Pizza Chef #3
The fresh spring air was nice, and the trail through the woods was pretty.
Park users were riding bikes, rollerblading, and walking on the trail.
Probably most of them had just gotten out of work like Maria.
It was weird being on the same schedule as everybody else.
Maria had worked second shift for so long she’d almost forgotten what first shift felt like.
Mostly, first shift felt tiring. The dough-making this morning had been surprisingly exhausting.
And she’d been staying up too late for somebody who worked early now.
The conversation with Seth played before her eyes.
He’d clearly thought worse of her for taking that pizza job.
It wasn’t as though it wasn’t honest work.
But he knew Maria’s career dreams better than most other people.
He knew how much she cared about making quality food, and how hard she had worked in culinary school.
What he said about her sinking so low hurt.
He could talk! He’d gotten that job at Greg’s because he had a connection there.
Sure, he was a good chef, but the boss was a friend of his family.
Maybe Maria didn’t interview well, and that’s why she hadn’t gotten the job at the American Restaurant.
Maybe if she were more outgoing and cheerful, and if she had spoken more confidently about her skills, she would have snapped up a better job.
Or she could have applied to a beginning position, like dishwasher, at a fancy restaurant, and worked her way up.
Wasn’t that how a lot of great chefs had gotten started?
In the meantime, as much as she detested Seth pointing it out, the Main Street Kitchen was no place Maria wanted to work.
The last two days had been awful, and she wasn’t moving any closer to what she wanted to do with her life.
It wasn’t as though she aspired to be head chef—she was perfectly fine just cooking with a boss above her—but she wanted to work at a place she was proud of, and this wasn’t it.
Maybe it could be turned around, but Maria guessed a lot of problems were with management, and you couldn’t do anything about a restaurant with bad management.
The restaurant business was rough. There were so many people involved in making a place good or bad.
Maria wished she could go to some fresh place, outside this town, where she didn’t have to try the same predictable restaurants and run into her ex-boyfriend. She just wanted to get away.
Well, she did have one place to get away, without disappointing her family, and that was out west. It must have been different for Mom, riding the open range, mending fences, or corralling cattle or whatever it was that people did on a ranch.
Her mom could get exercise and ride around in the cool breeze and enjoy the outdoors. What must that have been like?
Maybe Dad was right, and Montana would be a good change of pace.
If Maria took that job at the Rocker A and kept her head down and didn’t fight with her relatives, it could be good.
It was unlikely that Grandma Austin would have invited her if she was actively mad at her or was going to be unkind to her.
Plus, Maria would be busy working. Maybe she’d get to learn to ride a horse in her spare time.
It had always irked her that she had never been on a horse, after Dad’s tales of how good a horsewoman Mom was—but as many activities as he’d done with Maria, horse riding had never been one of them.
She’d been a little afraid to ask in case her wanting to ride made him sad.
In Montana, she could learn all kinds of things about Mom and her heritage, without worrying about hurting Dad’s feelings.
She’d better call Dad and talk to him. He should be home by now, or at least on his way home.
Still on the trail, Maria phoned Dad. He took a while to pick up.
“Hello, Princess,” his jovial voice rang through the phone. “I’m on my way home. Don’t worry, I’ve got a hands-free setup in this car.”
“Dad, I’ve been thinking about what you said last night, and I think you’re right,” Maria said. “I think I’m going to go to Montana. My plans are all going horribly, and I really do need that change of pace. And I could finally get in touch with Mom’s heritage.”
Dad was silent for a moment. “That’s wonderful,” he said, his voice serious. “Grandma and I both agree that’s what you need. I’m glad you’ve finally decided that for yourself.”
“I guess it took me a while to come to grips with the fact that things just aren’t going the way I wanted them to,” Maria said. “I would have loved to find a restaurant with a really nice job and nice co-workers, but I’ll have to put that on hold until I come back.”
“Right now, it’s more important that you find yourself again,” Dad said. “You can let your Grandma Austin know you’re coming, and tell the pizza place you’re quitting.”
“I’m gonna put in my two weeks’ notice tonight,” Maria said. “I’m going to write it as soon as I get home and go put it in. It’ll be an extra trip, but it saves me a day.”
“All right,” Dad said. “Well, I’ll see you at home. Did you talk to Grandma yet?”
“No, I’ll tell her when I get home. Thanks, Dad. I’m glad we all agree.”