“This wasn’t up for negotiation.If you get help, you’ll share, and I’ve yet to see anyone who didn’t need help at their tables.”Abby stood up and looked at the rest of the wait staff.“You have something to share.”
“I don’t want any help at my tables from now on.If you see something that needs to be done, then tell me.I won’t be sharing my tips with you if you do something that I’ve not asked you to do.”David said that’s not the way it was going to work.That she’d share even if they didn’t help her, but told her about something.“Then I’m giving my two-week notice.I can’t afford to share my tips with someone who will only help me to get a portion of what I make.The way it sounds to me, it’s going to be a free-for-all on waiting tables with everyone else in your way.That’s no way to run a place.”
“Some people are making really good tips, too, because they work so hard.And others barely get by with hardly no tips at all.Are you going to be taking money from the hard workers just because they got me a glass of water sometimes?”He told Dorothy that was the way it was going to work.“Then I’m giving my notice too.Most of the people who work here make good money, but there are a few who don’t care at all that they don’t make any tips.I’m thinking that they’ll be helpful by bringing things to the table simply for a cut.I’m sorry, but I’ve worked too hard to become a good waitress in order to make good tips only to have to share them.I’m sure that we’re all going to see it that way.”Everyone turned to her.
“I’m not sure that this is going to work.The other night, I had a six-top that I waited on all by myself.As I usually do.Now I’m going to have everyone trying to ‘help’ me when I don’t need it.It’s not fair.If that’s the way things are going to go, it’s going to be too cutthroat for me, too.I’m afraid after ten plus years I’m going to have to say no too.”
~*~
Penrod walked through the house and was amazed that he’d gotten it.The open house had been nice; he’d come to look through the house again when it was going on.He’d learned a few things, too, that he’d not known when he’d walked through it before.Such as the furniture that was in the five bedrooms stayed, and the office furniture would also be left behind.
He didn’t care for the office things and figured that once he got the house, he could swap out the bedroom furniture for other things if he wanted.However, he didn’t see that happening as he loved the bedrooms.Apparently, the kids were going to take it from the house, but then they changed their minds.As is what happened to the office things.
The desk was too big for what he wanted to use it for.Mostly, he didn’t work from home unless he had to, and that wasn’t often enough to warrant him having a room dedicated to it.He loved the shelves in the room and thought that it would make a better library than an office any day of the week.That’s what he wanted it for anyway.
“The appliances will stay as well.”He nodded at the man when he told him about the kitchen.“I’m so happy that you got the house.We didn’t get a single offer even close to the asking price, and that disappointed me somewhat.But knowing that you were going to buy it certainly did take a burden off our shoulders.Now all we have to do is have the few things that we want moved out and be on our way to Florida to be with the kids.The grandkids are what I’m looking forward to being with most, but I’m sure that someday you’ll understand.”
“My sister-in-law is going to have a baby, and my parents are over the moon happy.So are hers.”He said they had nine grandkids and two on the way.“Congratulations.I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you guys as well.”
Now that the house was empty, he could see his own things around.He didn’t have much, just an old couch and a coffee table that was more of a footstool than anything.He’d purchased a dining ware set once about four years ago and had yet to take it out of the box.Same with the silverware that he had.Since he mostly ate out, he didn’t find the need for such things around the house and probably wouldn’t once he moved in either.He didn’t figure a house would change him that much.
“What are you going to do with the master bedroom?They didn’t leave the furniture in there.”He said he had some furniture in storage that he’d been stashing away.“Good for you.I mean, I knew that you were buying things when you found them, but I don’t know how much you have.”
“Not much.I’ll need living room stuff, lamps, and shit.I’ll also need a new coffee maker.The one I have at home is on its last legs, and I don’t think it’s going to last all that much longer.”Gilman told him he had the same thing going on at his place.The coffee maker was as old as he was and still did the drip thing.“Mom must have given it to you then.I think she tried to give it to me, too, but I already had this one.I’m betting that she has all kinds of things stored up to give us once we have our own home.She gave Kahana some of his baby things, too, like his crib and rocker.I think she did the same for Axel when he and Mac found out they were going to have a baby.”
“Did you know that the house that I was looking at yesterday sold?I think they wanted too much for it in the first place.I guess the people who bought it went ten percent over the asking price just so they’d be assured of getting it.I didn’t want to pay that much.Besides, I have time.I’ll keep looking.”He said he’d help him.“Thanks, I’m going to take you up on that too.”
“Good.Then you won’t mind so much when I want your advice on things around here.I know that they said that the electrical is fine, but I do worry about the outside outlets.Sometime when you have time, you can have a look at them and tell me what you think.”Gilman was an electrical engineer and had been working on his own for the past few years.He also had his house decorated the best when it came to the holidays.That was why he needed his own home so that he could really go all out.“Once you get that looked at, I’ll feel better about plugging things in on the outside of the house.”
“I can do that for you, no problem.”As the two of them toured the house for about the fifth time, they started making notes on rooms that were going to need attention.Furniture for the living room was going to have to be the number one priority.At least in his condo, he had a place for people to sit down.It wasn’t much, but it was good enough to have some of his family over when he wanted.“You’re going to need to have the yard maintained.I’m betting they had a service do it all the time, and that’s why it looks so good.I’d stick with the same service if I were you.Or perhaps Mac can recommend something for you.”
“I’ll ask Mac.Wouldn’t it be funny if they used her for the service?It’s quite a showcase of a yard.It had me when we first saw it.”He said, then he saw the house.“Yes.Then the house.I love that I’m going to be able to move in soon.I just have to get myself a mattress for my bed, and I should be fine.Other than the few things that I have on my list, that is.I’m going to order them tonight and have them shipped here so that I won’t have to cart them back and forth.I’ll just toss out the other coffee pot, and I’ll be fine.It would have burnt the house down anyway if I were to use it here.”
“That’s a good point.I really should get rid of mine too.You’d think that I would understand that, wouldn’t you?”They both laughed, and he pulled out his phone to take some pictures of the kitchen.“I’m so happy that my house is ready to move in.I remember the nightmare that Mac and Axel went through to get their own house in order.”
“I have a question for you.Totally off topic.But what do you think of the waitress that we had waiting on us last night?I mean, she’s a real looker.”He said she seemed really nice and did a good job waiting on them.“I’m going to ask her out.I’m sick of the dating pool around town, and it might be time for me to branch out.I know her name is Lori, it’s on her name tag, but that’s all I know about her.I’m going to head there today to see if I can get any more information about her.”
“She doesn’t wear a ring.That might mean that she just doesn’t wear it at work, but she didn’t have any marks there either.”Gilman thanked his brother for noticing.“It’s literally my job to notice things like that.”
They talked about dating again, and Penrod said that he wasn’t going to be dating anytime soon.However, if he wanted to go to the restaurant and talk to her, he could use a good meal.They both thought that was a wonderful idea and headed there after locking up the house.Penrod had a house, and he couldn’t have been happier.
He noticed the tension in the air as soon as he walked through the door.Gilman, who normally didn’t notice anything, even said how he could feel something was wrong.Telling his brother to be onthe lookout for anything, they were seated in her section like normal, and it took her a few minutes to bring them their waters.She was about as tense as the room felt, and he looked around the place.
Nothing seemed to be out of order.He thought that they were being robbed, but the woman at the counter didn’t look like she was stressed out or anything.When she took their orders, Penrod put his hand on her wrist and asked her what was wrong.He would swear that she looked like she’d been crying.
“We had a meeting yesterday, and this will be my last two weeks working here.”He asked her what had happened.“Just restaurant stuff.I’m going to be all right.I just have to find myself another job so that I can live day to day.”
“I’m so sorry to hear that.We didn’t have anything to do with it, did we?I mean, if we caused you any trouble, I’m profoundly sorry.”She said that it had nothing to do with them; they were good customers, and that she really enjoyed waiting on them.“Then it has to be something.You’re upset.”
“We have to share our tips with each other.That’s a lot of money that I’m depending on.”She looked ready to cry again and told him she’d be right back.As she walked away, Penrod looked at his brother.
“It does have something to do with us, I’m betting.We usually leave her a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of tips when we leave here.Someone must have gotten their panties in a twist and decided that she was making too much on the nights we show up.I guess that’s as good a reason not to come back here as any.”
“Ask her out.”He said that he was going to do it.“Nah, you’ve been talking to her.You ask her out, and if it doesn’t work out, I will.At least you’ll have her information when I need it.”
“You said you were sick of the dating pool.That’s the only reason we came this far to have dinner.”He nodded, and he realized that she was coming back.“I’m going to ask her out, but I hope to hell that it works out for both of us and she belongs to Stamos.”
After she took their orders, being in a better mood, he joked around with her when she came to bring them parts of their dinner.Gilman did as well, but she seemed to pay more attention to them both than he thought was necessary.Perhaps this tip thing was making him see things that weren’t there.She had been really upset.
