Chapter 2
Sammy wasn’t thrilled about hiring someone to start on the fish fry all you can eat Friday night, but she needed her, and she said she had experience.
She also has a record, like most of the other employees that she had, and that was fine by her.
So long as there was no abuse of children or adults in her past, what sent her to prison in the first place, then she’d hire her.
But the first bit of trouble and she’d be out the door.
That’s all this job was, a second chance for some of them. There would be no third.
Her phone ringing caught her off guard, and she answered with her last name. It felt good to call herself Walsh, and she was glad that the person on the other end of the phone didn’t question her about work. She just wanted to get through today and was off for the next two.
“I’m calling to remind you that your mother has a pre-trial set for Monday morning.
She’ll be brought in with the other inmates that are awaiting their trial set, and hers should be around nine.
Everything else begins at eight.” She told the officer that she’d be there at eight thirty.
“Good. She has been causing trouble in the system, but we’ll be able to use that against her when the judge shows up.
I do believe that she thinks of herself as a model prisoner, but she’s not.
She lets her true colors stand out on occasion, and it makes us wonder what else she’s been up to since before she’d been incarcerated. ”
“No doubt a great deal.” She asked if there was anything else she needed to know. “I want to make sure that she doesn’t get out anytime too soon. I don’t want her around where I am, and my sister is.”
“She’s broken the laws according to the parole office when she got out of prison.
She has no job and no address other than an abandoned house that has since been under construction.
If you don’t mind me saying, it’s good of your family to get to those houses around town that needed a boost up.
The roof on the place is wonderful.” She said that she didn’t have much to do with her husband’s businesses.
“I heard him say that. Well, I’ll let you go.
I’m calling all the people on my list to let them know that their family members are going to be before the judge in the morning. ”
“Thank you.” He said it was his pleasure and hung up.
She sat in her office for several minutes thinking about what her mom had done to get herself arrested this time.
She’d only been out of prison for a few weeks after spending eight and a half years in there with her father.
But unlike her, he’d not only gotten a job but had an address as well.
He worked for Melbourne doing jobs around the city—or he did until her mother had pushed him down a flight of stairs when he pissed her off.
That’s one of the reasons she was in jail now, because Dad had pressed charges against her.
Not only did he have a concussion, but he also had two breaks in his leg that had him laid up for a while.
She’d not only shoved him down a flight of stairs, but she’d also kicked him when he was down.
Mother hadn’t changed a bit since she’d been in prison, and she was sad for that.
She and her father had been in prison for child abuse as well as neglect.
Her dad had changed since he’d been put away. He wanted a better relationship with his girls, her and Justine, so that he could make amends for the way he’d been before going to prison.
Mother and he both would starve them and lock them in cages, too.
There was never a time when they weren’t beaten or neglected.
Justine had never gotten over how they treated her, and it had hurt her mentally.
She, too, was working on a better relationship with their father, and so far it was going really well.
Sammy moved to where her cook was working on tonight’s meal so that the prep work would be finished before they got busy.
She was handed a plate of carrots and celery to eat while she spoke to him.
“She gonna make it tonight?” He was talking about the new girl, and she told him honestly that she didn’t know.
It was a busy night to be working in a new job.
“Well, all we can hope for is the best. I heard that your husband is coming in to bus tables again. He’s a hell of a worker, that man.
You tell him how much you love him daily? ”
“Hourly. And I’m lucky in that he doesn’t mind working too.” He’d bused for them once before, and the staff had loved him. “He can clean a table even before the people are out of the place. Turning tables makes harder work for you, too.”
“I have the help.” She nodded and finished her snack. “You’ll have to tell me what to have for Saturday night meal and Sunday morning breakfast.”
“You know what to have for Sunday brunch, just do that, and you tell me what you have plenty of, and I’ll let you know what to have for Saturday night.
I have a pretty good idea of what you have, but we can go from there.
” He told her that he could do beef tips again; people seemed to like that.
“Then that’s what you should do. I like the price on that, too. ”
Having that settled, she was glad that he was in charge of the kitchen.
He didn’t put up much of a fuss about stuff going on, nor did he seem to care if there were people in the dining room or not.
He kept everyone busy even when it was slow.
Tonight wouldn’t be. Especially with Melbourne clearing tables.
They usually got to turn a table twice on nights like this, but last time he worked, they were able to turn them four times.
The waitstaff loved him for that. It meant more tips for them.
And the kitchen loved not having to wait on dirty dishes, as he was really good at keeping the tables cleared, too.
“Ms. Walsh, what time did you want me to show up tonight?” She’d told her twice now that it would be at four. “And dinner starts at five?”
“Yes, we’ve gone over this.” She said she was nervous. “I understand. Tonight, you’ll spend the first half following Sally around, then, if you can, you can start waiting on your own sections later in the night. We’re going to be busy as it’s Friday night.”
“I understand. I don’t want to mess up my first night on the job.
You’ve taken a chance with me, and I don’t want to make you regret it.
” She said she wouldn’t so long as she did her job.
“I will. I’ve not waited tables since I’ve been out of prison, but it can’t be that hard.
I know how to do it, just nervous is all. ”
“Ask for help if you need it.” She said that she would.
When she walked away, she had her doubts about the woman.
She seemed all right and had passed her background checks, but she was just too timid to be working on a Friday night on her first night.
But she’d said she wanted to start right away, and she told her that it was busy, but she said she could do it. We’ll see, she supposed.
At two o’clock, they closed the dining room up to get ready for tonight.
There were a couple of tables that were stragglers, but she soon had them out the door.
Their plan had been to stay until dinner started to get in on the fish fry, but she didn’t have any reservations open, and that sort of pissed them off.
Oh well, she thought, next time be prepared.
Melbourne showed up at three thirty and was ready to go.
He helped finish the salt and pepper shakers, getting them refilled, and was ready to go when the doors opened.
She couldn’t believe how many people were ready to eat at five, but then she’d only been doing this for the last four months.
They were doing well in that they were making a good profit, so she didn’t mind the extra work in ordering the fish for the fry.
By six, Betty was waiting on her own tables.
She only gave her two at a time at first, but when she was ready to go wait on more, she gave her an entire section.
It was nice having a good crew working, and Sally said that she was doing well.
That’s all the endorsement she needed to give in to her better judgment and give her more tables.
The night was going really well, and by the time closing time was coming up on them, Melbourne had outdone himself in getting three tables turned five times tonight, and everyone was thrilled.
“I thought for sure we were going to run out of fish there for a bit.” She asked how he’d figured out that they had enough. “I found another tray of them put in the wrong place in the walk-in. Could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw it. Good thing too.”
“I’m glad you found it. I’ll have to have a talk with the staff about moving things around in the walk-in. They shouldn’t be moving things without asking about them first.” He said he’d do it. “All right. I’ll back you up on anything you say to them. You know that, don’t you?”
“I do. Thank you for that.” As the kitchen was being broken down for cleanup, she did her paperwork and filled out the deposit slips for the bank.
She was glad that most people paid by credit card, or she’d have to have a truck come by and pick up her deposit.
Not that she was complaining, but it was nice to be able to bank some money like tonight had been.
By the time the dining room was ready for tomorrow night, she was glad for the extra help when it came to cleaning up the dining room.
Melbourne was good at what he was doing for her, and she thought that he was having a good time, too.
She knew that she was. Getting to see him during the night was fun for them, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.