“I want what Rosie got,” Edelgarde said.
Shortly after Bill had walked part-way down the ramp and stood leaning against the wall smoking his cigarette, she joined him, leaned against the wall next to him and helped herself to his cigarette.
“You can have it.”
“Really?”
“Why not?”
“Great. When?”
“Whenever. Just not tonight. I’m tired and on top of tired I’m really beat. I have to drive over to my wife’s parents’ house which is a longer drive. Jimmy G ain’t doing shit and I just wanna finish up and get the hell out of here.”
“I hear you, baby.” Edelgarde had been holding his cigarette all the while he spoke. She took another drag on it and handed it back. “Can’t say I’m not disappointed,” she said. “But I understand.”
Bill didn’t say anything. He took his cigarette back and puffed on it. When he was done with it, he dropped it and stepped on it to put it out.
“Anything I can do for you?” Edelgarde asked.
“Not really,” Bill said. “Let’s close this bad boy down and get out of here.”
Since they had not been out of sight and had not done anything wrong, they walked up the ramp together. It was common for the Rosie and Edelgarde to walk down the ramp and join Bill to cop a hit off his cigarette. No one thought anything of it just like no one thought anything of them coming up the ramp together.
With no orders and nothing happening, the night dragged on. Bill did all the breaking down he could do without leaving himself unprepared for orders if they came in. Jimmy G stayed out by his aunt. He had not done much work all night and wasn’t about to do much. Worse, as it seemed, he didn’t care.
Kalista was apologetic. She didn’t actually say anything to Bill, but she pampered him more than she normally did. Normally she took good care of him, but this night, with nothing going on anywhere, she delivered his espressos, made them all doubles and fixed him nice plates of pastry. Bill thanked her, and once, under the piece of mistletoe the girls had taped in the kitchen doorway, he kissed her on her cheek.
Bill made the first trip to the main kitchen by himself. This was after Caesar announced that he was closing on time in case someone, anyone, came in and wanted to eat. Caesar told Rosie and Edelgarde that they had a responsibility to be there during the regular hours and they would, at least on this night, live up to it. After all, it was Christmas eve and if someone wanted to be there, they should be allowed to be.
The main kitchen was totally deserted and closed down. The only bright light was in the chef’s office and Jimmy Banquet Chef was in there with beer and whiskey. Bill peeked in on his rounds and was invited in for a drink. They each had a shot of bourbon and a beer chaser. The banquet chef walked along with Bill as he made his rounds and helped him put away all the things on his truck. That done, they had a second drink before Bill went on his way back to The Falstaff Room.
Best news was that they could all get out on time. Jimmy G and Bill had their truck ready to go and were all set to cut out when Caesar announced they were closed. The girls had completely set up the dining room for the next day. Kalista had put her things on the truck and had shut down here station.
They were opening early Christmas day and running a special menu with turkey and stuffing. No rest for the wicked.
Rosie and Edelgarde each took a last kiss with Bill under the mistletoe. Bill and Jimmy G said good night to Caesar, and then along with Kalista they were gone.
By Peter Weiss
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.
By Peter Weiss
By ten o’clock they were done. Jimmy G and Bill could have started the cleanup then, but they didn’t. The room didn’t close until midnight although Caesar had mentioned maybe closing early. No one had confirmation of an early close as of yet.
Jimmy G had been sitting out by his aunt for most of the night. Now, with nothing at all going on, Bill joined them. He ate a pastry, drank an espresso. He sat smoking a cigarette when he saw Rosie come out through the double doors and head on down the ramp. Part way down the ramp she turned back to him. She gave him a quick nod with her head, the one indicating that he should come along. Then she went on all the way down the ramp.
Bill waited a moment before he got up. He walked over to the bus box and put out his cigarette in one of the dirty ash trays nearby. Then he told Kalista and his partner he’d be back in a bit.
Rosie was waiting out of sight from the ramp and they walked together to the distant employee restrooms.
“It’s Christmas tomorrow,” Rosie said.
“Yup,” said Bill. “Just another day for me cause we’ll be here working. I’m good with that.”
“So am I,” said Rosie. “Not much going on in my life. Being here is okay.”
“I always like making the money. I was broke not too long ago, broke and down and out. Never want to be that way again.”
“I’m okay with money. I like the work. Eddie and me hang out a lot, but that’s about it. I’m not dating anyone, don’t want to. I like it alone and Eddie and me can satisfy each other for now when we need to.”
Rosie looked at Bill and smiled. She didn’t blush and wasn’t shy about what she said. It was all matter-of-fact as it were. She was looking at Bill, he thought, to see if he had any reaction.
“Having enough money is good,” he said.
“I had a husband once. I worked. He spent my money. Never again.” She bumped Bill’s hip with her own. “I hope you stick around a while,” she said.
No one was around. Bill had never seen it this quiet, a time when no matter where you turned or went you didn’t run into at least someone. Everyone was home, or wherever they were, for the holiday, or as many people as could be. Even the banquet chef had told Bill he was running home for an hour or two.
They went into the ladies room together, sure no one had seen them. Rosie flipped the lock shut and there they were. For a moment neither of them knew just what to do do. They stood looking at each other, maybe each waiting for the other to make the first move.
“Have to pee?” Rosie asked.
“Not really. You?”
“Not really, but I will.”
She went to that stall they always used and squatted down to pee. Bill watched but from a distance and with not too much interest. He’d seen her pee before and he’d seen all of her before too.
Then she was put back together and standing before him, her back to the open door of the stall.
“So?” she said.
“So?” he said.
“What’s your Christmas wish?”
“I don’t have any wishes. You?”
“I’d like it sweet,” Rosie said. “I wish we had a bed, but it is what it is. I want it slow and soft and sweet and creamy. Can you do that?”
“I don’t see why not. I’m sure we’ll figure a way.”
“Good.” Rosie took a step toward Bill and then found herself in his arms. They hugged and kissed and hugged and kissed some more.
Because it was slow and nothing was going on out in the dining room, and because his partner had not worked much during the dinner, Bill had time and they didn’t feel rushed. Slow, easy and sweet was definitely doable.
By Peter Weiss
The first order did not come in until after six. It was a four-top, husband, wife and two kids. Next table was the same, and early on it was all family. People traveled and had to travel for the holidays and lots of people stayed in hotels because they were not visiting family or because it was their preference. Families with little kids had to put the kids to sleep. Maybe anyone they were visiting would be coming to the hotel. Maybe they were feeding the kids before they went wherever it was they were going.
Bill knew his wife would be eating at home with her family and then later on they would be going to her aunt’s house. Bill would miss that but he would drive to her parents’ house to sleep there. Tomorrow before going to work he would drive home to feed the cats. Either someone in his wife’s family would drive her home later in the day or he would pick her up after work and they would go home together.
It was their first Christmas in Cleveland. They didn’t have an established routine as yet.
Jimmy G stayed out of the kitchen mostly. Bill did the cooking and he wasn’t unhappy with this. Rosie and Edelgarde came along from time to time to sneak kisses in the doorway as they held up the mistletoe. Jo Ann was ever herself, business as usual and some very cheerful merry Christmas wishes and thoughts. She was pleasant and happy and openly happy that it was slow and she could get out early.
At one point, when there was nothing working, around quarter-to-eight, Bill went out to Jimmy G and told him to watch things so he could run off to the men’s room. Jimmy G said his usual “Ya,” and went into the kitchen. Bill lit himself a cigarette and slowly, very casually, headed on down the ramp.
He wasn’t surprised when Edelgarde met him. They hadn’t planned this and it wasn’t a pressure thing. They simply shared the cigarette he had lit and walked together to the distant staff bathrooms. They went into the same bathroom, the women’s, laughing and having a good time the whole way.
On their way there, they didn’t run into a single person. No one was in the main kitchen and nothing was working there except for a bare-bones dish-washing crew. The dish-washing area was not on the way to where these bathrooms were.
They did not spend a long time in the bathroom. They kissed a little. They watched each other pee, just because, and they played a little.
“Foreplay,” Edelgarde said.
“Merry Christmas,” Bill said.
“Jimmy isn’t doing much today, is he?”
“Did you expect him to?”
“I don’t expect anything. I do my job and stay as much out everything I can stay out of.”
“Smart,” Bill said. “I get into everything I can get into,” he said.
“You can say that again,” Edelgarde said.
“Course I try to stay out of the politics.”
“Of course.”
They kissed and petted a little more, enough for Bill to stir Edelgarde up pretty well. She laughed and said he could think about her finishing herself herself if he wanted to. He told her that was a great thought, a wonderful image.
They walked back slowly, as leisurely as they’d walked getting there. They didn’t hide being together, were only careful exiting the ladies’ room making sure no one got the view of them inside together.
Back by Kalista, Bill asked her to make him an espresso. Edelgarde helped herself to a pastry and asked Kalista if she could have an espresso. Kalista made two doubles and gave them each one.
Jimmy G was working a few tables. First thing, Bill read the dupes. Then he surveyed what was already working and what was needing to be done. Then he stepped into his place and took up with that which needed doing so as to complete the orders.
By Peter Weiss
Bill did the whole setup by himself. In one way it was no big deal, but in another together they could have done the work in half the time.
Jimmy G slept. When he woke he smoked a cigarette and sat reading his Greek magazine. Kalista implored him several times to get up and help Bill but Jimmy G sat listening with deaf ears.
Jimmy Banquet Chef brought dinner for them all. He was later than usual but it didn’t matter because everything was low key. He came with a kitchen truck on which he had the specials too.
The first special was stuffed baked chicken breast with a ham and cheese stuffing and which would be topped with mushroom sauce. The second was rolled filet of sole stuffed with spinach and mushrooms topped with white wine sauce and mushrooms. Bill knew the banquet chef was using up the sauces from the morning parties and he was also using the remainders of the chicken and fish that had not been cooked off for the parties. Everything was super fresh, Bill knew. It was good business from the food cost standpoint.
They all sat down to eat only when everything for the dinner service was set in place and ready to go. It was a jovial dinner. Jimmy Banquet Chef served everyone stuffed sole. He had made a dozen extra portions. Jimmy G ate again. He had eaten twice from the buffet table. Kalista added her usual wonderful Greek salad.
The one difference in tonight’s meal was that the waitresses were invited and extra chairs were brought in. This had unintended consequences for the first part of the meal, mostly until they got to the dessert. The Greeks spoke English and everyone participated in a friendly, holiday discussion. Even Caesar came in and spent a moment with the crew. Jimmy Banquet Chef offered him dinner, but he declined. He left them after a short while saying he had to watch the front.
Dessert was Kalista’s homemade baklava and an assortment of other Greek pastries. She served the baklava herself and put out a full tray of the sweets. Then she made espresso for everyone. That done, she told everyone she’d leave the sweets out all night so they could help themselves.
Only thing missing from the dinner was drink. Would have been nice if Caesar had brought out a bottle of white wine. Might have been nice if he’d cracked open a champagne. He could have done that, maybe should have done that, but he didn’t. Well, at least he had come out to wish everyone a good meal.
After they ate Bill and Jimmy Banquet Chef went down the ramp a ways to smoke a cigarette. They stood side by side leaning against the wall.
“I’d apologize for my cousin,” the banquet chef said, “but he should be doing that.”
“It’s okay,” Bill said.
“It’s not okay. I don’t know what to do with him. I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Other cooks have said the same thing. A few more months, you’ll be able to work in any hotel. There’s other chains in this town. You could go now and get a job. A few more months and you’ll make more money.”
“Why would I leave?”
“Sooner or later everyone gets pissed off at my cousin.”
Bill didn’t say anything immediately. Finally he said, “I like your aunt. I like you and Victor. I even like Jimmy.”
“You still have to watch out for Caesar.”
“We made a little inroad tonight. I initiated it.”
“That was smart.”
“It just came to me, popped into my head. Seemed like a right thing to do.”
“I still wouldn’t trust him.”
“I’m dying to hear about that waitress he made quit. Your aunt has teased me with it but she hasn’t let me know anything about it.”
“My aunt sees and knows everything.” Jimmy Banquet Chef smiled, puffed his cigarette. “She’ll tell you when she sees fit,” he said.
By Peter Weiss
After the kiss, Rosie turned and asked, “Wanna pet my tail?” They were alone in the kitchen and Bill had no indication that his partner would be joining him there soon.
“Why not?” he said. He stepped close to her reached down. Of course the tail was not what he went to pet and Rosie, not shy with him at all anymore, leaned a little forward to make his petting her a bit easier.
“It’s gonna be really slow,” she said. “Wanna meet up? It is Christmas Eve.”
“Sure,” Bill said.
He took only a quick feel, an inside, intimate one, one to let him know that Rosie was already expectant. Primed might be another way to have thought about it, or, the well was already running and all he had done was kiss her and prime it a bit.
“I have to finish setting up,” Bill said. “Have to make a couple more trips to the kitchen. Jimmy doesn’t look like he’s gonna be helping any.”
“Well, I’ll see you in a bit,” Rosie said.
Bill’s espresso was waiting for him when he went back out to the truck and where Kalista was. His partner, he saw, was fast asleep there by his aunt and when Bill went to take up his coffee, Kalista gave him a look.
“What am I to do?” she said.
“It’s okay,” Bill said.
“Is not okay,” said Kalista. “Is anything but okay.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. But it does get tiresome, and I’ve only been here two months now.”
“Yes,” Kalista said. “Sooner or later, the chef has to do something. I tell Victor and my other Jimmy to talk to him, but this one,” she said nodding toward Jimmy G, “he don’t care and he’s lazy.”
“There was a time not too long ago I’d have killed for a job,” Bill said. He sipped his espresso quickly, finished it and put the cup in the bus box.
“I have to go back to the main kitchen,” Bill said. “Let him sleep.”
Edelgarde was waiting for Bill down the ramp where no one from The Falstaff Room could see them. She surprised Bill and he was startled.
“Rosie said you petted her tail,” Edelgarde said. “Mine is just as soft.” She smiled at Bill and turned so he could see the tail attached to the uniform.
Bill locked the wheel on the truck and stepped away from it. He took a moment to look all around them. Not only were they alone and isolated, but from what he could see and understood, it was like a ghost town there.
He did not pet her tail. He pinned Edelgarde against the wall and kissed her. He did not kiss softly or easily or even passionately. He kissed roughly, forcefully, a kiss that was meant to tell her he was taking control and she should yield to him, which she did and not unhappily.
He pressed her there, kissing her all the while, forcing her tongue to do what his wanted her to. As they kissed he reached between them and let himself inside her skimpy uniform bottom and her panties underneath.
Edelgarde kissed back now more greedily, more hungrily. She moved gently with his fingers as they manipulated her. “Don’t stop,” she whispered.
“Say please,” Bill said.
“Please.”
He didn’t stop. He kept on until it was done, fait accompli, le petit mort.”
“I’m breathless,” Edelgarde said. “I need a moment to recover.”
Bill stepped slightly away from her and lit a cigarette. He took a long drag on it and held it out to her. She puffed it from his hand.
“My God,” she said leaning heavily into the wall.
“Merry Christmas,” Bill said.
“It’s not Christmas yet.” Eddie smiled at Bill. “Not by a long shot,” she said.
By Peter Weiss
Even Caesar was wearing one of those Christmas hats, the red velvet cone-shaped ones with the white pom-pom on the top, that and his tuxedo. He was standing at his maître d’ stand looking through his book when Bill came in and first saw him. Instead of the usual black bow tie, he wore a green one with candy canes on it. His facial expression, Bill thought, said “bah, humbug.”
Humbug was how Bill felt. He’d already been in the hotel all day and he would be there all night. His wife was at her parents’ house. They would be going over to her aunt’s house for Christmas eve celebration. Bill would miss that.
After work, Bill would be going to his wife at her parent’s house. Then he would be off to the hotel to work the Falstaff Room on Christmas Day. The room was open early and was closing at ten. No big deal really.
As a lark, when Bill had put the things he’d carried in down in the kitchen, he walked over to Caesar. He and Caesar had not really spoken except for business dealings since their bad start. But seeing Caesar in the stupid hat and Christmas bow tie, Bill sensed two things, first and opening and second a weakness. After all, it was Christmas.
As he approached Caesar, he put out his hand to shake.
Caesar was taken aback. He looked up from his book and reached over the little podium-type stand and shook hands with Bill.
“Merry Christmas,” Bill said.
“Merry Christmas to you,” Caesar returned.
“Maybe we can get past the crappy start we had,” Bill said. “New Year’s is right around the corner. I don’t see any point in continuing the animosity. It’s not good for you, not good for me, and most certainly not good for the room.”
“You’re right,” Caesar said. “Let’s shake on that too.”
“Good deal,” Bill said.
They shook hands a second time and Caesar came around from his stand and walked Bill back to the kitchen.
“What have we got for tonight?” he asked.
“It’s not here yet, but some nice fish and chicken specials. I think the banquet chef is cooking turkeys for tomorrow. There’ll be stuffing too.”
“I don’t have many reservations for tonight. It’s a sleeper I think.”
“Yeah, well, we’ve been doing great business, so I’ve been told. The real measure will come after the holidays.”
“Winter is slower,” Caesar said.
“Maybe we can break that pattern.”
“That would be nice.”
“Well, here’s to a good Christmas and good new year,” Bill said.
He reached out one last time to shake Caesar’s hand. The two men shook hands and Caesar went back to his maître d’ stand while Bill continued the kitchen setup. He put away everything he’d set down in the kitchen then went out to where Kalista was, where they’d left the cart. Jimmy G was sitting by his aunt drinking an espresso.
“Gonna work today?” Bill asked.
“Not unless I have to.”
Kalista reached over to her nephew and slapped him one on the back of his head. “Why you make the boy work so hard?” she asked.
Jimmy G didn’t say anything. He didn’t move either. He sat and quietly sipped his coffee.
“Want espresso?” Kalista said.
“Sure.”
Bill went back to unloading the cart no longer counting on Jimmy G to help out. When he came back through the double door, his hands full, he met with the a surprise which was Rosie and Edelgarde both standing at the entry to the kitchen. They had hung a piece of mistletoe over the entryway. He saw that they wore the same hat as Caesar was wearing. He also saw that they had big cotton tails in the appropriate place on the back of their uniforms. They wore big, big smiles on their faces.
Both girls stepped aside so Bill could set down the things he carried. Then, Edelgarde first and Rosie right after, they each stepped enough into the kitchen such that Caesar could not see them and kissed Bill. They both chose long, passionate and intimate kisses.
By Peter Weiss
Jimmy G was still asleep when Bill got back to the locker room. Bill had expected him to at least be up and stirring, but he was out and snoring.
Jimmy Banquet Chef wanted to throw cold water on his cousin. He was waiting for Bill and shushed him before he came upon Jimmy G.
“Lazy son of a bitch,” Jimmy Banquet Chef said. “Even if he is my own cousin, my own blood. You know how much trouble he’s caused me here?”
“I sort of got the idea from your aunt,” Bill said.
“My aunt likes you. She likes you more than any other cook we’ve had out there. She wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”
“I’m being good,” Bill said.
“You been with Beverly?”
“We were just talking,” Bill said. “She’s got a lot going on.”
“You been pretty quiet lately with the girls.”
“I never asked for anything from any of them. I never started anything either.”
“Well it finds you, don’t it?”
“It doesn’t find you?”
“It could. But I got too much family here. Can’t even have whispers coming around. Anyway, let’s get him up and get you going. Bet Caesar’s having a fit without you even showing up out there yet.”
“Good. Let him — I better not say it,” Bill said.
“Yeah. Best keep it to yourself.”
Jimmy Banquet Chef kicked his cousin on the bottoms of his feet which he had up on the bench on which he was laying. When Jimmy G didn’t stir, he kicked him again. This time, slowly, Jimmy G got up and started sitting up.
“Get up you lazy bastard,” the banquet chef said to his cousin. I’m not letting the boy set up all by himself. He offered to, but I told him no.”
“Ya,” Jimmy G said, yawning as he said it. “Ya.”
So they all washed up even though Bill and the banquet chef didn’t need to. Jimmy G ran water on his face to wake himself up. Then they went out to the kitchen floor and Jimmy Banquet Chef peeled off from them and went into the chef’s office. Bill and Jimmy G went by the buffet table which was still out there and filled with all kinds of nice things. Jimmy G made himself a pastrami on rye and stood by the table eating it.
“I’ll get the truck,” Bill said.
On his way back with the truck Bill ran into Rosie and Edelgarde. They were in red today with white trim and white stockings. They both wore Christmas hats. They said quick hellos and went opposite ways, but not before Rosie told Bill she had a surprise for him.
“I’ll be there in a bit,” Bill said.
“We’re gonna be slow tonight,” Edelgarde said. “We always are on Christmas eve. But we’ll be busy tomorrow. Everyone in the hotel comes out to eat Christmas dinner.”
“You know what?” Bill said. “It will be what it will be and then we’ll be done with it.
Bill turned for a moment and watched them walk away from him. He couldn’t help but enjoy the view of their lovely shapes. In the skimpy maid’s outfits their shapes were hidden in plain sight. He could see almost everything if he looked hard enough, but he’d already seen everything so he didn’t have to look too hard to know what he was looking at. They knew he was looking. They knew he liked to look as much as they liked to be looked at by him.
Then Bill was back in the kitchen. Jimmy G was eating dessert, a big piece of chocolate cake. He was clearly enjoying himself and the cake and he didn’t seem to have any inclination to be doing any work at all.
“Ya,” he said to Bill. “Don’t worry. We’ll be ready.”
Bill wasn’t worried. He wasn’t worried at all. He knew they would be ready. He knew if they wanted to they could double-time it and complete their set up in half the time they normally took.
By Peter Weiss
Bill found his way to the staircase shortly after two, later than he’d hoped. The banquet crew was gangbusters, hell-bent on getting out as quickly as possible. They all went into speed gear to clean up, straighten up, put everything away properly. That done, they had a quick holiday drink on the chef and cut out.
Jimmy G didn’t do much to help out. He never did. He did only the least possible that would be accepted. Done a few minutes before everyone else, he went off to sleep. That’s where Bill saw him when he went down to the locker room to wash up before heading over to see Beverly. He did not disturb his partner. They had until three to start setting up for the night.
Beverly was standing looking out the window when Bill got there. She did not turn upon his approach so he walked to her and stood next to her.
He swung his hip and bumped her gently. “Hey girl,” he said.
“Hey boy,” she returned.
“How you doing?”
“I’m actually pretty great.”
“Well that’s good to hear. I’d have thought you’d cut out quick as possible on a day like today, holiday and all.”
“My sister’s on till four. I’m waiting for her. I’m staying with her now for awhile.”
“Really?”
“Yup. So we came in together and will go home together.”
“That why you’re great?”
“Yup. It’s all done. I confronted him. He didn’t deny it, didn’t apologize much for it, didn’t really give me any indication that he was interested in us going on together. So I packed some shit and took off.”
“Why’d you leave?”
“Cause I don’t want to pay the rent. Cause I don’t want to be there in that place. Cause I’m taking this as an opportunity to make some new and fresh choices.”
“I’m proud of you,” Bill said. “I’m sorry it went this way for you. I don’t mean what your choice was. I mean what he did that caused you to make the choice. But I’m proud you made it and now you can move on as you see fit. Big grown up decision you made.”
“I have you to thank, in part. I knew I had to do something, but you kind of pushed it to the front and made it the priority.”
“And now it’s done.”
“New day. New dawn. Christmas with my sister and my family, no him.”
“And how do you feel?”
“Relieved. Happy. Sad. Awkward. Alone. Scared. That enough for you?”
“Sounds about right. Kind of like I felt when they led me off to the workhouse. Only scared was first on my list.”
“How could you be happy when you were heading off to jail?”
“Cause I knew exactly what I was getting and I knew it was gonna be over. That was better than being in limbo. Only surprises left were what I would find at the workhouse.”
“You gonna tell me about it?”
“Not now. Right here and right now we should be talking about you.”
“Nothing much to say. I’m thinking about things. I’m making plans. I have some rules.”
“Can’t wait to hear the rules,” Bill said.”
“Only two so far,” Beverly said. “First, no fooling around with anyone here, present company excepted cause we already been somewhat down that road. I mean no waiters, no one out there, nothing that could come back to me. Second is no dating outside of here for at least six months.”
“Sounds good,” Bill said.
“The third one that’s coming, that isn’t quite formulated yet but kind of underscores everything is me first. Just me.”
“That sounds good too,” Bill said.
“It is good,” Beverly said. “All this, what’s happening, is my Christmas present to myself.” Beverly turned to face Bill now for the first time. “You know what I see out there? Outside this window? I see freshness, a cold, clear day with the potential for anything. And that makes me happy.”
“Good for you,” Bill said.
By Peter Weiss
Turns out that Beverly’s party was not the one Bill’s station dished up. Turns out that Nora’s party was not the one Bill’s station dished up. Turns out that Millie was standing with Chloe by the buffet table in the kitchen when the dish-up went on. Turns out they were standing together and both watching Bill as he worked.
This dish-up was an easy one. His party was one of the bigger ones, for a hundred twenty-six people, more than ninety of them chicken.
The runner, a steward, brought the first pan, and it all started. Bill dished up a chicken, one of the stewards put on the duchess potato and the vegetable and another steward sauced it. The waiter – Bill’s party had all waiters – capped it and stacked the plates on his tray.
One after the next after the next, each one the same, they worked through. The only thing that changed was the waiter. Each waiter took four stacks of five plates and hoisted the tray on his shoulder to head off. As he left, the next waiter placed his tray down and began capping plates. It was frowned upon if the waiter held up the dish-up. The waiters all knew this and made sure not to do so.
Each time a pan got low the runner got a new one. This was also timed not to disrupt the flow of plates. Same was true for the flat kitchen trays of duchess potatoes and the pans of vegetables. Each station had its own runner for those items, and no runner wanted to misstep and mess up the flow.
Continuity, sameness, perfection. Done.
The fifth tray had the remainder of the chicken and the rest fish. A sixth and seventh tray went out with just fish. The fish were placed on a central station out in the dining room kitchen and each waiter took what was needed for his tables.
“Fish will be out momentarily,” was their standard line.
It didn’t take long for all the parties to go. It was a slam-bam, thank you ma’am deal. The waiters hung out to make sure the people all had what they needed, what they wanted, and since the buffet table was back in the kitchen all day and had a better selection of foods than the banquet fare, the waiters didn’t bother to ask for or sneak extra plates for themselves. They did take what they could from the open bar, not in drinking there on the job but by taking bottles of whiskey from the cases delivered.
For these parties on this day, not much whiskey could be stolen, but some was. It would go up for sale on the black market there in the hotel. It was an active black market.
Very little food, when all was said and done, was left over. The fish all went, as did the chicken, though there were about a half dozen chicken entrees left. Because there was sauce left over for both, Jimmy Banquet Chef, in regard for Christmas Eve, decided he would make a fish special. Bill was good with that because a nice fish special sold well and was really easy to serve. It only needed to be warmed in the Dutch oven. The sauce stayed hot on the steam table. Piece of cake.
Immediately after the dish-up when the kitchen end of it was done, the stewards went for more eggnog. They drank it down fast and came back to their respective stations where they began the breakdown. Bill did not drink eggnog. He did not drink anything since he still had a long night ahead of him. But he did keep looking toward the buffet table to see who was there. He did not see Chloe though he would find out that she watched him do his station’s main item dish-up. He would learn that she watched him all the way through, or just until she could cut out without him seeing her.
