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Breakfast with the Lifers Pt 3
“Are you going to sit there, Instructor Johnson?” It was Bronwyn again, stepping behind me, taking the last free seat. “How are the eggs?” She asked Caroline.
I didn’t wait to hear if Hoffman’s eggs were any good.
“What the hell are you doing, Hoffman?” I asked the head chef when I reached him in the kitchen.
“Dude,” He leaned into whisper as he grated some cheese for the omelets that was cooking on the stove. “They’re paying me.”
“I don’t care. This is my house.”
“They’re paying me a lot.”
“My house Hoffman. Not yours,… mine. Get them out of here. Besides what would Jack say?”
“He’d be happy that we’re making money. Besides think of the fringe benefits.”
“What that after work we can be waiters?”
“No, did you see that Caroline chick?”
“Hoffman.” I struggled to hold my voice down. “I’m going to take a shower. When I get out they all better be gone.”
“I haven’t told you how much they’re giving me.”
“I don’t care.”
“How’s fifteen bucks a person sound?”
“Bullshit.”
“Fucking A man.
“For omelets, toast and fruit?”
“They say everywhere else is packed. They like to hang out together but can’t cause of the crowds.” He flipped the omelet on top of itself. It looked pretty good. “I’m thinking of making this a regular thing. A club kinda. They already called a couple of other Lifers who are on there way here now.”
I looked at him not believing what I was hearing.
“What?” He asked not understanding my look.
“Get them out now.”
“Johnson.”
“Hoffman!” I seethed.
“Okay, okay.”
I walked off toward the bathroom, shaking my head, amazed.
They were still there when I came out of the shower. I didn’t say anything. I just noted that they were there. All of them, plus a few more, crowded around the TV watching something. A were few still eating, others were drinking coffee, Mr. Bob even had a newspaper unfurled greatly in front of him, legs crossed, sitting back, reading. I walked straight to my room. I sensed Hoffman coming from the kitchen following me. The window in my room was still open. Thankfully the card table and diners were gone. I began to take off the towel.
“Hey Instructor Johnson, are you the floor show.”
I looked up. Miss Patty was at a table on the sidewalk outside my window, eating, drinking, and enjoying the morning with three other Lifers. Michelson, outside with a tray of food balanced on his shoulder was coming up behind her. My hand re-gripped the towel before it dropped.
Hoffman quickly dropped the blinds and leaned against the window. I heard Michelson say, “Ask him if he knows where I can get more tables and chairs Hoffman?”
“Don’t get mad Johnson." Hoffman said quickly putting his hands up. I could hear the girls at the table outside as they giggled and made jokes about the show being over.
“What the fuck, Hoffman!” I whispered vehemently.
“Everyone else showed up.”
“Hoffman!”
“I know, I know, it’s your house. But I couldn’t just tell them to all take off, they were already on the way here.”
“What the hell is Michelson doing?”
“We ran out of tables and chair on the patio.”
“What patio? You mean the sidewalk?”
“Yeah.”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Look man, I’ve made over two hundred and fifty dollars this morning. I’m giving Hoffman forty, you’ll get your share, it’s not that big a deal.”
I started changing.
“How much?”
“What?”
I put a shirt on and found my sandals under the bed. “How much are you giving me?”
“Twenty.”
“Fuck you.”
“Alright, …thirty.”
“You’re giving Michelson forty!”
“He’s working. He’s bussing tables, serving, he’s even made some tips.”
“No….no….no!”
“What?”
“This is crazy. You can’t set up a restaurant in my apartment.”
“Why not?”
“I’m sure it’s against the law.”
“No, that's the thing, Michaelson’s brother can get us a permit, he works for the city.”
“Where the hell am I going to live?”
“This isn’t going to be for everyday, just weekends. A lot of them are already looking forward to tomorrow.”
Well you can guess the rest.
We’re so popular with the Lifers that we have a full house on Fridays, have several seatings on weekends and are thinking of opening for coffee and continental breakfasts on the weekdays. We’re even thinking of expanding into the vacant lot next door. We all still work, and in fact we make the entire thing work to our advantage. We try to really work the Lifers out so they have a big appetite before breakfast. It's ruined my days off, but the money can't be beat.
The only thing is, I think Jack is starting to get suspicious. I don’t know how he’d react. Particularly if he finds out that he gets paid less than anyone else. He still makes twice as much as a regular fry cook.
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