Chapter 21
Once Gina and Kim had finished cleaning up after the tasting, they both sat down for a break.
Gina looked over at Kim with one eyebrow raised and asked, “Ready for some fun news?”
“Of course.”
“I’ve done some sleuthing and I identified the top five catering companies in Chicago. I checked their Yelp ratings and made a list of the owners. If we’re going to be the best, then we should learn from the best. Success leaves breadcrumbs, and we are going to follow them.”
Kim smiled. “You’re a genius, always thinking.”
“I’m fine to make new mistakes, but let’s not make the same ones our competition has already made.
The best way to learn what the competition does is to go work for them, so last week I put in our applications to become servers for one of them.
I just heard back today, and we have a quick job interview this afternoon. You down?” Gina asked.
“I’ve never catered before. I wouldn’t know what to do, can’t even balance a tray with drinks, and I don’t know the names of all those fancy appetizers, but what the hell.”
Gina laughed. “Don’t worry. You’re a quick study.
The guests usually have the same questions, they want to know if it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and then they rarely eat anyway.
Everyone is always watching their weight; if they do take an appetizer, they usually take a small bite and wrap the rest in their napkin.
Sometimes there’s a few that chow down. You just need to smile and nod.
The owner just wants to take a look at us and see if we’re presentable enough to serve. We got this.”
They both went downstairs and got into Kim’s car. Gina gave her the address and started giving her directions. She opened the car window to let in the cool breeze.
“Bring it on. I love having this adventure with you.” Kim grinned and drove them to the Food for Thought office, which was in an industrial warehouse area. She parked and then went inside. A bell on the door announced their entrance.
An older redheaded woman with a pencil tucked into her messy hair was slumped over a pile of papers, a lit cigarette hanging out of the edge of her mouth. Without looking up, she barked, “What do you want? We’re closing soon.”
“I’m Gina Paloni. I set up an interview for us today.”
Still engrossed in the paperwork, she yelled, “Joyce, your interview people are here!”
“Send ’em back,” a raspy voice responded from somewhere in the depths of the office.
They waited for permission from the redhead to pass her desk.
“You heard her, go on back—and watch your step. We just finished a big gig last night, so there’s stuff all over the place. If you trip or fall, it’s on you.”
Gina raised her eyebrows and nodded for Kim to follow her.
As they walked, they saw pots and pans piled high in a stainless steel sink on the right side, a mountain of dirty white tablecloths and napkins on a table to the left.
All the way in the back of the building, she saw a yellow light shining from a small office.
A woman, presumably Joyce, though she didn’t introduce herself by name, looked up from her desk and said, “Come on in, we need to make this fast. I have a client meeting in an hour, and we just finished a huge event for City Hall last night. There’s barely time to breathe around here.”
Gina noted the dark circles under Joyce’s eyes and her short black hair with streaks of gray sprinkled throughout as Joyce looked her and Kim up and down.
“You both look like youngsters. Tell me about your catering experience, and I’ll need some references before you leave.”
Gina cleared her throat. “My name is Gina Paloni, and this is Kim Yang. As I told you on the phone, we have both worked in food service but not catering. We’re smart, quick learners with a solid work ethic.”
Joyce looked over at Kim and asked, “Do you speak, or does your friend here do all the talking?”
“I can speak for myself, but I think Gina covered it. I am willing to work hard and hope you’ll give me a chance. You won’t be sorry.”
“Do you know how many people I interview? They sell me a line of bullshit and don’t show for the gig.
I can’t have that. I have too many high-profile clients, and they expect flawless service and exceptional food every time.
And they get it, which is why we have established such a stellar reputation. ”
“I checked you out on Yelp,” Gina said, “and that’s why we’re here. We want to work for the best.”
Kim chimed in, “Tell you what, you give us a chance to work one of your events, and if you don’t like our work, you don’t have to pay us. How does that sound, Joyce?”
Joyce glared at Kim. “Well, aren’t you the little negotiator?
Fair enough. I need two more servers for a brunch tomorrow afternoon.
It’s at a private home in the Gold Coast, starts at eleven and goes to three.
Wear black slacks, black button-down shirts, black nonslip shoes, and black neckties, and be sure to tie your hair back neatly. ”
“Looking forward to it. Thanks for the opportunity,” Kim responded.
“You both need to fill out these forms. Bring them with you tomorrow.” Joyce put them in an envelope, wrote the address of the brunch down on top, and handed it to Kim. “See you tomorrow. And don’t wear perfume! Customers don’t like it.”
They quickly walked out, passing the redhead, whose cigarette ash was getting longer by the minute.
“We need to stop at Ross on the way to dinner and pick up our uniforms,” Gina said.
Kim steered the car to the closest store. “What a brilliant idea, Gina. This is going to be a blast.” After they bought the required outfits, they stopped for a bite at a cheap sandwich shop near Gina’s apartment.
“Why don’t you come over and we can run through the Rago tasting menu one more time, maybe watch a fun movie,” Gina said.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Sunday morning, Gina and Kim took the bus that dropped them off right near Astor Street, close to the address Joyce had given them. Gina knew this area was known for its beautiful mansions, ranging from elegant Victorians to Georgian homes.
“When these people die, they will have a fancy funeral, don’t you think?” Kim said as she looked at the three-story mansion.
“Oh, yeah, they will. I wonder which funeral parlor handles this crowd. I bet Louie will know.” Gina rang the bell and the doorman admitted them and directed them upstairs.
Joyce was standing by the kitchen door barking orders to her staff and gave Kim and Gina a once-over.
“Look at you two, dressed perfectly and early. Impressive. Put on one of our aprons.” She pointed to a stack on the counter.
“I need you to start lining the silver platters with lace doilies. Put the smoked salmon on a cucumber slice and top each with beluga and a dollop of sour cream. Be ready to serve as soon as the first guests arrive.”
They both nodded and walked into the kitchen, where things were bustling. Servers were shining the champagne flutes, plating various appetizers, and organizing the countertop, which was filled with champagne, wine, and water glasses.
“Can anyone show us where the smoked salmon and beluga are?” Kim asked.
The chatter in the kitchen halted and a tall, thin balding male server wearing large black glasses glared at Kim and Gina. “Surely you jest. Joyce usually asks one of her more seasoned staff to execute that rather expensive dish. And just who are you?” He raised his thick eyebrows.
Before Kim or Gina could respond, Joyce interrupted, “Jared, please don’t be a jerk. These are our new servers, Kim and Gina. Show them where everything is and don’t get in their way.”
Jared let out a loud sigh. “Oh, I see, new teacher’s pets. You’ll be lucky if you last one day with her.” He walked to the Sub-Zero refrigerator, pulled out the ingredients, and slammed them on the counter. “Here you go, bitches. Good luck.”
Gina swallowed, glanced over at Kim and then back at Jared. “Thanks and fuck you.”
Thanks, Uncle Vinnie, Gina thought. She remembered how her uncle had always told her not to let anybody intimidate her. He’d always told her that if anybody gets in your face, you hit right back.
Gina shut out the kitchen noise and got to work with Kim. As they walked out with their platters, Gina noticed several kind nods and smiles from some of the other servers, which confirmed that she had made the right decision handling Jared. They likely thought he was a jerk too.
As Gina offered each guest a napkin and an appetizer, she couldn’t help but notice the sparkling jewels adorning the women’s fingers, wrists, and necks.
They wore elegant, tailored silk dresses with stylish jackets paired with four-inch Jimmy Choo heels.
How can these ladies stand in these shoes?
How can they even see with all that bling shining right in their eyes?
Gina did recognize several of the guests, high rollers who made their way to the Tribune social pages weekly.
The men wore dark blazers with white pocket squares, crisp dress shirts, beige slacks, and designer loafers.
Gina thought it was funny that they had big bucks but still looked like they were wearing school uniforms, but pricier.
Gina went about the rest of the event with a pleasant smile, eyeing each person as a future customer.
She gave them a score from one to three, three being one foot in the grave, one likely around for a while.
There could be at least several new customers who will need a caterer at their funerals in this crowd.
Joyce walked up to Gina and Kim once all the cleanup was done. “You gals available this week? I have four events and could really use your help.”
Gina glanced over at Kim, who smiled. “Yes, we are. Would you send me the dates and places? By the way, I was wondering, do you also cater funerals?”
“Nope, not interested, and I have more business than I can handle with customers above ground.”