I am well aware that real restaurants do not really operate like this...
Title: Giordano’s Kitchen
Genre: Modern
Challenge #: 18 - “I have no idea what you just said.”
Rating: G/PG
Notes: I graduated yesterday. Yays! ^.^ But that also means that I got less than an hour of sleep last night, and I edited the whole thing this morning, so…there might be some mistakes I didn’t catch. Also, I’ve always seen this whole story (which is actually the beginning of something bigger) as more of a movie inside my head, so I don’t know how well it translates to paper in the first place. Sorry it’s so long…you know how I am. =/ I split it into two parts to make it easier to read.
Giordano’s Kitchen was pretty much a hole in the wall. There were people who had lived in Midway, Ohio all their lives and didn’t even know it existed. Ben Eddington had lived in Midway for all of three weeks, but when he stumbled across the old restaurant by accident one day, he immediately knew that it was perfect. It was hidden behind one of the many nondescript convenience stores that were overrunning the town, and it was small enough to be nearly engulfed by the expanse of potholed asphalt that was the store’s parking lot. It was all but unnoticeable, painted entirely in inconspicuous shades of white and gray, except for the old sign nailed above the doorway, which read “Giordano’s Kitchen” in chipped red paint. There was a handwritten sign in the front window that read “Help Wanted: Enquire with Manager.”
His mother hadn’t wanted him to get a job in the first place, but she had soon discovered that between her feverish work schedule and his access to the car, there was very little she could do about it. She had finally sighed and relented, saying, “Try to find a respectable place, Benjamin. I don’t want you working at a fast food place or a taco stand. A bank would be nice, if they’ll accept you. You’ve got to comb your hair, you’ll never get a suitable job looking like that. And pull up your pants.”
Giordano’s Kitchen made a fast food joint look like a five star restaurant. Ben knew the sight of it would probably induce a heart attack in his prim and pristine mother. Which made it all the more appealing.
The interior of the restaurant was set up more like a breakfast diner than an Italian restaurant, with big red booths that were spilling their stuffing and a dusty floor with checkered tiles. Ben had to glance twice at the girl standing behind the register at the front. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun and she was dressed immaculately for such a shabby place, in a starched-white collared blouse and a black button-up sweater.
“Can I be of assistance?” she enunciated politely. The nametag on her sweater said ROSEMARY.
“Um, yes. I’m here about the sign in front…it said you were hiring?”
“Oh yes. You’ll need to inquire with Mr. Giordano about that. Would you like me to obtain him for you?”
“Uh, if he’s not busy or anything. Is now a good time? I could always just fill out a form and come back later if that would be better…”
She inclined her head just a fraction of an inch. “This is an impeccable time, actually. What is your name, please?”
“Ben Eddington.”
Her eyes narrowed and she peered at his face for a moment, frowning slightly. Then, apparently satisfied, she snapped a sharp nod. “Just a moment, please.”
She stepped out from behind the counter and made her way around a corner and into the kitchen at a brisk stride. Her knee-length skirt and business hose were as black as her sweater - but on her feet were high-heeled sandals striped with neon blue, pink, and orange.
Ben sat down on one of the wooden waiting benches, wondering if maybe he should have consulted his mom after all. He hadn’t been expecting to be interviewed on the spot. He had thought applying for a job was just paperwork, at least in the beginning. He pulled up his pants a little and wondered if he should have worn a nicer shirt. Though, then again, in a place like this -
At that moment, as if to remind him exactly what kind of a place this was, he realized that he was sitting in old chewing gum. He was actually a little reassured as he peeled it from his back pocket and flicked it from his fingers. Any place with gum stuck to its seats was probably not too selective about its employees.
The sound of high heels against the tile made him look up, expecting to see Rosemary returning with the manager. However, it was not Rosemary approaching the register, but a leggy blonde in a tight jean skirt and pink boots that laced up almost to her knees, chomping apathetically on a piece of gum. Her nametag said APRIL, but Ben didn’t need it to know who she was. He knew April Barrows, even if he had only been going to Midway High School for three weeks. The guys he knew weren’t exactly on speaking terms with her, but they talked about her more than enough and usually spent the first half of the lunch period waiting for her to walk by. She was a junior, but she was already seventeen, having been held back a year in eighth grade. She also liked to wear boots, and pink, and very tight skirts. That was the extent of his knowledge of April Barrows. He wondered if it was some of her old gum that he had been sitting in. Not that it mattered. She was hot. Twenty more reasons for taking the job.
“Krista? What are you doing? You know you are not supposed to be at the cash register.” Rosemary’s crisp voice rang out sharply as she led a tall, darkhaired man towards the counter. April’s head shot up defensively.
“I was just ringing up a bill for the guy I was waiting on,” she said, violently cracking her gum.
“That is my job,” Rosemary rejoined.
“Yeah, well you weren’t here.”
“I was returning shortly. You are to wait until I come back to the register to calculate the bills.”
“Well I didn’t want to keep him waiting,” April snapped.
“Mr. Mopri comes here every day to work on his book, Krista,” Rosemary said with a condescending smile. “You know he always stays at least half an hour after he receives his bill.”
“God, that’s not even his name. That’s not even my name,” April muttered fiercely. She cracked her gum again, louder this time, and looked to the manager for some kind of support. He shrugged, appearing more or less uninterested, and April huffed and stormed back towards the booths, her boots clacking fiercely against the tile. Rosemary silently returned to her place behind the register with a small, satisfied smile and began to ring up the bill. The manager finally turned to glance at Ben, and relief swept over his face.
“Oh good, you are a boy. That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t completely…well anyway, hello, how are you? You’re interested in a job here?”
“Um…I’m fine, thanks. And, yes, I was…interested in the job…” Even as he said the words, he found himself once again beginning to question how much he really wanted it. You are a boy? What else would he look like?
“Wonderful. That’s great.” The manager sounded like he really meant it. “What’s your name?”
“Ben Eddington.” He shook the man's outstretched hand, trying not to show his confusion. Why had Rosemary bothered asking his name if she wasn’t going to tell the manager?
“And you are…how old?”
“Sixteen.”
“Sixteen. All right. That’s not bad, April and Lucy are around that age and they work well enough. Do you have any previous experience? Working as a waiter, any kind of work?”
Was this how interviews were supposed to be conducted? Just standing in front of the cash register, with Rosemary watching and the possibility of customers walking in any minute?
“No sir, I’m sorry. This would be my first job.”
The manager shook his head dismissively. “Doesn’t matter. You’re a boy, you’re good enough. Every single last one of my employees is female right now…not that they’re not good workers or anything, but we’re about drowning in estrogen, if you know what I mean.” He shot a glance in the direction that April had stormed off in, then another one towards Rosemary. If she took offense, or even heard what he had said, she showed no sign of it. She still look very satisfied with herself. If anything, that seemed to make the manager even more uneasy. “It’s a little overwhelming at times.”
It’s still better than a bank, Ben told himself firmly. It’s still definitely better than a bank.
“Now, I need someone who can be flexible about their shifts,” the manager said. “I’ll have you covering mornings and afternoons - maybe not all in the same day, but subject to change at short notice. What’s your schedule like? Do you have any hobbies, after school activities, sports practice before school? A girlfriend?”
“No sir. I just moved here, not even a month ago. I haven’t really had time to get involved in anything.”
“Great, great. You should be perfect then. Rosemary, could you bring me one of the application papers from the back room?”
“So…that’s it?” Ben hesitantly asked as Rosemary marched off to comply. “I’m…hired?”
“Well, I’ll need you to fill out the form first, just to make sure you have a solid record…no felonies or anything. But then, yes - basically, you’re hired. You can shadow Lucy for a week or two, just to see how things are run, and then I’ll have you waiting tables on your own.”
“Wow, um…thank you so much, Mr. Giordano.”
The manager sighed. “It’s Jones, actually. Rick Jones. Rosemary is convinced that there’s some Italian blood in the family, but…” He shook his head and sighed again. “She’s my sister’s daughter. She has this thing with renaming people…reassigning them names that reflect their inner being, or something like that. Her real name is Ida, but she doesn’t respond to it anymore. It’s easier to just humor her than try to argue with her about it.”
“…Oh.” Ben didn’t really know what else to say to that.
“Apparently your inner being is named Pat Nella. Which was why I was a little confused about your gender, until I actually saw you…I hope you understand.”
“Oh,” Ben hesitantly repeated. “Sure, I understand, Mr….Jones.”
“You can call me Rick.”
“Um…so, the restaurant is called Giordano’s Kitchen…”
“Rosemary named it,” Rick explained with a wry smile. “Her father made most of the contributions to get this place running, so I figured it was only fair to let her choose the name, since she really wanted to. We’re more of a diner than an Italian restaurant…I know the name makes it seem a little confusing…but most of our customers don’t seem to care.”
Rosemary returned with a form in hand and, after giving it to Ben with a courteous smile which he tried to return, took her place at the register once more. She seemed to derive quite a bit of pleasure from standing motionless in her position, with a mildly curious expression frozen on her face. Rick beamed at Ben gratefully.
“Just take that home, fill it out, and come drop it off when you’re done. We’ll be giving you a call.”
“Thanks. I…can’t wait to start working.” Better than a bank. Better than a bank. And it would drive his mom crazy. And April worked here. Good enough, right?
Rosemary inclined her head with fastidious precision as he turned to leave. “Goodbye, Pat.”
Genre: Modern
Challenge #: 18 - “I have no idea what you just said.”
Rating: G/PG
Notes: I graduated yesterday. Yays! ^.^ But that also means that I got less than an hour of sleep last night, and I edited the whole thing this morning, so…there might be some mistakes I didn’t catch. Also, I’ve always seen this whole story (which is actually the beginning of something bigger) as more of a movie inside my head, so I don’t know how well it translates to paper in the first place. Sorry it’s so long…you know how I am. =/ I split it into two parts to make it easier to read.
Giordano’s Kitchen was pretty much a hole in the wall. There were people who had lived in Midway, Ohio all their lives and didn’t even know it existed. Ben Eddington had lived in Midway for all of three weeks, but when he stumbled across the old restaurant by accident one day, he immediately knew that it was perfect. It was hidden behind one of the many nondescript convenience stores that were overrunning the town, and it was small enough to be nearly engulfed by the expanse of potholed asphalt that was the store’s parking lot. It was all but unnoticeable, painted entirely in inconspicuous shades of white and gray, except for the old sign nailed above the doorway, which read “Giordano’s Kitchen” in chipped red paint. There was a handwritten sign in the front window that read “Help Wanted: Enquire with Manager.”
His mother hadn’t wanted him to get a job in the first place, but she had soon discovered that between her feverish work schedule and his access to the car, there was very little she could do about it. She had finally sighed and relented, saying, “Try to find a respectable place, Benjamin. I don’t want you working at a fast food place or a taco stand. A bank would be nice, if they’ll accept you. You’ve got to comb your hair, you’ll never get a suitable job looking like that. And pull up your pants.”
Giordano’s Kitchen made a fast food joint look like a five star restaurant. Ben knew the sight of it would probably induce a heart attack in his prim and pristine mother. Which made it all the more appealing.
The interior of the restaurant was set up more like a breakfast diner than an Italian restaurant, with big red booths that were spilling their stuffing and a dusty floor with checkered tiles. Ben had to glance twice at the girl standing behind the register at the front. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun and she was dressed immaculately for such a shabby place, in a starched-white collared blouse and a black button-up sweater.
“Can I be of assistance?” she enunciated politely. The nametag on her sweater said ROSEMARY.
“Um, yes. I’m here about the sign in front…it said you were hiring?”
“Oh yes. You’ll need to inquire with Mr. Giordano about that. Would you like me to obtain him for you?”
“Uh, if he’s not busy or anything. Is now a good time? I could always just fill out a form and come back later if that would be better…”
She inclined her head just a fraction of an inch. “This is an impeccable time, actually. What is your name, please?”
“Ben Eddington.”
Her eyes narrowed and she peered at his face for a moment, frowning slightly. Then, apparently satisfied, she snapped a sharp nod. “Just a moment, please.”
She stepped out from behind the counter and made her way around a corner and into the kitchen at a brisk stride. Her knee-length skirt and business hose were as black as her sweater - but on her feet were high-heeled sandals striped with neon blue, pink, and orange.
Ben sat down on one of the wooden waiting benches, wondering if maybe he should have consulted his mom after all. He hadn’t been expecting to be interviewed on the spot. He had thought applying for a job was just paperwork, at least in the beginning. He pulled up his pants a little and wondered if he should have worn a nicer shirt. Though, then again, in a place like this -
At that moment, as if to remind him exactly what kind of a place this was, he realized that he was sitting in old chewing gum. He was actually a little reassured as he peeled it from his back pocket and flicked it from his fingers. Any place with gum stuck to its seats was probably not too selective about its employees.
The sound of high heels against the tile made him look up, expecting to see Rosemary returning with the manager. However, it was not Rosemary approaching the register, but a leggy blonde in a tight jean skirt and pink boots that laced up almost to her knees, chomping apathetically on a piece of gum. Her nametag said APRIL, but Ben didn’t need it to know who she was. He knew April Barrows, even if he had only been going to Midway High School for three weeks. The guys he knew weren’t exactly on speaking terms with her, but they talked about her more than enough and usually spent the first half of the lunch period waiting for her to walk by. She was a junior, but she was already seventeen, having been held back a year in eighth grade. She also liked to wear boots, and pink, and very tight skirts. That was the extent of his knowledge of April Barrows. He wondered if it was some of her old gum that he had been sitting in. Not that it mattered. She was hot. Twenty more reasons for taking the job.
“Krista? What are you doing? You know you are not supposed to be at the cash register.” Rosemary’s crisp voice rang out sharply as she led a tall, darkhaired man towards the counter. April’s head shot up defensively.
“I was just ringing up a bill for the guy I was waiting on,” she said, violently cracking her gum.
“That is my job,” Rosemary rejoined.
“Yeah, well you weren’t here.”
“I was returning shortly. You are to wait until I come back to the register to calculate the bills.”
“Well I didn’t want to keep him waiting,” April snapped.
“Mr. Mopri comes here every day to work on his book, Krista,” Rosemary said with a condescending smile. “You know he always stays at least half an hour after he receives his bill.”
“God, that’s not even his name. That’s not even my name,” April muttered fiercely. She cracked her gum again, louder this time, and looked to the manager for some kind of support. He shrugged, appearing more or less uninterested, and April huffed and stormed back towards the booths, her boots clacking fiercely against the tile. Rosemary silently returned to her place behind the register with a small, satisfied smile and began to ring up the bill. The manager finally turned to glance at Ben, and relief swept over his face.
“Oh good, you are a boy. That’s what I thought, but I wasn’t completely…well anyway, hello, how are you? You’re interested in a job here?”
“Um…I’m fine, thanks. And, yes, I was…interested in the job…” Even as he said the words, he found himself once again beginning to question how much he really wanted it. You are a boy? What else would he look like?
“Wonderful. That’s great.” The manager sounded like he really meant it. “What’s your name?”
“Ben Eddington.” He shook the man's outstretched hand, trying not to show his confusion. Why had Rosemary bothered asking his name if she wasn’t going to tell the manager?
“And you are…how old?”
“Sixteen.”
“Sixteen. All right. That’s not bad, April and Lucy are around that age and they work well enough. Do you have any previous experience? Working as a waiter, any kind of work?”
Was this how interviews were supposed to be conducted? Just standing in front of the cash register, with Rosemary watching and the possibility of customers walking in any minute?
“No sir, I’m sorry. This would be my first job.”
The manager shook his head dismissively. “Doesn’t matter. You’re a boy, you’re good enough. Every single last one of my employees is female right now…not that they’re not good workers or anything, but we’re about drowning in estrogen, if you know what I mean.” He shot a glance in the direction that April had stormed off in, then another one towards Rosemary. If she took offense, or even heard what he had said, she showed no sign of it. She still look very satisfied with herself. If anything, that seemed to make the manager even more uneasy. “It’s a little overwhelming at times.”
It’s still better than a bank, Ben told himself firmly. It’s still definitely better than a bank.
“Now, I need someone who can be flexible about their shifts,” the manager said. “I’ll have you covering mornings and afternoons - maybe not all in the same day, but subject to change at short notice. What’s your schedule like? Do you have any hobbies, after school activities, sports practice before school? A girlfriend?”
“No sir. I just moved here, not even a month ago. I haven’t really had time to get involved in anything.”
“Great, great. You should be perfect then. Rosemary, could you bring me one of the application papers from the back room?”
“So…that’s it?” Ben hesitantly asked as Rosemary marched off to comply. “I’m…hired?”
“Well, I’ll need you to fill out the form first, just to make sure you have a solid record…no felonies or anything. But then, yes - basically, you’re hired. You can shadow Lucy for a week or two, just to see how things are run, and then I’ll have you waiting tables on your own.”
“Wow, um…thank you so much, Mr. Giordano.”
The manager sighed. “It’s Jones, actually. Rick Jones. Rosemary is convinced that there’s some Italian blood in the family, but…” He shook his head and sighed again. “She’s my sister’s daughter. She has this thing with renaming people…reassigning them names that reflect their inner being, or something like that. Her real name is Ida, but she doesn’t respond to it anymore. It’s easier to just humor her than try to argue with her about it.”
“…Oh.” Ben didn’t really know what else to say to that.
“Apparently your inner being is named Pat Nella. Which was why I was a little confused about your gender, until I actually saw you…I hope you understand.”
“Oh,” Ben hesitantly repeated. “Sure, I understand, Mr….Jones.”
“You can call me Rick.”
“Um…so, the restaurant is called Giordano’s Kitchen…”
“Rosemary named it,” Rick explained with a wry smile. “Her father made most of the contributions to get this place running, so I figured it was only fair to let her choose the name, since she really wanted to. We’re more of a diner than an Italian restaurant…I know the name makes it seem a little confusing…but most of our customers don’t seem to care.”
Rosemary returned with a form in hand and, after giving it to Ben with a courteous smile which he tried to return, took her place at the register once more. She seemed to derive quite a bit of pleasure from standing motionless in her position, with a mildly curious expression frozen on her face. Rick beamed at Ben gratefully.
“Just take that home, fill it out, and come drop it off when you’re done. We’ll be giving you a call.”
“Thanks. I…can’t wait to start working.” Better than a bank. Better than a bank. And it would drive his mom crazy. And April worked here. Good enough, right?
Rosemary inclined her head with fastidious precision as he turned to leave. “Goodbye, Pat.”