Off the Menu

Chapter Two: A Second Job - Nica

“Have a nice day!” I called out, eyes following the customer to the door. Though calling him a customer seemed like an over statement since I had never actually seen him buy anything. He seemed surprised for a moment, his eyes widening slightly. His face was pink, but whether that was due to embarrassment or the heat outside, I wasn’t really sure. He’d only been in here a short amount of time.

“Thanks, you too,” he smiled, though it appeared nervous. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he opened the door. I watched through the window as he stopped to light a cigarette before he headed across the parking lot.

“Does he ever buy anything?” I asked as I turned to Casey.

“Who?” she looked past the book she held in her hands, eyes scanning the front of Jasper & Jade for the he in question.

“The guy that just left,” I motioned towards the doors. “The one with the moth tattoo on his neck.”

“Oh,” she shrugged, “I didn’t notice him.”

I frowned slightly, “I see him in here all the time, at least once a week. He never buys anything though. That’s odd, right?”

“Maybe,” she shrugged again. “Maybe he works around here and is just killing time on his breaks. That would explain why’s he’s here so much and why he doesn’t actually shop.”

That made sense, and I was almost embarrassed I hadn’t considered the probability of that before. “You’re probably right.” A smile spread across Casey’s face as she put the book down. There was a sudden spark of excitement in her eyes, and she looked at me in a way that almost made me uneasy. “What?” I asked, anxiety building at what she might possibly be thinking about.

“Is he cute?”

“What?” I asked again. The question took me by surprise and I couldn’t help the choked laughter that came out. I shook my head, trying to regain some composure. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“You noticed how often he’s here and that he never buys anything,” she began pointing out. “You also noticed he has a moth tattoo on his neck. You’ve definitely noticed if he’s cute.” I rolled my eyes playfully as she continued. “I bet he is. A moth tattoo on his neck is automatic hot points. Hell, any tattoos are automatic hot points, but on his neck? I bet he has other tattoos too.”

“Not necessarily,” I interrupted.

My words went ignored. I’d given Casey too much to bite into, and she wasn’t letting go. “You should talk to him the next time he’s here. Ask him if there’s anything you can help him with. Ask him if there’s anything in particular he’s looking for. Maybe it’s you he’s looking for.”

“Chill, Lionel Richie,” I couldn’t help laughing at her enthusiasm, despite my protests. “I’m not looking for a date. Especially not at work.”

Now it was Casey’s turn to roll her eyes dramatically. “It’s been six months since you left Alan, it’s okay to get back out there now. You should talk to him, do the whole customer service thing. You never know where it might lead.”

“You’ve read too much smut,” I told her, causing her to laugh. She did have a small point though. As long as he was in the store, he was considered a customer. It was literally my job to talk to the customers. However, I hadn’t even filed for a divorce yet. I couldn’t afford to. Not when I was also saving up for a car in case Alan decided to snatch the Nissan out from under me. Plus, with everything I had endured in the past, not just with Alan but with guys before him, I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to open myself up and be vulnerable with someone else like that. I had been cheated on, lied to, or abused in every relationship I’d been in. A part of me wanted to swear off dating entirely.

“I clock out in ten minutes,” I told her, stepping away from the table. “I’m going to go make sure there’s nothing else I need to do before I leave.”

~*~

Since Willow worked across the street at Stella Cucina, and I knew she was a double, I texted her as I was leaving Jasper & Jade:

When are you taking your break?

It didn’t take very long before I received a reply:

I’m off in ten. Do you want to get lunch at Vinny’s?

I grinned as I read her response and texted her back a confirmation. Ten minutes later I was pulling into the parking lot at Vinny’s Ale House, and soon after that, Willow was pulling in beside me. We grinned at each other through our car windows, cutting our engines simultaneously as we got out.

We were quickly sat in a booth, and started discussing how our days had gone so far. The chatter was only interrupted by our favorite server, Odie, greeting us. “Ah no, who let y’all in?” he teased, feigning annoyance that we were there.

Willow and I offered him a grin, and I joked, “It’s been a while, we had to come see you.”

“No, you did not have to come see me,” he joked back, shaking his head. Odie was an older man, tall with a square face and a well-trimmed beard, and a smile that was infectious. His gray hair was always pushed back and he wore thin-framed glasses. There was something about his sense of humor that reminded me of my dad, and I knew anyone who didn’t understand the rapport we’d built up would think he was rude to us. But we loved him.

“We know you missed us.”

He pursed his lips, rolling his eyes. “What are y’all drinking today?”

“Water, please.”

Odie acted as if I’d slapped him, distraught that I’d ordered water. Willow and I couldn’t help giggling at his antics. He turned to her. “Fruit punch.”

He feigned another hurt, his hand against his chest. “No Angry Orchard today?”

“I have to go back to work,” Willow explained.

“Hey, I won’t tell if you don’t tell.”

We both laughed again and he shook his head as he walked away.

Eventually he came back with our drinks, and we ordered our meals, which included some more teasing about Willow’s reluctance to eat anything spicy.

Halfway through our meal, Odie returned, “So what are we talking about?” He propped his forearms on the back of Willow’s side of the booth. She tilted her head to be able to look at him.

“My need for a new car. I’m probably going to have to get another job,” I explained.

“You don’t need another job, just go hot wire you a car.”

We both started laughing, and I shook my head. “Pretty sure I’d get in trouble for that.”

“Who’s gonna know?”

“I wouldn’t even know how to hot wire a car.”

“You got Google and YouTube, don’t you? Look it up.”

“I was telling her she should apply where I work, we’re always hiring servers.”

Odie nodded in agreement. “That’s a great idea. You should listen to your friend, she’s smart.”

“She is,” I agreed. “I just don’t know though, I’ve never worked in a restaurant before.”

“It’s a lot easier than retail,” Odie reassured me, and Willow nodded in agreement.

“The worst that can happen is you don’t get the job, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Plus I can put in a good word for you,” Willow pointed out.

With both Willow and Odie right there encouraging me to apply, I went ahead and pulled out my phone right there at the table. I pulled up the Stella Cucina website and filled out the brief application. “Well I guess we’ll see what happens,” I shrugged one shoulder as I tucked the phone away and we finished our meal.

Willow and I hung out in the parking lot for a few more minutes before she had to head back over for her second shift. I headed back home, anxious about the prospect of working in a restaurant.

~*~

I told my grandparents about applying while I sat at the dinner table with them. I picked at the food my grandma had cooked, feeling bad about the fact I had already ate with Willow. She didn’t seem to notice though. She was happy about the potential serving job. “Your Great Grandma Millie was a waitress. She worked at Howard Johnson for a long time. You can make good money doing that,” she explained.

I nodded my head, “That’s what Willow was saying. Hopefully she can get me in.”

“If you can, you’ll do great. You’ve got the personality for it.”

~*~

The next morning I woke to an e-mail from Stella Cucina asking me to call to schedule an interview. It had been sent after I’d went to bed, and they didn’t open until eleven. It was only seven. I got ready for work, sending Willow a quick text to tell her about the e-mail. Since I had to be at Jasper & Jade at nine, I knew my break would most likely be anywhere between eleven and twelve, which I thought would be the perfect time to call the restaurant.

I didn’t tell anyone at work about the potential interview, not wanting to jinx myself. So when it was time for my break, I slipped outside to make the call. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath, listening to the phone ring, rehearsing what I was going to say in my head. There was a click, then a voice filtered through, “Stella Cucina, this is Riley. How can I help you?”

“Hi, my name is Monica Shaw, I got an e-mail asking me to schedule an interview.” The words spilled out as I finally breathed.

“Okay,” he paused, “You said your name’s Monica?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “Or Nica. I’m not sure if you need the preferred name or the legal name.” You sound like an i***t, I thought to myself.

I could hear him chuckle softly, “Okay, give me a moment.”

“Okay.”

I held my breath again as I was put on hold. Then after a moment, a new voice came over the line, “Stella Cucina, this is Eli.”

“Hi,” I paused, taking a breath to calm myself. “My name is Monica Shaw, I received an e-mail asking me to schedule an interview.” It was surprisingly easier to say the second time, despite that I was probably talking to a manager now.

“Okay, let me look…” there was a pause. “When are you available?”

“I’m available anytime after four every day, and anytime on Sunday or Monday,” I explained.

“Okay…” another brief pause, “Can you come in tomorrow at 4:30?”

“I’ll be there!” I grinned, despite that he couldn’t see it.

“Alright, I’ll see you then. You said your name is Monica, right?”

“Yes. Or Nica.”

“Willow's friend?”

“Yeah!” My grin grew even wider knowing she’d already mentioned me. I wondered if she was responsible for the e-mail I had received.

“Alright, see you tomorrow Nica. Thank you.”

“Thank you!” I returned to work with a new excitement, feeling good about the prospect of a second job.

~*~

The next morning I was covering Casey’s fifteen minute break in the cafe, I still hadn’t told anyone besides Willow and my grandparents about the interview yet, not really planning to unless I got the job. I was buzzing with excitement though. Which made the fact the morning was slow a little difficult to handle. There just didn’t seem to be anything to do. I perked up when the door on the cafe side opened though. “Hi, welcome to Jasper & Jade,” I greeted.

The guy smiled, flashing his blue eyes at me. He was only barely taller than me, with round black framed glasses and brown hair that had an almost red tint to it. There was a little bit of scruff on his face, as if he hadn’t shaved in a few days, but it worked for him. He wore black slacks and a black button down, and I couldn’t help noticing that it was almost the same thing Willow wore to work. “Good morning,” he approached the counter, only barely looking at the menu board above me.

“What can I make you?” I asked.

“Could I get a large iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso?”

I nodded, ringing it in. “Are you a rewards member?”

“I am,” he held out his rewards card for me to scan and I gave him his total.

“What’s your name?” I asked, taking the cap off a sharpie to write his name on the outside of a plastic cup while he paid with his debit card.

“Riley.”

Riley. My brow furrowed as I wrote his name, and I looked back up at him. “Do you work at Stella Cucina?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound like a freak by doing so.

“Yeah, actually, I do.”

I gave him my most charming smile, “I think we spoke yesterday, I’m Nica. I have an interview there this afternoon.”

I could see him visibly relax as I spoke. His shoulders lowered and he smiled, clearly recalling my phone call and our brief exchange. “Oh, okay.”

“My best friend works there too,” I told him as I began making his drink, filling the cup with ice. “Willow.”

“Oh, I love Willow!” he grinned. “She’s so great.”

“Isn’t she though?” I agreed, nodding my head. “She’s the one that told me to apply.”

Once i finished making his drink, I reached across the counter to hand it to him. “Thanks,” he offered me another smile, our fingertips just barely brushing as the cup changed hands. “Good luck this afternoon. See you around.”

~*~

Excitement and anxiety continued to build as the day passed. Eventually I was clocking out and heading across the street though. I arrived early, and waited in the parking lot until I felt like it was appropriate to go in. The hostess grinned, when she saw me, “Is it just one today?” She looked young, with long blonde hair and a long face. She was tall too. She reminded me of a Tolkien elf, pretty and ethereal. Not someone you’d expect in a restaurant.

“No,” I shook my head. “I’m here for an interview,”

“Oh,” her pale face flushed pink, and she smiled again. “Um…you can follow me over here.”

From the lobby, the restaurant split into three different directions. I followed her through the second entry point into the bar area as she led me to a small booth. “What’s your name?”

“Nica. Or Monica…Shaw.” I still wasn’t really sure which name they needed. Eli had referred to me as Nica at the end of our phone call, but legally I was Monica.

“Okay, you can wait here. Would you like some water or anything?”

“I’m okay. Thank you,” I told her as I sat down. From where she’d led me, I could see straight back into the kitchen. I watched as she stopped to knock on what I assumed was the office door. It opened slightly. I couldn’t hear the exchange, but I assumed she was informing someone I was there for the interview. The door closed and she disappeared to the left, walking through the kitchen.

I waited patiently, my hands clasped together on top of the table. I couldn’t help looking around while I waited, part of me was hoping to see Willow. Instead, Riley appeared behind the bar, placing a brown paper to-go bag and a drink carrier on the bar top under the to go sign. We caught each other’s eye and he smiled encouragingly, giving me a little wave.

I smiled back, offering a small wave of my own. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. I had nothing to worry about.