Runaway

Chapter 18

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~Uploaded April 20th, 2014

"Four coffees, two club sandwiches and an extra large all-dressed pizza, please!"

It was two days later, around 11 o'clock, and I was working my second shift as a waitress at Minnie's. I thought it'd be hard to get a job here, and even harder to actually be a waitress, but it wasn't as bad as some made it out to be. Most of the customers were really kind and understanding, since I'd never been a waitress before, and some had worked in restaurants before and even gave me helpful tips on how to improve myself as a waitress. And truthfully? I enjoyed working here.

Minnie's was the most popular restaurant in this very small town, so all of its inhabitants came in at least once a week, I was told. All the fresh gossip in town came here before it got to the nail salon a couple of streets up. So basically, it was like working in an intel office without all of the complicated tech equipment, which suited me just fine.

Another reason why I liked working here is because everyone was just so darned nice and sweet it could give me cavities. I didn't have to fake a smile around anyone because it came naturally. Minnie didn't act like our boss. She was more like the mama bear and the employees were her cubs, so she always looked out for us and didn't hesitate a second to offer help, but still demanded a certain level of respect.

There were three cooks working in the kitchen; Dave, Will, and Patrick. Dave and Will were in their fifties and had been working here almost as long as Minnie's owned the place. Patrick started working here a couple of years ago when he, his young wife, and newborn daughter moved here from Toronto.

The dishwasher was a cute guy of about 20 named Nick. He was always cracking jokes with everyone and I could sometimes hear the cooks erupt with laughter when I was taking orders in front. He didn't hesitate to subtly flirt with the rest of the waitresses once in a while too, even poking fun at Minnie herself and another middle-aged waitress. But both of them would only shake their heads at him and give him an affectionate whack on the head with their notebooks.

There was also Minnie's youngest daughter, Nora, who was about my age, that worked behind the counter with her mother at the cash, making drinks and taking orders through the phone. She was really quiet, and sometimes when she came to me from behind to tell me something, I would jump because of how quiet she was. Kind of like Garrett, really.

As for the waitresses, there was Ella, a middle-aged lady who knew how to brighten up everyone's day, and Clara, Nolan's twenty-year old cousin who was studying Tourism and Parks Management at the University of Waterloo. Then there was me, who was trying very hard not to smack this customer upside the head.

"My soup is much too hot. I burned my tongue on it. I demand you bring me a cooler soup." Ooh, she demands it, I thought sarcastically. The snobby woman with overdone makeup and a face that had obviously been Botoxed pointed a French-manicured nail at the chilli in front of her.

"Very well." Fighting an eye twitch, I took the chilli back, set it on an empty table for about three minutes, aware of the lady watching my every move as I did other things in the meantime, then placed the chilli back on the table.

"Here you are, ma'am. Enjoy your meal." I walked off. So much for not dealing with any bullshit. I picked up the dishes from another table, refilled water for another, brought the coffee and food to their respective clients and cleared the table of four that had just left. I picked up the $7.50 tip and shoved it into my apron. Cheapskates, I thought.

"Someone doesn't look too happy." Nora was standing behind me with a cloth in one hand and a tray with the table settings in the other. She blew a strand of strawberry blonde hair out of her face.