Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60864 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 304(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
The way she made it out, the restaurant just needed a little boost, a server to act as a patch when they didn’t have enough people on the floor or there was a day when more than one person needed the time off. It sounded like a good filler for a time while I looked for something else, but probably not enough to really sustain me.
And then I got to the restaurant.
The place was in chaos. It was the type of smooth, controlled chaos that came from people who knew what they were doing and worked hard at not letting their customers know what was really going on. But it was chaos, nonetheless.
They weren’t just looking up for another server or someone they could have on call. This place was desperate for help. They needed someone who knew what they were doing, and they needed it fast.
I had to admit, I was leery when I agreed to apply for the server position at the vineyard. That didn’t get any better when I actually pulled in to meet Ally. If anything, I felt even more unsure of my decision. It seemed like things were falling into place too easily with this position, and things like that never happened for me. Not since realizing my life was in my family’s hands and they were planning on more or less offering me up to the highest bidder.
That was when I left. Before then, life was pampered, luxurious, and easy. At least, for the most part, in the ways most people immediately think about. I had everything I wanted and needed. Doors were opened for me both literally and figuratively. For that part of my life, everything came easy.
But I had never really had to try for anything, so I didn’t know what that meant. Now, I knew. And I knew roads were hard, obstacles were plentiful, and people weren’t to be trusted.
Only, I didn’t get that same vibe from Ally. She was sweet and friendly, but more than that, she seemed honest as hell. And I couldn’t overlook the reality that I needed the money. I couldn’t stay ahead of my family if I was broke. I just had to get through one more year. Just one more year of staying under the radar and I would be just fine.
Once that year passed, I would be old enough to gain access to my trust fund. My parents didn’t have the legal ability to touch that money, and there was nothing they could do to hinder me getting it. The money was left for me by my grandparents with strict protections, and the lawyers had all been very clear that no one could access it but me when I came of the age that was set with it.
That meant in just one year, I could take my money, do whatever the hell I wanted, and never have to worry about my family again.
But that was still a year away. Until then, I had to keep going. I had to find every grind I could just to keep myself afloat until I actually did get to that point. And this position was right here in front of me. It seemed almost too good, but at the same time, it did involve Derek. So maybe that was the flaw that was there to prove to me this was a genuine opportunity just waiting for me to take it.
So, I did.
As soon as we stepped into the restaurant and I saw the state of things, Ally looked both embarrassed and worried.
“Let me try to help them get things a bit under control, and then I’ll be back to bring you to the office to fill out an application,” she said.
“I can help,” I said. “Just point me in the direction of the kitchen.”
“Are you sure?”
“What’s a better application than actually seeing me in action?”
That seemed to convince her, and a minute later, I was bussing a table and listening in while one of the servers rattled on the daily specials. I only needed to hear the list a couple of times to have it memorized. That was one of the unexpected skills I’d discovered about myself when I started working in restaurants. I had the ability to absorb things like specials menus, drink options, and ingredients lists and repeat them back with little preparation.
That meant soon I was taking the orders of my own table and acting as backup for another server. Bringing out the food let me look at it and smell it, which enabled me to describe it more effectively to the customers.
The next couple of hours were a whirlwind, but finally we got everything on track, and it calmed down. As we entered the break between late lunch and dinner service, I took off my apron and tossed it into a container of dirtied linens with the others. Ally came up to me with a grin on her face and a glass of sweet tea in her hand. I accepted the drink and took a grateful sip, not realizing how thirsty I was until the first bit went down my throat.