“Hey, anybody home?” A voice calledthrough the window sounding cartoonish in its dramatic impatience. “I’ve beenwaiting forever out here!”
I finished slapping together agrilled cheese and set it on the stove before I hurried over to the window.Vann grinned at me through the open window.
“Look at you.” His smile stretchedacross his face, and his eyebrows danced on his forehead. “I’m impressed, sis.Opening night and you’re killing it.”
“Oh, thank God,” I panted, ignoringhis compliment. “I need your help.”
His eyebrows stopped waggling anddrew down in concern. “Do you need me to get something from the store? I’m notsure what’s still open, but I can-”
I cut him off, desperate to get himinside. “I need you to take orders. Inside. Now.” I turned back to the stove toflip the grilled cheese. Glancing back at Vann, I tacked on a quick andpanicked, “Please.”
He shook his head, fear reflectingin his eyes. “I can’t go in there. You’ve seen me in a kitchen! I’m adisaster.”
“I don’t need you to cook anything!”I reached overhead for a disposable cardboard basket and a butcher paper squareto line it. “I just need you to take orders and money.”
My brother’s voice trailed after me.“Are you serious?”
I threw a desperate smile over myshoulder. “I’ll owe you one!”
“You already owe me!”
Gently placing the toasted grilledcheese on one side of the basket and dumping a handful of fries on the other, Igracefully added the tomato soup drizzle as well as a plastic ramekin of thesauce for the fries. With a small sprinkle of parsley for garnish, I stepped tothe other window and handed it to the man waiting.
“Here you go.” I smiled again,hoping he didn’t notice the lines of sweat coating my face or the way my handsshook as I passed him his late night meal. “Thanks for stopping by.”
Thankfully his bleary eyes werefixed on his food. “This looks amazing.”
I had a line of people and moreplates to make, but I couldn’t help soaking in his compliment. “Thank you.”
With his mouth already full of abite of sandwich he shook his finger at the truck and crooned, “This was such agood idea. This area needs more late night food.”
My grin stretched across my face.“That’s exactly what I thought.”
“Okay, what do I do?”
I glanced to my left to see Vann tyingon one of the extra aprons I had hanging near the door. He didn’t need to wearone since he wouldn’t be handling food, but I didn’t waste time telling himthat.
“Thanks again,” I hollered to thecustomer and then spun around to make the next meal. To Vann, I said, “Justtake orders. Write them down here.” I pointed to a pad of paper. “Put them uphere.” I pointed to the order line over my head. “And don’t get them out oforder.”
He leaned out the window. “Just asecond.” To me, he asked, “And payment?”
“Use the pouch for cash and my PayPalthingy for cards.” I slid my phone to him with the card reader attached to it.“Everything’s five dollars tonight,” I explained while my hands flew withsuperhuman speed to make two pulled pork meals.
The cunning businessman in mybrother perked up, and he couldn’t help but ask, “I thought you wanted to makemoney?”
I smiled at the sandwich in mygloved hand. “Opening weekend special. I’m hooking them on good, cheap food. Ineed them to come back. Even when the prices double.”
“Huh,” Vann grunted. He didn’t sayanything more so I couldn’t tell if he thought that was a good idea or a badone. Regardless he started taking orders and payment, and I stopped freakingout.
I exhaled a slow breath and finallylet myself settle into making good food. For the past three hours, it wasnothing short of a relentless scramble. I hadn’t been able to breathe, letalone enjoy the thing I loved most in this world.
Now I could finally find my stride.I was used to full menus to cook from, so limiting myself to two dishes becamean easy routine I glided through effortlessly.
I was happier with my dishes too.Even though I knew they tasted fine, they weren’t always the prettiest thingsto look at in my haste to shove them at the customers. With Vann’s help, I couldtake the time to make each order look as good as it tasted.
Which made me immensely happy.
I finished up the orders practicallytwirling around in the kitchen, and when we finally got a second for a breaktwenty minutes later, I threw my arms around Vann and squealed against hist-shirt.
