Out of the Ordinary

Chapter 41

Tomorrow.

I was leaving tomorrow.

And I'd barely done anything to get ready. But here I was at work, waiting for the elderly woman in front of me to make a decision about what she wanted for dinner.

"What do you think, Nancy, the steak or the chicken?"

Nancy (the other elderly woman sitting across from her) wrinkled her nose. "The steak will be too big. Get the chicken. What kind of chicken is it?"

"Roasted," the first older woman replied, peering down her nose through thick glasses at the menu. "Comes with vegetables and a baked potato."

"Get that," Nancy said.

"But I think I want the steak."

"How big is the steak?" Nancy asked.

"16 ounces," I said, feeling fidgety and more annoyed than I wanted to be considering they were old. "You can always take some home if you're not able to finish it."

"You hear that, Gloria? You can take it home," Nancy said, practically shouting across the table.

"What am I going to do with a steak that big?" Gloria asked, and by this point, it was hard not to be frustrated, but I bit my tongue.

"You can have a couple meals out of it," Nancy said, handing me Gloria's menu. "She'll have the steak, thank you."

I scribbled that in my notepad, smiling despite my annoyance when Gloria said, "Oh alright. If you insist."

"How would you like it cooked?"

Gloria looked at Nancy. "What did she say?"

And I was sorry I asked.

"How do you want it cooked, Gloria? Well done?"

"Well done," Gloria said, nodding as she looked at me.

I jotted it down.

"Oh, and young lady," Nancy said just as I was walking away. She was holding a crooked finger out to me when I faced her again. "Send someone over with more water."

"Of course," I said with a smile, and headed towards the back, ready to plug in my orders and be done with the night. But I still had four more hours to go.

"Why are men so disgusting?" came Shantal's voice from beside me. Where I was tapping my orders in, she was punching in hers.

"I'm afraid to even ask what happened," I said.

"Just your usual crusty, old man asking me if I come with any sides." I didn't have to be looking at her to know she was rolling her eyes.

"Ew," I said, tucking my notepad back into my pocket. "You should switch with Tommy."

Shantal waved a hand. "I can handle them, don't worry."

"Alright," I said, looking around to find that the table I'd just finished with was already full with a new family.

"So, are you excited?" Shantal slid her notepad back into her apron and looked up at me while her receipt printed.

"Yeah," I said, knowing she was talking about the trip. "And a little frazzled. I haven't even begun to think about what to bring."

"Just some clothes and your hot bod," Shantal said, giving my behind a light slap.

I glanced quickly around, then said through clenched teeth, "We're at work."

"Yeah," she said, glancing behind us. "Probably should've thought about that before I gave those nasty old men a show. Don't look behind you."

Now, I rolled my eyes. "Great."