It's warm and gorgeous out. That Canada Day week was beautiful, and The Grill was celebrating, trying to draw more customers in to try and pay some of the bills, which meant that they'd wanted me to fix up more of the dining room to be able to have more space and a fresher look.
It had been late, I'd been working over time - paint needed to be done, and it couldn't wait until morning. Mary was waiting for Kel with me, watching me paint by the dim light of only a a few booth lights on.
"I feel so bad for her, Cole. We hired her, promising her that she could be head chef, and she could be everything we needed to take this place out of the gutter. Instead, we've got her making burgers and tuna melts."
Mary always talked about things she shouldn't be with someone who was an employee of hers. Even if it was only contact work, shouldn't be saying how in the gutter you are.
"Poor Flo. Made a whole menu for us to try, bought it all herself and came early this morning. Kel walked past it. He just doesn't want this place to change too much, ya know?"
I just nodded, not letting myself tell her how big of an ass he was. I kept painting, and she kept telling me how she avoided Flo so she wouldn't feel so guilty.
Then there was an eruption from the kitchen, a scream and a shout, and Kelce yelling louder than he had all night.
Both myself and Mary rushed to the back, finding Kelce throwing containers of food that had been piled into a bag. Smashing the glass boxes over and over, food going everywhere in every direction.
Flo undid her apron as he threw the last box, smashing it on the floor between them. He'd been crying, shouting at her that she wanted to change the restaurant too much.
She folded her apron as Kel heaved, looking at her like he wasn't sure if he should yell at her more to intimidate her, or if he should apologize.
"I'm done, Kelce. You hired me to save your restaurant. It's been over a year, and you..." she shook her head, pulling her bandana off her head and started to grab her knives, her things, her tools of her trade before stepping over her destroyed menu, and heading toward Mary and I at the double doors of the kitchen.
Mary started to beg her to not go. "Please, he's a fucking idiot, Flo. We need you. We need you so badly, we can't run this place this weekend without you."
Mary begged her, trying to appeal to her vanity - telling her that she was the best chef she'd ever seen.
"Does it fucking matter when you wouldn't try my food?" Flo told her before taking her purse off the hook, and leaving the kitchen.
Mary and I followed. Mary pleaded with her more. I wanted to ask Flo if she was okay. I wondered if this is what had happened last time. If she'd walked out.
"Please don't leave, we'll go under without you. We need you, we need you so badly, Flo."
Flo left, pushing through the rest of the dining room and out the door. Mary started to argue with Kelce in the kitchen, telling him how big of an idiot he was to throw her entire menu, destroying her containers and what chance they had left at saving their restaurant.
Kelce stood there, taking it like a man while I left. The paint could wait, but Flo definitely couldn't.
Flo was in her car, sitting there with it not even on. She just stared ahead, her purse in her lap and looking lost.
I knocked on her window, jarring her, but she started the car and rolled down the window. She looked up at me like she didn't want to talk. She didn't want to talk about having left her job just now.
