The Lockdown

38

Tal was a great find, she took to the tasks in the kitchen fast, freeing up Cam partially. Andy insisted that all employees work a maximum of five days a week. They decided to close the bar on Tuesdays, their lightest day anyway and established a healthy rotation that provided ample rest time for everybody. Andy was the only one to break his own rule going there every evening, though Cam usually accompanied him until Sarah demanded that they also take the occasional day off.

Andy finally managed to convince Cam to let him have a haircut, it was getting way too long and when he threatened to put it up in a man bun, the youngster was horrified by the thought and agreed to a more comfortable do.

The curfew was eventually lifted so they could return to their normal hours, the university was still closed which meant business was slower than usual especially when the weather turned cold but the additional income from their food service compensated for the loss. They were not profitable yet, but even keeping afloat was considered a huge accomplishment.

The months flew by, the arrival of a vaccine was announced giving them encouragement that life might return to normal soon. Andy and Cam were among the first to sign up, the university required that all students and staff be vaccinated before returning to campus and their hopes were up for the next year.

Winter was around the corner and Cam was working next to Andy on his laptop setting up the work schedule for the next few weeks when an impeccably dressed stylish older gentleman entered the bar. Andy noticed him first. "Who do we have here?" The man wore an Armani suit and did not really fit with the usual crowd.

Cam looked up from his work and immediately crouched down and hid behind his laptop. "Jesus, that's Jeffrey Schwartz, my grandmother's right hand man. What is he doing here?"

"Go and ask him," Andy prodded him. "I'll be here, just holler if you need help."

Cam stood up scowling feeling abandoned by his man and made his way across the bar. Andy watched it in amusement as the old man immediately embraced Cam and greeted him enthusiastically. They talked for a few minutes, he handed the youngster an envelope and he left hugging the youngster again. Cam made his way back to Andy.

"You apparently know each other well," Andy remarked smirking.

"He always comes to my grandmother's shindigs and I had a summer internship with him three years ago."

"What did he want?"

"He was delivering mail." Andy looked at him puzzled. "He flew up to St. Paul for business and apparently my grandmother thinks that if he came personally I would be more likely to do what she wants." Following Sarah's example, Cam had been ignoring the invitations to the biannual O'Malley parties, one before Christmas, the other in June every year though the last one was cancelled for obvious reasons.

"What does she want?" Andy asked, his curiosity peaked. Cam gingerly opened the envelope, read it incredulous and handed it to Andy.

"We have been summoned."

Andy read the letter. "They even know that the bar is closed on Tuesdays," he exclaimed. The letter very politely invited them both to St. Louis next week, she would send the company jet to a nearby airport next Tuesday morning and promised that they would be back on Wednesday by the time they would have to be there to open the bar on time. "Tell me about your grandparents," he asked the youngster.

"I was terrified of them growing up. I don't really remember the first years of my life when we lived with them, so basically I only saw them twice a year. They are always the center of attention at those parties ruling over the family, adored by the other guests. It got better as I grew older, they can be nice when you get to know them a little more. The summer internship came out of the blue. I didn't see my grandmother a lot, but I enjoyed working for Jeffrey."