About Us

Chapter Fourteen

Best work hairstyle, I guess

.....................................................

"Bye Rome. Thanks for the ride" I say as I get down of the car and head towards the place where I'll be spending two days of my week. As soon as I enter, my nostrils fill with the scent of posh beer and delicious food. I look around the place until I spot a familiar figure.

"Hey Matt" I say as he comes and stands beside me. "So I guess I'll be seeing you a lot from now on" he says with a bright smile

"You bet" I chuckle.

"Come on, I'll show you what you gotta do" he beckons me behind the main counter. "And by the way, you totally pull off the uniform" he adds, eyeing my black pants and white shirt appreciatively. I feel my cheeks go red as I thank him.

"So, you'll either be here with Cara to check and book reservations and show the customers their seat. Or you'll be helping us in taking the orders of our guests. You just have to note down all they say and hand it over to Sam, who's the second chef" he explains. I nod my head.

"That doesn't sound so hard" Matt chuckles. "You'll see that in some time. This place is usually packed which means a lot of people are going to be requiring your assistance" he says and I instantly make a sour face.

"What do you do here?" I ask

"You'll always find me behind the bar. Making and handing drinks is my territory" he winks and introduces me to the fellow employees. Everyone seems nice and cheery so I don't think there's going to be much trouble.

"If you feel like your head is starting to spin, just tell me and go take a walk outside. Trust me, it helps" Cara says as I take my place beside her. "Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be needing it" I say as I anxiously look at all the people in the room. I can hardly see any seat that is unoccupied.

"There are booths at the back. For people who ask for extra privacy. You'll have to pay attention to that as well" Cara adds. I nod my head.

"You're not much of a socializer, are you?" she asks. I turn my head towards her, a little surprised. She must be a couple of years older than me and she has roughly chopped hair combed to one side. With a nose ring and a tattoo running down the length of her neck, she seems to be like the person who shouldn't be messed with.

"How can you tell?"

"You're biting your lip while staring at the crowd. And you keep wiping your palms, which means they're sweaty. For what I've seen, these are signs of nervousness" she says with a lopsided smile

"It can be he nerves of starting a new job in a still unknown town" I say, my eyes unable to meet hers. "Yeah, maybe. But my intuition says otherwise" she says, dropping the conversation and starting to tell me how to manage the reservations.

"Where's Mr. Jare?" I ask, referring to the owner of this place and my boss, Daniel Jare. "He's rarely here. Last Wednesday was a special occasion" Cara says dismissively.

"How long is your shift?" She asks me after a pause. "Three to eight" her eyes widen a little and she says, "Till eight? Isn't that a bit late?"

I shrug. "He said he'll change it after a month or so. Apparently, all you guys get to leave at six"

"Yeah. And it's because of a very good reason. It's a bar, Rosie. Men get drunk here. You shouldn't stay that late. I'll talk to Mr Jare about it, see if your shift can be exchanged with some guy's" she offers

"Thanks" I say, pleased by the fact that she was so concerned about me. We just met and it's rare for me to get along someone else so easily. Or maybe it was just where I lived. "Can I ask you something?" I ask