First Day on the Job

Dear Diary,

What a day! I can’t believe what happened, can’t believe my first day went so well.

I was nervous. They’d thrown me in the deep end and expected me to know everything. I’d never been a waitress before, never even eaten at a fancy restaurant like this. How would I cope, there was so much to remember?

             The buzzer on the door sounded so I quickly made my way up the passageway to usher in my first customers for the day. A lovely elderly couple. I gave them the table near the fire. They were most appreciative and asked for two martinis. Martinis. I’d never made one in my life. I smiled sweetly as I presented them with the menu and raced back down to the bar area to look up a recipe.

             As I carried the glasses on the tray, I had a niggling feeling something wasn’t quite right. I stood there with pen in hand waiting to take their order. The gentleman eyed his glass and glanced at me. He took a sip and said, ‘Tide out is it?’

             I didn’t know what he meant,’ Sorry,’ I said.

             He explained that he thought there should have been more gin in the glass and then the penny dropped. I’d only made one quantity in my nervousness and divided it between the two glasses. I quickly made two more, complimentary of course, and took their order.

             I hoped no one would know I’d given them complimentary drinks, but Sarah had said, to treat this job as though this business is your own and that’s what I would do if it was my restaurant. There was so much to learn, so much more to do, Sarah had made it sound so easy but it most certainly wasn’t.

             The door opened again just as I was on my way to the kitchen.

             ‘Hello, hello, hello,’ the handsome stranger said.

             I blushed profusely under his scrutiny.

             ‘Lunch for two?’ I asked.

             He looked at his companion and said, ‘Do you think you can get lunch somewhere else. I’d like to have this lady join me.’

             ‘Just ignore him,’ the elderly man said. ‘My son loves to flirt. We’d love a table for two near the window please.’

             Blushing profusely, I seated them, took their drink order and gave them their menus. Remembering I still hadn’t handed in the elderly couple’s lunch order I quickly made my way to the kitchen. 

             The phone began to ring and I ran to answer it. Yes, we could place four for dinner tonight, yes we were “bring your own wine,” and did we do wedding functions? No one had informed me of that so I asked the kitchen staff who suggested the woman ring Sarah in the office who was the functions co-coordinator.

             The head chef was yelling out the order was ready just as I hung up. I rushed back balancing the hot plates in one hand and placed them in front of my elderly guests. 

             Then it was back to get the drinks and lunch from the father and son. The son smiled as he asked me how long I’d been working there.

             ‘My first day,’ I smiled.

             ‘You’re doing well,’ he said. ‘Not an easy feat being a waitress.’

             ‘You can say that again, oh excuse me,’ I said, as four more gentlemen entered the restaurant.

             They waved acknowledgement to the father and son and I seated them quickly giving them their menus to rush back to take the order from the father and son.

             ‘You certainly are busy,’ the son said.

             I nodded as I asked what their choices were.

             A young couple entered.

             Oh my, I was way out of my depth here. I rushed around the whole lunch break which ended up being four hours. How I managed it all was beyond me. Smiling while my insides churned, consoling the temperamental chefs who demanded I take their food immediately even when they could hear the door buzzing, indicating more guests had arrived, infuriated me but all I did was smile.

             I ended up with sixteen patrons. Apart from the little incident with the martini everything else went quite smoothly on the outside. The challenge was calculating their accounts whilst cleaning tables, taking the odd drink order, stoking up the fire, answering the phone, making sure the music filtered through softly and all the while giving the patrons the illusion that all was well.

             The last to leave were the father and son. He’d flirted with me outrageously throughout the early afternoon. 

             ‘Why don’t you sit with us and have a drink,’ he said, ‘I think you deserve it.’

             ‘Oh, no I couldn’t,’ I said as his eyes bore into mine.

             ‘So how do you think you went today,’ he asked.

             ‘I don’t know. I didn’t think it would be this busy.’

             ‘It was quite busy for a Tuesday,’ he said. ‘Could you bring us three coffees please?  You do drink coffee don’t you?’

             ‘I’m sorry I can’t,’ I said. 

             He was staring directly into my eyes as though boring into my soul. I tried to tear my eyes away from his but they held me fast as my blush began to spread.

             ‘Do you think it was fair of your boss to leave you all alone on your very first day to deal with sixteen customers? I know for a fact they would have three waitresses working at night if they had that many to deal with.’

             I didn’t know what to say. Why was he saying this to me? I hadn’t actually met my boss, just Sarah who’d interviewed me.

             ‘I don’t know about that. Would you still like that coffee?’ I asked.

             ‘Are you joining us?’ he challenged.

             ‘I’m sorry, I can’t,’ I said again.

             ‘Well then I guess it will be coffee for two and we’ll have a cognac as well.’

             He undoubtedly had an effect on me. As I bustled about getting the coffees and cognac I wondered if he owned a rival restaurant and that was why he was asking so many questions. Perhaps he wanted me to work for him.  No, that couldn’t be it; I didn’t do that great a job.

             Placing their coffees before them and cognacs on the side, the father gave me a sympathetic look.

             ‘Ignore him,’ he said, ‘he just admired the way you handled yourself today.’

             ‘Thank you,’ I blushed.  ‘Anything else?’

             ‘That’s all for the moment.’

             I felt the son’s eyes on me the whole time I set up the tables. Every now and then I would make sure they were aware I was there to bring them anything they needed but the father was talking quite adamantly so I left them alone.

             With the tables reset, the fire burning in the hearth and music still filtering through I checked the tables for any sign of something I may have forgotten. All was well.

             The father indicated another cup of coffee. I dreaded bringing it as I wanted them to leave so I could tally up the day’s takings, another of my responsibilities.

             ‘You’ve done a great job,’ the son said. ‘I don’t suppose you’d be interested in working elsewhere?’

             Here it comes.

             ‘No, I’m quite happy here.’

             ‘But it’s only your first day and look at how hard they made you work. Why not work where you’d be appreciated?’

             ‘I am appreciated here. My boss has allowed me to work these hours so I can still be home with my children when they need me. Now if there is nothing else should I make up your account?’

             ‘David, there you are,’ it was Sarah from the office.

             ‘I’ve just been chatting here with … with?’

             ‘Melissa,’ I said slowly. David? The guy who owned the restaurant’s name was David, David Chapworth. Oh, no, this was my boss.

             ‘So how did you go today?’ Sarah asked.

             ‘Fantastically,’ David said. ‘I must say I was surprised you left her alone on her first day, she had sixteen for lunch.’

             ‘Oh, I wasn’t aware that ….’ she trailed off.

             ‘Well, I think in future we need to make sure Melissa here has help when she needs it. She did a superb job, you wouldn’t have known it was her first day and I must say she’s very loyal to us as well. Now will you sit down and have a coffee?’

             I was shocked. ‘Er, do you, would you like more coffee as well?’

             ‘No thank you.  Sarah get Melissa a coffee will you,’ he stood and pulled out a chair. ‘It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone work as hard as you did today and I must say I do admire your tenacity and honesty. I’ve seen men poach other staff with promises of more money and better conditions but you never wavered. You have all the qualities we’re looking for in a daytime manageress.’

             Daytime Manageress. Me? I was dumbfounded as Sarah placed my coffee before me.

             ‘Yes and there’s more money in it for you as well,’ he said.

             ‘I don’t … I don’t know what to say.’

             ‘You don’t have to say anything, just think about it. Now, you said something about children. What time did you need to leave?’

             ‘Not until four thirty,’ I almost whispered.

             ‘Do you think you’d be able to get a sitter for Thursday night? I do like to take my staff to dinner and see how the job is going for them in a social meeting as opposed to a drilling in the office.’

             ‘Sure,’ I said my eyes immediately seeking out his wedding ring finger. Empty. Could I be that lucky? The father had seen the shift in my eyes and smiled. I drank my coffee. My first day had turned out better than I thought.

             Now I can’t wait until Thursday, let’s hope the night’s as exciting as I hope. Flirting with David might be a fun way to get chummy with my new boss.