Tornado

I stayed in the kitchen while Zachary was eating with Ryder. It gave me the best view to stare at Ryder. I don’t know what it was about him that drew me in. Usually I didn’t go for guys with brown eyes.

“Okay, what’s your deal?”

I jumped and spun around. My fellow waitress, Lisa, was standing with her hands on her hips. I put on a fake smile.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said and grabbed a random thing to wash.

“That’s a toilet brush,” she said and I frowned.

“What the hell is a toilet brush doing in here!?”

I shook my head and put it under the counter. She stood where I was and looked out the window. She whistled loudly, causing Ryder and Zachary to look at us. I yanked her out of the window, ignoring her smirks.

“Eye candy, huh?” she asked with a wink.

“Oh shut up,” I mumbled, my face red.

“Who is he?”

“His name is Ryder. He’s working with Zachary. He’s the one that I bumped into,” I added.

“He’s cute,” she said. “You should go talk to him.”

“No,” I said immediately, shaking my head.

She scoffed. “Girl, if I swung that way I’d be all over him.”

I rolled my eyes and shoved her. “Table 3 is done with their appetizers.”

I went to the back where our computer was to print out Zachary’s receipt. I was also the manager here and it took up a lot of my time. Lately, one of our prep cooks quit so I’ve been desperately looking for a new one. Lisa had suggested Matt but, last year, he and I had a falling out and it didn’t seem like a good idea. If things kept up they were, though, I wouldn’t have a choice but to call him.

“Here you go,” I said cheerfully and held out the receipt.

Both of them lunged for the receipt and laughed.

“I’ll pay,” Zachary said firmly.

“No, I will.”

I looked at the two of them and Zachary winked.

“Sorry, Ryder,” I said. “He’s the boss.”

Zachary chuckled and handed me his card. When I got back, they were putting their coats back on.

“I might need you up at the hospital soon,” Zachary said.

“Sure. Just let me know which day and I’ll make Lisa do work for once,” I said loud enough for her to hear and she shoved me as she walked by.

Zachary smiled and hugged me again just as a kid threw a plate on the floor. I groaned and said good bye.

-

“Just call him,” Lisa said, sitting in the manager’s office with me.

It was after closing time and I was looking doubtfully at the list of applicants in front of me.

“I don’t know, Lisa,” I sighed. “We haven’t talked in a year.”

“Is he still mad at you?”

“I don’t think so. I’m still hurt,” I admitted.

Lisa smiled gently and looked at the list. “When I saw the plate Theresa made, it looked and smelled delicious.”

“It was.”

“So call her then,” she said rolling her eyes.

“Shut up,” I snapped and dialed Theresa’s number.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Theresa?”

“Yes.”

“Hey! This is Juniper Eaves at Mama’s Southern Cookin’. I was wondering if you were still interested in being a prep cook.”

I crossed my fingers.

“I’d love to be! When do I start?”

“Can you get here Thursday at 8 in the morning?”

“Definitely! Thank you so much, Miss Eaves.”

I smiled and hung up, punching the air in success. Just then my phone rang again. It was Zachary.

“Yo,” I said.

“So, I am in desperate need of you tomorrow,” he said. “I know it’s last minute but, when we got back we got slammed with paperwork.”

“Sure,” I said and beckoned for Lisa to come back in. “What time?”

“As soon as you can.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

He chuckled. “See you in the morning, June.”

“I’m going to the hospital tomorrow,” I told her as we locked up. “Can you take care of everything while I’m gone?”

“Of course,” she assured me and I passed her the keys. She winked at me. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to talk to Ryder.”

I rolled my eyes, aware my face was pink. We hugged.

“See you on Wednesday. Say hi to Jennifer for me.”

Lisa waved as we walked separate directions. “I will.”

I got on the bus and stretched. It was almost midnight and I was exhausted. That was two double shifts in a row. Hopefully, now that Theresa was coming, we could get our third waitress out who was currently working as prep. I yawned and rested my head on the window, watching the city pass by me. For the first time that day, I remembered the phone call I got this morning from my mom’s lawyer. I wondered why she wanted to wait until I was 25.

I put it in the back of my mind, though, until I saw Mr. Grant next month. I had enough going on without thinking about my mom’s shenanigans. I didn’t bother to change before I went to bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

-

I changed into the only business attire I had: black slacks, a red button up, a black jacket, and black heeled boots. I had inherited them from my mother and they fit really well. My phone was going off the hook with messages from my friends on Facebook wishing me a happy birthday. Lisa sent me a picture of her and her girlfriend, Jennifer, blowing kisses with ‘Happy Birthday!’ underneath it. I laughed and put my phone in my pocket.

This time I had to go a bit further on the bus so I brought my headphones with me. I was really getting into my music when my phone lit up. I hesitated.

Matt was calling me.

I debated answering but decided not to. I didn’t want to have to deal with whatever drama he was going to throw at me today. It was my birthday, after all.

When I got to the hospital, I hurried up to the fifth floor. I waved at Margaret who beamed.

“Happy birthday!” she said, handing me a box with a large cupcake.

I laughed and hugged her. “Thanks! Red velvet?”

“Only for you.”

I kissed her cheek and headed back to Zachary’s office, looking forward to eating it after lunch. When I walked in, I saw Zachary in a state I never had before. He was digging through filing cabinets, tossing them on his desk and muttering to himself.

“Zach?” I said timidly and he turned around.

“Thank God you’re here,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “First, happy birthday.”

“Thanks.” I looked around at his messy office. “What’s going on?”

“I have a meeting with the Board today and I can’t find the file folder!” he cried.

I put my cupcake down and grabbed his shoulders. “Calm down.” He took a few deep breaths. “What folder are you needing?”

“The one that says ‘United Reach’,” he answered. “I simply named it after our hospital but it turns out I’ve labeled A LOT under ‘United Reach.’”

I shook my head with a sigh and got on my knees to pick up the files he had tossed on the floor.

“Zachary, this is why you have Margaret,” I lectured and he sat down heavily. “You’re going to work yourself into an early grave if you keep this up.”

“I know,” he mumbled. “I just have trouble trusting someone else with this.”

I stood up with my hands full of yellow folders then sat at his desk. “What papers will be in it?”

“It’s our money records,” he said sheepishly.

“Zachary!”

“I know, I know,” he groaned.

We spent about 30 minutes looking through the room. Ryder came in, expressing the same surprise I did when he saw the state of the office.

“A third set of eyes!” Zachary cried in relief.

He told Ryder what we were looking for and he joined us. I looked around, thinking about where he would have put such important information. Then it hit me.

“Zachary, hand me your keys,” I said and he passed them to me, too distracted to ask why. I unlocked the desk drawer at the bottom of the desk and, sure enough, there was the folder. “I found it.”

Zachary ran over. “Of course it was in my desk,” he said, smacking his forehead. “You’re a life saver, Juniper!” I just smiled and started picking up his office. He looked at his watch. “Okay, I have to go to that meeting. Ryder, you won’t go to this one but you’ll be at the next one. For now, you can just hang out. I shouldn’t be more than two hours.”

We watched him leave and I shook my head with an amused smile on my face.

“Typical Zachary,” I said. “He’s always doing stuff like this.”

Ryder laughed and helped me pick up the rest of the folders.