Billy Carter

Chapter 9: Any Time At All

Work that night at Don's Diner - a 50's, American style restaurant - seemed to go too quickly. I was dreading going home because I knew Dad was going to lose his shit. At the moment I wasn't sure that was going to be all that terrible, compared to the intolerable dumbass customers I'd found myself serving tonight - one guy asked for a coffee, black, then proceeded to ask me to add milk and sugar.
"So you want a latte with sugar?"
"No, I want a coffee, black."
"With milk and sugar?"
"Yes."
"Alright, well we call that a latte here."
"No! I want a black coffee with milk and sugar! How hard is it for you to understand that? You'll be stuck waiting tables forever if you're that thick!"
"I'll be right back with your drinks then," I said, forcing a smile at the utter moron and heading over to the service window. "One burger with the lot and a fettuccine carbonara," I told Scott, the head chef, while I put up the ticket. He nodded and started shouting orders, and I moved on to the bar. "Hey Janine, one latte with sugar and a cappuccino. Do me a favour and spit in the latte, would you? As big and chunky as you can possibly muster."
She guffawed and grinned at me. "What'd they do to piss you off?"
"Called me thick. He told me he wanted a black coffee with milk and sugar, yeah? So I said 'so a latte with sugar?' and he went off," I told her with a sigh.
"Some people are just tools, Bill," she said, starting to make the coffees. "In this case a spit-drinking tool."
I grinned, although I knew she wouldn't do it - we'd be fired immediately if we actually spat in peoples food and drink. "Thanks."
"Hey, Don wants a word when you've got a second. He said it'll be quick," Janine told me. "He's in the office."
"Oh, alright. Well my tables are all happy, so I'll go now," I said, quickly surveying my section of the restaurant. "I won't be long." I walked around the bar and through to the kitchen. I dodged the chefs and slipped into the office in the back, closing the door behind me. "You wanted to see me Don?" I asked. Don was sitting at his desk working at a computer.
"Yeah, I wanted to ask you if you knew anyone who would be interested in working for me? I've put the word out to a couple of other staff, since I'm hiring a few extra people to cover some new shifts."
"What sort of work?"
"Wait staff, mostly. Full-time, part-time and casual positions available."
"Full-time? What's the wage for a full-time, thirty-five year old waitress?"
"£8.21." He said. "If I she works well, maybe I'll give her £9."
"Holy shit! Mum's basically working two full-time jobs and she's barely making half of that!" I exclaimed.
Don frowned at me. "Well that can't be right, that's illegal-"
"Please hire my Mum! She's waitressed since she was a teenager, she's a hard worker and she's never late!"
"Alright," he shrugged. "Tell her to come in tomorrow to sign the paperwork and sort out her uniform. Now, I would like it very much if you would stay late tonight."
"But I'm already working until close-"
"No, I mean I have an announcement and I've asked everyone to stay behind or come in for it."
"Oh, yeah I can do that."
"Great!"
"Thank you so much for giving Mum a shot Don, you won't be disappointed, I promise!"
"I know, relax. Go wait some tables." He shoved me away and I left with a grin on my face and even a little bounce in my step. I was so excited to tell Mum she could quit her horrible job and tell her boss to stick it up his arse - I even served that jackass his stupid "black coffee with milk and sugar" with a genuine smile.
When service was over and everything was done all the staff gathered - including the members who hadn't been rostered on for tonight - in the dining area. I sat in a booth next to Janine and Scott and a few others.
"Alright, well I've gathered you all here for a bit of good news and bad news," Don began, standing at the bar in front of us all. "The bad news is that I'm selling Don's Diner."
There was a bit of an outcry and I frowned in confusion. "Then why did you ask us about hiring new employees?" Janine asked. A bunch of other people nodded and agreed. It was the same thing I'd been wondering.
"Because I'm selling this place to buy a bigger, brand new restaurant!" Don told us with a smile. "And unless any of you would like to quit, I plan on transferring all your jobs to the new place. Scott, there's a huge, spacious, state-of-the-art kitchen for you and your cooks to work in - and a fresh, new menu to challenge you all a little bit more. Of course, if you have any suggestions or reservations about the new menu, please let me know." Don started handing out some brochures for the new place. I had a look when I got one, and I appreciated his meal selection. It was a bit posh, but not like caviar and all that tosh. Looking at the pictures he'd included of the new restaurant I could see it was a bit of a step up from the current retro-diner - this was the kind of place you'd take your girlfriend for an anniversary date or something. It was the kind of place where other businesses held conference dinners or something. I saw on the back that the waitstaff would have new uniforms too - black pants (or you could also wear a skirt, if that's what you prefer) and a black, long-sleeved button up shirt. It was a step up from the admittedly horrible candy-cane striped shirts we wore now.
"Everyone will be fitted for your uniforms and get two complete outfits for free. I'd also like to take the time now to appoint some new management team members. Janine and Jacob, I'd like you both to take on management roles within the bar staff, if you feel comfortable."
"Fuck yeah!" Janine grinned, popping gum. "'Bout time you gave me some power around here!"
"And I'd like to make Kiley, Adam and Lacey managers within the wait staff, if you'd all accept. Billy, I'd like it if you would start training to become a manager too, and I was hoping you might be able to work some more nights, if it's not too much."
He caught me by surprise with his generous offer, and it took me a second to register it. "Uh, sure. Just give me some time to work out the nights I'm available."
"Great! Now Billy, this role will include some homework for you."
"Homework? Like what, exactly?" I asked warily.
"You'll have to start ironing your uniforms."
"Fuck."
"But you'll get a pay raise."
"Well I suppose that's not too unreasonable..."