“My friend, Joesph, should be here around ten this morning.Have you guys thought about what you might like changed here?”
Walter laughed.“How about air-conditioning.I don’t know if it’s me getting older or if it’s getting hotter, but I’m already dreading summer.”
“Cl-cli-climate ch-change,” Timmy commented.
“This kitchen gets hotter than a June bride in a feather bed,” Dexter added, shaking his head as he sliced an onion.
Jamie laughed.“It’s been ages since I’ve heard that.”He looked around the kitchen.“It’s good to be home.”
Walter stopped stirring the gravy he was working on.“I’m glad you’re back, Jamie.It’s almost like you never left.”
“Good mornin’, y’all,” Florence said, loud enough to be heard over the exhaust fan.Jamie had to do a double take when he saw her.She was wearing a red and white polka dot top, the buttons revealing a decent amount of cleavage.There was a matching scarf tied around her neck, and she had on jean shorts that were so tight Jamie thought he could see a pulse.
Hazel rushed into the kitchen.“Lordy, it’s going to be a scorcher today.She stopped short, looking at Florence.She put her hands on her hips and did a long look, raking up and down Florence.“You workin’ the dining room or the street?”
Florence rolled her eyes at her co-worker.“You’re just jealous.”
Minnie scurried in, and she also stopped, looking at Florence, her jaw slack.She quickly made her way to the changing room, her head shaking.
Hazel laughed, and laughed hard, following her.
Florence huffed.“Just goes to show who keeps up with current fashion.”
“I think that was in fashion about forty years ago,” Jamie commented, chuckling.
“I won’t even dignify that with a response.”Florence touched her hair, making sure everything was in place, then went into the changing room.
Breakfast service came and went, being busier than expected.They ran out of biscuits, making Jamie rush to make up another batch.
Walter leaned against the serving counter.“That’s the busiest we’ve been in a long while.”
“Word’s out,” Hazel said as she came in.She leaned against the counter, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.
“What word?”Jamie asked, starting on yet another batch of biscuits, hoping it would get them through lunch.
“You’re back,” Hazel said as she went into the walk-in cooler.
“Lordy be,” Florence slowly walked into the kitchen.“I’ve been run off my feet.”
Jamie went over to the spindle where the green order tickets were.He counted them out.“Wow.”He looked up at Walter.“We did seventy-seven covers.”
Walter shook his head and looked at Timmy and Dexter.“He means we did seventy-seven orders.”
“If it keeps up like this, I’m gonna need that vacation,” Florence said.“Where’s Hazel?”
“In the walk-in,” Jamie answered, using his elbow to point.
“That’s a grand idea.I’m gonna join her.”Florence opened the walk-in.
Salzy chose that moment to come into the kitchen,notletting the screen door slam.“Water.I need water.”He slumped over to the water station and proceeded to down two glasses of water before refilling his glass again.“Damn, it’s hot out there.”
Minnie came into the kitchen with a tray of dirty dishes.Her hair plastered to her head.
“What’s up with the air-conditioning in the dining room?”Jamie asked.“Is it not working?”
“Towards the end of last summer it started acting up,” Walter said.“Mr.Solan was going to have it checked out and then...well...”
“He died,” Jamie finished for him, his voice hoarse.He cleared his throat.“I’ll get these biscuits done and then I’ll see if I can’t get someone out here to look at it.Can’t have customers trying to eat in this kind of heat.”
