Voodoo [H.S.]

Three

June 9th, 2022

It's my second week at The Coffee Pot.

This place is complete chaos at all times.

It's exactly my scene. I've already made enough tips to cover half my rent for the month. I'm on track to be able to put money back in my savings soon. We get paid weekly here thankfully, and it's actually minimum wage plus tips. I've been able to pick up on the dynamic really easily, Zuri let me have my own tables on my second day.

"Hey sweet thing, got time for a smoke?"

God I missed the line cooks hitting on me.

"I'll be right out Joey, let me cash out this table." I finish up and close out the table in the system, and grab my bag from the kitchen to head out of the back door. When I get there, Joey has a cigarette lit in one hand, and a wax pen in the other.

I don't smoke cigarettes, normally when Gianna or Joey comes out to smoke I come hang out, and occasionally take hits of my own or Joeys wax pen. I don't enjoy being too high at work, but a little never hurt anybody right?

Oh yeah, Gianna did get the job. It's taken her some time to learn the ropes, but from what I can tell she's doing a lot better this week than she was last week. Her and I have clung to each other since we found out, being the only two new people in a restaurant with twenty five employees. Everyone has been really nice and welcoming, but they're all friends with each other already, so it's taking some time to find a groove. Gianna seems like a great person and we mesh really well, so I'm definitely not complaining. It's only heightened my crush on her.

"You look beautiful," Joey says, giving me a once over. "How's my favorite newbie?"

"Ready to go home," I breathe out, grabbing the wax pen from his hand. "I have three more tables to cash out and then I'm out."

"Got a hot date or somethin'?" He laughs. The back door opens again to reveal Gianna, who's barely made it out of the door and is already lighting her cigarette.

"When I fucking ask you what kind of eggs you want, and you tell me scrambled, what kind of eggs are you expecting? Huh? Tell me, friends, hm?" She huffs in frustration while Joey and I are obviously holding back laughter.

"Uh, scrambled?" I respond, raising my eyebrow.

"Right! Okay, so tell me why, I bring this fucking lady out her scrambled eggs, she tells me 'this isn't what I ordered'— bitch! Yes it is!" She scrunches her face up and talks in a high pitched voice when she imitates the customer, and then aggressively puffs on her cigarette.

"And then, and then, she tells me 'scrambled has the runny yolk in it' do you know what a god damn scrambled egg is? Ugh, can we get drunk tonight?" she continues.

Joey, Gianna, and I have sort of formed our own little friend group. Joey seems to be popular with our co workers, but outside of that he's a bit of a loner. I think he likes it that way, but ever since we all had a bitch fest together on our first day, Joey has stuck with us. Gianna and I have really taken a like to each other, and even though I'm crushing on her, I would be fine with keeping things like this. Gianna and I went out for drinks last week, and Joey joined us back at my apartment for a smoke. Since then, we've started getting more and more acquainted.