“Okay, open up the door, Flo.”
“Oh no.”She took Jamie by the shoulders, turned him, and pushed him towards the door.“You open it.”
“But...”Jamie looked down at his dirty apron.
Hazel quickly stepped up beside Jamie.“Give me that.”She all but pulled the apron off Jamie.“Now open that door.”She gave him a little shove toward the glass door.“It’s your big day.”
Jamie looked over his shoulder.He could see the kitchen staff staring out from the new, large opening from the dining room to the kitchen.They were all smiling.Walter gave him a thumbs-up.
“Okay then, here goes nothing.”Jamie flipped the hanging sign on the door from closed to open and unlocked the door.He opened it and hesitated before stepping out onto the sidewalk that ran the length of the diner.He waved.
Car doors opened and closed, and there was excited chatter as people started to line up close to the door.“Welcome, everyone,” Jamie said, before standing beside the open door.“Come on in.”
Jamie shook hands, acknowledging people he didn’t really know all that well, and speaking to those he did. One of the people was Mr.Hanson and his great-granddaughter.“Good morning, Jamie.”He held out his hand.“Glad to see you back open.I hope that chicken-fried steak is still on the menu.”
“It sure is, Mr.Hanson.The menu has changed somewhat, but I’d never take that off.There’s plenty of biscuits and gravy, too.”
“Excellent.”Mr.Hanson patted Jamie on the shoulder as he walked through the door.
“Hi, Jamie,” Terry Hanson said, then stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek.“I hear there are congratulations in order.”She giggled a little as she followed her great-grandfather inside.
The next in line was his high school best friend, Sarah, and her family.“It’s so exciting, isn’t it, Jamie.I’m so glad you’re back in Columbus.”She gave him a peck on the cheek and a slight hug.
“How ya doin’ there, Jamie?”Jeff said as he pumped his arm.
“Good, Jeff, you?”
“Just happy to be here,” Jeff answered and then looked over his shoulder.“I guess I’m not the only one.”
Jamie looked down the long line of people waiting.“I didn’t think there’d be so many people here for lunch,” Jamie said, his eyebrows lifted.
“You are going to have a full house for sure,” Jeff chuckled as he followed his wife and children inside.
“Jamie?”Florence tapped him on the shoulder.“I’ve only got room for a party of four.We’re full up.”
Jamie shook his head.He looked at the next couple in line.“How many in your party?”
“We got three of us,” the man said.“My wife and boy.”
“Flo here will show you to your table.”Once they had gone inside, he turned to those in line.“Sorry, folks, but we’re full up for right now.If you want to wait thirty to forty-five minutes, then we can get you seated, or you can come back a little later.”
There was a soft murmur; a few people left the line, but most of them stayed.“Ya gotta wait list?”A man from the middle part of the line asked.
“Yeah, hold on a minute.”Jamie rushed inside and towards the cash register.“Is there a notepad somewhere?”he asked Hazel as she rushed past.
“Hun, I have no idea.”She hurried through to the kitchen.
“Damn,” Jamie muttered, then followed Hazel into the kitchen.He went to the office where he knew there was a pad and a pen.He returned outside and started a wait list for the diner.As far as he knew, there had never been a wait list.
“Jamie, you’re needed in the kitchen,” Joesph whispered in his ear.“I’ll take over here.Who’s next?”he asked.
Jamie went into the kitchen, where Florence was filling a breadbasket with biscuits and corn bread.We need more biscuits, and we’ll need corn bread too, but biscuits first.”She rushed out to the dining room.
“How’s it going, Walter?”Jamie asked quickly, pulling on a fresh apron.
“We’re all going as fast as we can.”He glanced up.“Glad to have the extra hands, I’ll tell ya.”
Jamie got busy making more biscuits, preparing a double batch, considering how full the dining room was, and more outside, waiting.He looked towards the back wall, seeing Christine madly making up a dough.“How are you?”he asked Christine.
