The Dead Zone

April 30, 2016

Balancing plates on my arms, I made my way out of the kitchen and back to the main dining room. I was a waitress at Jones & Smith. The restaurant had been around since I was a kid, and my parents knew the owners, the original Jones and Smith. Mostly, the locals simply called it "Jonith's."

Before they moved to Florida to enjoy their retirement, my parents had secured a job here for me, using an old favor the owners owed them. I never complained about working there, because all of the people were friendly and tipped well. Working there helped me afford my trusty Dodge Durango, which I totally loved. For a restaurant in a small town, it paid surprisingly well. 

After I had given the plates full of food to the customers, I turned and walked back in the direction I had come from. I stepped lightly over the carpeted floor, happy as ever. Nothing had gone wrong lately. I was doing financially well, socially well, and I was healthy as a horse. While I was thinking about my luck, I nearly ran into Lana, one of my two best friends, who both worked at Jonith's with me. I worked at the restaurant for almost a year before I encouraged them to do up a resume and apply for a job. Nick was a year older than Lana and I, making him twenty-one. Instead of being a waiter, he got hired as a cook. When it came to making food, Nick was phenomenal. He eventually wanted to go to school to be trained by a professional chef. The three of us met in grade eight, and were just about inseparable ever since. We even took karate for five years together, until the dojo ran out of money and had to pack up and leave town. 

Bringing my thoughts back to reality, I steadied Lana, as she had nearly tripped backwards when we almost collided. 

"Sheesh, Rose! Pay attention to where you're going!" She teased me and grinned as she walked over to her section. I shook my head and walked through the kitchen, towards the small staff washroom. Flipping the light on, I shut the door behind me. Looking into the mirror, I scrutinized myself. Large brown eyes with black liner stared back at me. I had full lips and high cheek bones, complimented by a smooth forehead. Blonde, wispy hair just touched my shoulders. 

Sighing, I rubbed my temples and then turned on the faucet. I let the cool water stream over my hands and forearms. Making sure to scrub them clean first, I left the bathroom and turned the corner back into the kitchen. There was Nick and the other cook, Joe, frying up something that smelled pretty good. I looked at my watch, and it was almost six o'clock, which meant only two more hours until closing time. 

                _____

"To another great month and many more to come!" Wes Jones held up his glass with a smile. We had closed fifteen minutes before, at 7:50 p.m. No one else had come in the door and we didn't think they would with only ten minutes before closing time, so we had shut up early and relaxed together while Nick and Joe cooked our supper. The last day of every month, all of the staff had supper together at the restaurant. The day was April 30, which also meant the next day was my birthday. 

"So, Rose," Tyler Smith spoke through a bite of the specialty bacon cheeseburger. "Me and Wes here decided that you and your two friends can take off at three tomorrow in order to go celebrate your birthday. But only because you're bringing in so much money for the place," he winked at me. 

"Really? That sounds awesome!" I was excited by the idea of leaving work early and doing something fun with my friends. Wes and Tyler saw me as kind of a daughter or granddaughter, because neither of them had ever gotten married or had kids. After starting the restaurant together, they both focused most of their lives on making it successful, and were happy like that. The rest of supper contained a lot of happy laughter and jokes, making it a great evening. 

After the dishes were all done and most of the other staff had left, Nick and Lana stood with me near the back entrance while we put on our coats. We were happily making plans for the following afternoon. Tyler's booming voice entered the room before he did.