slips. “Thanks, Gabe. Janie’s still not back, and Mrs. Poston wants her food to go.”
He gruffly waved her off. “I’ll take care of her. Get these orders out.”
Aja grabbed a tray of food and ran out the door, crashing into Walker as he was coming into the kitchen. Food went everywhere, plates shattered to the floor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Aja cried, grabbed a napkin and wiped blended roast beef off Walker’s shirt.
Gabe took a broom and swept the mess into one big pile. “Go get the next tray and serve. We’ll finish cleaning up later.” He set the broom to the side and took another stack of plates, dealing them on a tray like a deck of cards. “I’ll re-do this order. Go on.”
Aja didn’t have time to check on Walker as she took the food tray and began serving. After the third tray, she saw Gabe walk a box of food to Mrs. Poston.
“This is unconscionable. I pay too much money to live here to be treated like trailer trash,” Mrs. Poston said. “You can be sure I will file a complaint.”
“Sorry for your troubles,” Gabe said, as he placed the box on the table in front of Mrs. Poston.
Aja served the two women who were sitting with Mrs. Poston. “I’m sorry for the delay.”
“That’s fine, honey. They need to hire a few more girls, though,” one of the women said.
Aja smiled at her gratefully, then ran to serve Walker’s table. Walker was in good humor with a bib tucked into his stained shirt. Kendall, fuming, glared at Aja.
“Miss Stafford.” Mrs. Poston was suddenly next to Walker’s table, addressing Kendall. “Do you mind helping me carry my food and drink to my apartment? I need someone who can show some responsibility to help me.” Her eyes bore into Aja.
Kendall grimaced, obviously not willing to help.
“I’ll help you.” Walker stood.
“No, I’ll do it,” Kendall huffed, and threw her napkin on the table. “You’ve done more than enough for this place,” she hissed, angrily scooting her chair away from the table.
“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Poston handed the box to Kendall. “You know, you remind me of myself when I was your age.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Kendall whispered to herself, but Aja heard. She wasn’t sure that Walker heard and was certain that the elders didn’t because no one reacted.
What an awful person, Aja thought as she left them and headed toward the kitchen. She felt a hand on her arm and turned smiling, expecting to see Walker. It was Freddy Kruger.
“My uncle wants more milk and his dinner.”
“Sure, let me get it.” Aja tried to wiggle from his grip, but he only held her tighter. “Let me go, so I can get your food.”
He took her by both arms and faced her and pressed his body into her. “You look like you need some help.”
“I can’t do anything if you don’t let go.” Aja did not want another scene, so she didn’t kick him in the balls like she wanted to.
“Do you do any nude modeling?” he said contemptuously. “I want to take pictures of you.”
“Well, look at that,” Aja heard Mrs. Poston say. “China girl, I don’t think you should be flirting with the guests, especially considering the disaster you served tonight.”
“I’m not.” She wrestled from Kruger’s grip, darted to the kitchen and tried not to cry.
An hour later, everyone had been served, and Aja was so exhausted and sore she could barely move. The kitchen still needed to be cleaned, and she felt obligated to help Gabe since he’d been so good to her during dinner. She still had hours of homework to do and would be up till 2:00 a.m. doing that and laundry.
Janie walked into the kitchen and took in the mess. “What happened?”
“Don’t ask. Where were you?” Aja asked, angrily rubbing her blistered feet.
Janie shook her head. “We had to call an ambulance to take Mrs. Jensen to the hospital. She didn’t look like she’d make it through the night. Mr. Jensen is beside himself, cried like a baby when they took her. I
He gruffly waved her off. “I’ll take care of her. Get these orders out.”
Aja grabbed a tray of food and ran out the door, crashing into Walker as he was coming into the kitchen. Food went everywhere, plates shattered to the floor.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Aja cried, grabbed a napkin and wiped blended roast beef off Walker’s shirt.
Gabe took a broom and swept the mess into one big pile. “Go get the next tray and serve. We’ll finish cleaning up later.” He set the broom to the side and took another stack of plates, dealing them on a tray like a deck of cards. “I’ll re-do this order. Go on.”
Aja didn’t have time to check on Walker as she took the food tray and began serving. After the third tray, she saw Gabe walk a box of food to Mrs. Poston.
“This is unconscionable. I pay too much money to live here to be treated like trailer trash,” Mrs. Poston said. “You can be sure I will file a complaint.”
“Sorry for your troubles,” Gabe said, as he placed the box on the table in front of Mrs. Poston.
Aja served the two women who were sitting with Mrs. Poston. “I’m sorry for the delay.”
“That’s fine, honey. They need to hire a few more girls, though,” one of the women said.
Aja smiled at her gratefully, then ran to serve Walker’s table. Walker was in good humor with a bib tucked into his stained shirt. Kendall, fuming, glared at Aja.
“Miss Stafford.” Mrs. Poston was suddenly next to Walker’s table, addressing Kendall. “Do you mind helping me carry my food and drink to my apartment? I need someone who can show some responsibility to help me.” Her eyes bore into Aja.
Kendall grimaced, obviously not willing to help.
“I’ll help you.” Walker stood.
“No, I’ll do it,” Kendall huffed, and threw her napkin on the table. “You’ve done more than enough for this place,” she hissed, angrily scooting her chair away from the table.
“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Poston handed the box to Kendall. “You know, you remind me of myself when I was your age.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” Kendall whispered to herself, but Aja heard. She wasn’t sure that Walker heard and was certain that the elders didn’t because no one reacted.
What an awful person, Aja thought as she left them and headed toward the kitchen. She felt a hand on her arm and turned smiling, expecting to see Walker. It was Freddy Kruger.
“My uncle wants more milk and his dinner.”
“Sure, let me get it.” Aja tried to wiggle from his grip, but he only held her tighter. “Let me go, so I can get your food.”
He took her by both arms and faced her and pressed his body into her. “You look like you need some help.”
“I can’t do anything if you don’t let go.” Aja did not want another scene, so she didn’t kick him in the balls like she wanted to.
“Do you do any nude modeling?” he said contemptuously. “I want to take pictures of you.”
“Well, look at that,” Aja heard Mrs. Poston say. “China girl, I don’t think you should be flirting with the guests, especially considering the disaster you served tonight.”
“I’m not.” She wrestled from Kruger’s grip, darted to the kitchen and tried not to cry.
An hour later, everyone had been served, and Aja was so exhausted and sore she could barely move. The kitchen still needed to be cleaned, and she felt obligated to help Gabe since he’d been so good to her during dinner. She still had hours of homework to do and would be up till 2:00 a.m. doing that and laundry.
Janie walked into the kitchen and took in the mess. “What happened?”
“Don’t ask. Where were you?” Aja asked, angrily rubbing her blistered feet.
Janie shook her head. “We had to call an ambulance to take Mrs. Jensen to the hospital. She didn’t look like she’d make it through the night. Mr. Jensen is beside himself, cried like a baby when they took her. I
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