Double Trouble

Wilson

"Maybe I'll forgive you if you give me a kiss," she joked, causing all of her douchey colleagues to laugh along with her.

For the tips, for the tips, for the tips, I chanted in my head. "Maybe when I get out," I flirted.

Her eyes flicked up and down my body and I felt my skin crawl. Ew, just ew. "Anyone else need anything?" I inquired.

One of the other ladies muttered something I probably didn't want to hear under her breath. I decided to take their silence as a no, so I flashed them a quick smile and hurried away. Tables two and eight needed to be wiped down still and I didn't see either one

of the two busboys on shift around to clean it.

Just as I turned to head into the back Collin appeared in front of me, scaring me a bit.

"Geez, warn a man when you're approaching like a ninja."

"Please wipe down tables two and eight" he requested, pulling at his necktie. "They've been dirty for the past fifteen minutes."

"I'm way ahead of you," I said, letting a little irritation bleed into my tone.

Why did he always feel the need to tell me to do something? I knew what needed to be done before he probably did. He pissed me off.

"oh-now guests are coming in, go greet them, Willy. What are you waiting for?"

"It's Wilson," I gritted out before heading off to go do the host's job now.

Honestly, working at Michelangelo's sucked. It sucked hard. However, the money I made? That did not suck. Since this was a high-end restaurant for even higher-end people, I made a good sum of money every shift I worked. So even though I usually played waiter/busman/hosts/ bartender while the other employees barely did their one job, the money kept me going. I could deal with Collin being a weird creature and never knowing my name. I could deal with the creepy, old businesswomen hitting on me all night. I could deal with it all because I needed the money and the money was worth it. So I greeted the new guests as pleasantly as I could, still trying not to feel inferior in my black pencil skirt and white blouse while standing next to gorgeous women in silky red cocktail dresses.

And then I wiped down the dirty tables.

And then I got another beer for Star Spangled Lady and I knew someone would have to take her keys from her. And then I completely forgot about table number four until Collin was on my ass for forgetting about them.

Fortunately, Trav had seen I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off and had delivered their shots of whiskey, which were empty on the table when I finally got back to them.

"I'm so sorry," I said immediately, lowering my head and praying they didn't yell at me.

There goes a good tip. Solene offered me a sympathetic smile when I raised my head.

"Don't worry."

"Are you ready to order? You probably are. I've been gone for like five years. I'm really sorry."

"Hyperboles aside, you've been gone for fifteen minutes," Georgia informed me, glancing at her watch. "Do you usually make your customers wait this long to take their food order?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was a little too caught off guard by her curt words to think of anything. "Sorry?" I finally said.

"Typically, a customer should spend a little over an hour in a restaurant. Drink orders are taken upon immediate arrival, food order taken after five minutes. This allows about

twenty minutes for food to be prepared and about half an hour for the customer to consume it," she explained, speaking very matter-of-factly and very elegantly.

"We've been here over half an hour and have only had our drink I orders taken when at this point in our visit we should already be receiving our food."

Solene shifted in her seat. I gawked at Georgia, speechless. I so did not need this today. "Um, okay. Sorry."

"Sorry doesn't make up for poor service."

Stay cool, Wilson, stay cool. "I'm sorry," I said again.

"I wonder what the owner would think of how her employees run this place. Surely this isn't suitable for you. How much do you make to act like this?"

"Listen, I apologized so is it really necessary to be so rude about this?" I snapped, feeling my hands start to shake in humiliation.

Did she really have to go as far as making fun of the fact that I worked as a waiter? I didn't make enough to put up with this.

Georgia turned her head back. "What?"

"I really am sorry about forgetting your table and I'll admit it was my fault, but it was only fifteen minutes. You could've flagged me down, or anyone else for that matter."

"I don't expect you to know who I am, but-"

"I'm sorry but I don't really care who you are," I interjected. "Is there a level of importance that makes it okay to make fun of someone's job? If you want a new waiter, fine, I'll send

someone over. Although I can't promise you'll have better service since I'm probably already taking care of his tables."

Georgia furrowed her eyebrows. "That wasn't going to be a threat. I was just going to say I admire your courage to stand up for yourself."

"Uh." I blinked. "Oh."

"I wasn't trying to scold you, either. That was a piece of information that would be useful for you to tell your boss. Not that I expect this place to have such high standards."

"Georgia." Solene sighed.

"Nothing against you," Georgia added, directed to me. "My words are mainly directed to your so-called coworkers who seem to think chatting in the back is more important than the guests on the floor. When I asked how much you made, it was because you clearly deserve more."

I looked between the two of them, feeling confused. So, she wasn't trying to be a jerk? Shs was just spreading her knowledge? Either way, I probably shouldn't have snapped. I was seriously lucky she didn't seem offended by it.

"Georgia's pretty oblivious to the way she speaks, so you'll have to excuse her," Solene told me. "She means well... usually."

"Oh, um, that's okay. I really shouldn't have snapped at you either. Sorry."

"Do you make enough money here to live okay?" Georgia asked.

"What?"

Solene elbowed Georgia in the side. "Ignore her. We've held you up enough. Should we give you our orders?"

"Oh, yeah! Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Georgia said, rubbing her side. "I'll have the herb encrusted pork chops with asparagus. Another shot of Lagavulin with it, please."

I nodded, making a mental note in my head.

"I'll have the ginger-glazed Mahi-Mahi," Solene said, taking the menus off the table and handing them back to me.

"And a glass of water."

"Sure and sorry again."

"I'll let you off this time because you seem suitable," Georgia said, lounging back in her chair.

I raised an eyebrow. Rich people had weird personalities. The next hour passed slowly. The businessmen at table seven were steadily getting drunker and drunker as each minute passed and I wondered what Georgia would have to say about their average consumer time. The whole lot of them had been here for more than two hours. Not like Georgia could really talk either, as she herself was a little past tipsy and on her way to drunk as well, so she'd probably be here awhile too. She'd switched to beer though.

Just as I was about to start cleaning off the countertops, I saw someone waving at me in the corner of my eye. Groaning, I went back to table seven.

"We're r-ready for the check," one of them slurred.

"And some cabs, huh?" I joked.

"I want you to take me home," Star Spangled Lady purred, eyes lighting up mischievously.

Trying not to make a face, I forced myself to laugh. "Ah, if only I could leave this place. Do you ladies want me to do separate checks?"

"Put it all on mine," Star Spangled Lady said and I took her credit card from her and brought it up to the register to ring her out. I balked at the final total. It was more than I

could make in two weekend nights waitering. I hadn't realized how much they'd really ordered until now. And she wanted it all on her card?

How generous.