Chapter 6
Tuesday
The restaurant closed at ten, but the last, lingering diners didn’t leave until ten thirty. As soon as they were gone, Carole locked the front door and the servers and bussers set the chairs upside down on the tables. Then one of the bussers mopped the floor and the rest of the staff finished rolling silverware into clean napkins. Checked the salt and pepper mills on every table.
By eleven, the dining room was ready for the next day, and the servers drifted to the bar. As they ordered drinks from the bartender, Nico slipped into the kitchen.
Most of the pans were already washed and dried. The line cooks were storing food and cleaning their stations. Delia, the head chef, was supervising. No sign of Julia.
She must have an office back here, but he couldn’t ask where it was. Why would a busser need to see the owner? “Anyone need help back here?”
“Nope, thanks,” one of the line cooks said. “We’re about done.”
“Go have a drink,” Delia said, nodding toward the dining room. “Julia lets us have a drink at cost.”
Scanning the room, seeing nothing suspicious, Nico nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”
When he stepped into the dining area again, Carole was sitting on one of the barstools, her head bent close to the bartender’s. He wondered what they were talking about. But as he walked over to the bar, they stopped talking. Carole turned to watch him.
Ignoring her, Nico said, “Ginger ale, please.”
“You don’t want a beer? A glass of wine?” The bartender frowned. “We pay cost on alcohol.”
“Thanks. I’m good with soda.”
Nodding, Brady filled a glass with ice then dispensed the soda. Set it on the counter in front of him. “How did your first shift go?” he asked.
“It was great. The other bussers and the servers were very helpful. Friendly. And so were the customers. Except for Barrett.” Nico took a drink of soda, then shook his head. He turned to Carole. “You put him on that Do Not Serve list?”
“We don’t have one of those, Nico.” Carole’s nose twitched, as if she’d smelled something off. “We don’t want to offend any of our customers.”
“I get that completely,” he said. “Restaurants run on tight margins. But you’re losing money on the Barretts if they refuse to pay for their food whenever they eat here.”
Her lips thinned. “He’s not like that every time he’s here. He just had too much to drink tonight.”
Nico shrugged. “Above my pay grade. But that guy seems like a losing proposition.”
“You stick to bussing tables, Nico. I’ll make the decisions about who gets seated.”
“Absolutely,” he said, taking another gulp of soda. “Just found it odd that he finished his meal and then complained.”
“You questioning my authority?” Carole asked sharply.
He turned to face her. “Of course not. Why would I? This is my first night working here.”
“Sounds like you don’t like the way I do things.”
Nico studied her for a long moment. Why was this woman so aggressively unpleasant? She hadn’t liked him from the moment they met. He shrugged. “Not my business.”
“Remember that, and you’ll do just fine at Madeline’s.” Carole gulped down the half-glass of white wine she had left and set the glass on the bar. “See you all tomorrow night.”
Nico nodded at her as everyone else said goodbye. Shortly after Carole left, everyone else drifted off. He wondered how long Julia would be busy in the kitchen. And what he should do while she was busy. Finally decided he would check out the kitchen.
When he pushed through the swinging door, only Delia was visible. She was stacking plates near the stoves, and she looked up with a smile. “Hey, Nico. How was your first night?”
“Good,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”
“Carole give you your tip share?” she asked.