I shake my head. That would be much too easy of an out, and then life at home would be worse than it already is… all because of a burger.
“No, it’s okay. Thanks, though. I’ll just make another one and see if this lives up to the high standards at their table.”
Katy Kat looks at me with sympathetic eyes, which honestly takes me aback a little bit. Someone as tenured as her when it comes to dealing with dipshits like the Rich Boys, and aggravated guys on the line like me, she’s kind of legendary. But never once have I ever seen sympathy from her.
It’s usually an “I’ll tell them to fuck off” or “Just toss another burger on the grill so we can get rid of them”.
Always very straightforward and never a second-glance, let alone benevolence.
“Alright, Amos, but just this once. If they try to send it back again, I’m tossing them out. I’m on to this little game these pricks like to play with you, and I’m not having it tonight.”
I grin almost instantly.
There’s the Katy Kat I know and love.
I give her a two-fingered salute as I flip a new patty on the flattop and do my best not to overcook the fucking thing.
Why Xavier has to take the emotional torment he creates outside of the walls we live in is beyond me, but this seems to be one of his favorite things to do, and I either have to push back against him or let him walk all over me.
Him and his friends.
I sigh as I flip the burger again, then cut my eyes toward the back door. I really wanted that fucking cigarette and I can’t go back out there until the flow of orders slow down.
What sucks is knowing that one of the other pricks will send something back no matter how much Katy Kat barks at them over it.
“Hey, hey, Amos!”
I glance over my shoulder and smile at Suzie as she enters the kitchen and slips an order into the little space I have above the rack where the pickups go.
“I didn’t know you were working tonight,” I say as I reach for the slip and give it a quick glance.
“Yeah, I wasn’t going to, but Colin shot me a text and told me it was just Katy out front. Thought I’d show up so she didn’t have a stroke dealing with all of these drunk college kids.”
I chuckle and shake my head.
Suzie isn’t the best server in the world, but she tries hard and always rushes to fix any mistake she thinks she may have made before it becomes a problem.
I like her a lot because she doesn’t look like someone who would work in a greasy spoon kind of place like this.
Wavy, red hair, freckles on damn near every patch of skin, big, green, doe eyes, and a gap between her upper front teeth. She’s tall, lanky, and awkward, but I’ve yet to meet a nicer person than her.
“Glad you’re here tonight,” I tell her with a nod before I turn back to the Prick Burger.
“Thanks! Though I think I showed up too late. It’s a damn madhouse out there and it’s so fucking loud that I’m close to crying.”
I give her a sympathetic look over my shoulder.
She has sensory issues and loud noises usually reduce her to tears or worse.
And that’s when an idea hits me.
“Wanna help me out back here? I’m sure Colin wouldn’t mind getting his feet wet taking some orders and stuff.”
She gives me a huge smile of relief and I feel better about tonight already.
“Go find him and tell him there’s been a switch-up,” I say as I ease the Prick Burger off the flattop and onto a new plate. “And do me a favor, drop this off for Katy. I have a feeling she’s going to go nuclear soon.”
“Thanks, Amos!” she says brightly as she happily scoops up the plate and leaves the kitchen.