen truck. First thing they did inside their little kitchen was open their beer bottles and take a drink.
Instead of quiet as one might have thought it would be, The Falstaff Room was bustling. The girls were busy making sure everything was set and that they had not only back-ups for everything but back-ups for the back-ups. Caesar was overseeing everything, and while he had not come to the kitchen yet, he was visible at most times. Bill saw he was in his usual tux but that he had a Christmas bow tie.
Jimmy G and Bill worked steadily to unload their truck. The routine was a touch different, not much. Since they had different menu items, the steam table needed some adjustment. The ham, turkey, two types of potatoes and stuffing all needed to go there as did the sauces for them. Technically, for the turkey it was gravy. Gravy was still a sauce.
When they were done unloading they finished their beer and headed out. Because Caesar was on their cases, the girls had not come by at all. Bill was glad for that. He was hoping to be able to keep up a little buzz, which he had now, and simply work through the day. That was the plan. Since they had all warned him about how busy it was going to be, he was hoping the day would speed by and be gone.
Kalista was busy at her work as Bill and Jimmy G came out to make the trip back to the main kitchen. They could see she was not a happy camper. It was written all over her face. It was obvious in her body language. Seeing her boys, she launched into a monologue, a heated monologue, in Greek. Jimmy did not say anything until she was done. When she was finished, he turned to Bill and told him that she said some things he couldn’t repeat, but that the gist of what she was saying was that she did not want to be there. She wanted to be home, and she would have been, so she said as Jimmy translated it, if her great niece, the banquet chef’s daughter, would have worked. After all, her father was working and she could have spent the day with him.
“Ya,” was all Jimmy G said. Then he asked her if she wanted a beer, and she said definitely yes and some whiskey too. Then she turned to Bill.
“I make you an espresso,” she said. “And then later when we have time, I tell you what your friend Caesar did to that waitress. It’s your Christmas present.”
Her boys started down the ramp. She watched them and then behind them they heard something crash so they parked the truck and headed back up. Kalista was standing outside her serving area. On the floor was small stack of broken dishes.
“They fell,” she said. She had a big smirk on her face and as she stood there she was looking down at her legs to make sure she had not gotten cut by splashing dishware.
“You okay?” Bill asked.
“I feel much better,” she said after looking around to see they were alone.
Didn’t take long for everyone to come out of the dining room. Rosie was first, then Edelgarde and Jo Ann. Caesar came out last.
