I quickly pulled my car into the local 7-11 and got out. This place has the best coffee. “Morning Jen,” said Bill, the guy who works behind the counter, as I walked in.
“Hey,” I said and gave him a smile.
“Oh my, you gave me a smile. Someone woke up on the right side of the bed this morning,” he said teasingly.
You see, I’ve owned this restaurant for almost a year with my friend Candi. I’ve had to wake up every morning at four and be there by five. But, this morning I’m running late and I need my coffee. I’ve came into this place every day because they’re the only place opened.
I quickly got some coffee and walked over to the register. As I was paying for my coffee, a particular magazine caught my eye. “This too,” I said and handed it to him.
“But these are nothing but trash,” he said.
“So? I need to fill my mind with silly things once in a while.”
“You know what you need Jen,” he began until I cut him off.
“I know, I know. I need a husband.”
“No, you need to have a child. You’re pushing 29 soon and most people your age already are settled down with a few kids.”
“You’re so old-fashioned. I’m a career woman, I don’t have time for a family.”
“I maybe old-fashioned, but you know I’m right.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said as I handed him a ten dollar bill.
He gave me my change and said, “How are you and Austin?”
“Um okay, I guess.” Austin is my off again, on again boyfriend. He was the one I was engaged to, but broke it off with him because he had hit me and cheated on me. I found out this year that he had gone to a shrink after I broke up with him and he was now a better person then before. He stopped drinking and is now a spokesperson for a non-profit organization here in Pittsburgh that talks to youth about the use of drugs and alcohol.
The reason why he and I are back together is because of Candi. She is the girl who slept with Austin and I refused to talk to her ever since. Well, when I got back from New York, I decided to give her a call and we worked everything out. We now have a partnership in a popular restaurant here.
“I haven’t seen him lately,” Bill said.
“He’s been away. He should be back next week.”
“That’s good, tell him I said hi.”
“Okay, bye Bill.”
“Bye Jen, have fun at work.”
I laughed at his comment and said, “Don’t I always?” As I got into my car, I looked at the magazine I got. It was the National Enquirer. The front headline was” Trouble in Paradise for *NSYNC’s Chris and his wife Dani.” There then was a picture of Chris and I from up in Clarion. I quickly scanned the article, nothing but old news. They said how he cheated on her with me and a few other women. No big news there.
This past July, Dani and Chris tied the knot. Why? I have no idea. I saw pictures of it. Dani looked breath taking. I threw the magazine down and took a sip of my coffee, hoping that today won’t be so bed.
*********************************************************************
As I walked into work, there were already a few customers there. I walked straight to my office and sat down. I had two gigantic piles of paper work due by eight thirty. I quickly got to work and finished by quarter after eight.
I stood up and looked in the mirror hanging on the wall. My once long, brown hair, was now shoulder length and blonde. Even my eyes were different. They were blue, but with contacts, they are now green. I guess I felt I needed a change and changed everything about me. I even lost twenty pounds. My once normal body was now thin and slender. I was very proud of myself in a sense.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. “Do you have the paper work done?” Candi asked as she opened the door.
“Yeah,” I said and picked it off of the desk.
“Thanks,” she said as I handed it to her, “you look nice today.”
I looked down at my black, tailored business suit and said, “Thanks.”
After she left, I went back to my desk and sat down looking over at the caterings that we have today. ‘Boy, this should be fun,’ I thought sarcastically to myself as I read the order for lunch that was being held for a thousand people.
************************************************************************
A few hours later, on the other side of town. “Why are we here?” Dani asked as the group she was traveling with got into the hotel.
“Because we have a benefit concert tomorrow,” Joey answered her for the sixth time.
“Why is it here? Why can’t you have it in New York?”
“Because,” Chris began, obviously annoyed, “they scheduled it here.”
“Oh,” she said as they got their keys.
*********************************************************************
“Finally,” I said allowed to myself as my last catering for the day was over. I quickly got into the van and drove back to the restaurant. It was almost dinnertime when I walked in. The place was busy as usual. There were a lot of new employees starting today. I hope none of them have any trouble.
I silently watched as the tables were being served and observed that almost all of out waiters and waitresses had good manners. I walked back to my office to see that Candi was having a very heated discussion on the phone.
After she got off, she came over to me and said, “Is it alright if I take the night off. They let my grandmother have sugar again. That damn nursing home.”
“Sure,” I said.
“Okay, well our floor manger is off tonight and everyone was supposed to come to me if there was a problem, so now you don’t get to sulk in you office. You have to tend to everyone,” she taunted.
“That shouldn’t be so hard.”
“Okay, night Jen.”
“Good luck with the nursing home. I hope all works out.”
“It will…hopefully.”
As she left, I walked around the place, making sure they were no problems. I even went to some tables and asked if everything was all right and if they needed anything. After an hour, I didn’t feel like I was needed, so I went back in the kitchen and made sure everything was all right.
*********************************************************************
Meanwhile, back at the hotel. “Come on guys, I’m hungry,” Justin complained.
“Justin,” JC said curtly, “quite complaining. If you’re so hungry, order room service.”
“No,” he said.
“He’s right though, I’m hungry too,” Dani said.
“Well, we could go out to eat,” Michelle suggested.
“Count me out,” JC said.
“Me too,” Lance said.
“I’ll go with ya,” Joey said.
“Chris?” Michelle said, waiting for his answer.
“Okay,” he said.
“Great, we can go to this restaurant I’ve heard so much about,” Michelle said with a smile.
“Which one?” Joey asked.
“I don’t remember, but my friend Ashlee was telling me about it.”
**********************************************************************
‘Oh my,’ I thought to myself as our main oven broke down. We quickly rushed all the food over to our smaller ovens and even had to resort to the extra oven in the side room. I walked out to the floor and told almost every table about our little misfortune. Most people were sympathetic, but you still had the type of people who don’t care and want their food now.
I want back into the kitchen, pulled my hair back, and washed my hands. I went over and started to help prepare the food since we were set back. Almost everything was back to normal until one of our new waiters came over to me almost in tears.
“What’s wrong Luke?” I asked him.
“They’re so mean. I told them about our mishap, but they won’t listen!” His face looked crushed, as what a young child would look like when they would find out the truth about Santa Clause.
“What table?” I asked as I washed the dough off my hands. I let my hair back down and quickly fixed it.
“Table 13,” he said.
“Anything on me?” I asked as I turned around.
“No,” he said.
“Luke.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t let things like this bother you. There are two types of people in this world. Diligent people and impatient people.”
He smiled a little, but still looked upset.
“Luke, it’s not your fault. It’s that oven’s. If it wouldn’t have broke, we wouldn’t be having this problem.”
“Your right.”
“I’m gonna go see what the problem is,” I said as I walked out into the dining area. As I neared table 13, another waitress pulled me aside and said, “Austin called but you weren’t in your office. I told him to call back later, is that alright?”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said as we walked closer to table thirteen.
Just as I was right beside them with my back facing them, she said, “He has to ask you something very important.”
“Like what?”
“You’ll see, he might drop by later.”
“Okay,” I said laughing.
“I’m gonna get back to work now,” she said and walked away.
‘I wonder what he was going to ask me,’ I thought, but soon pushed it out of my mind. I turned around to face table 13, while saying, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but our…” I stopped immediately as I saw who was seated at the table.
“Jen?” Dani questioned as she looked at me. They all appeared as shocked as I am right now.
I cleared my throat and began again, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but our oven broke. We’re fixing the problem as we speak and your food should be out as soon as possible.”
“Well, we’ve been waiting for our food for forty five minutes,” Michelle said obnoxiously.
“I’m sorry, your food should be served shortly and will be served on the house,” I said, not looking any of them in the eyes.
“Well, that’s the least you could do,” Justin said rudely.
“I hope you enjoy your food, come again,” I said and walked away.
