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"Hey," I said, coming into the kitchen. There was a different crew working—the weekend crew. I had already talked to Becca on my way in. I thought I would see Robert at the grill, and I was surprised when I got there and found Jim. "Hey, Mister Jim. What are you doing here on a Saturday?"
"Robert asked for the day off to spend Valentine's with his lady. I could have got someone else to cover for him, but I didn't mind coming in. You look beautiful, Jordan. Where are you going? Do you have a Valentine's date I didn't know about tonight?"
"No, sir, I just got a new mirror," I said, laughing. "But I moved into my new apartment yesterday, and I love it so much. It's only five blocks from here."
The kitchen was busy, but Jim was such an old pro at this that he could cook quickly and with excellence while holding a conversation. I stood a few feet from him, giving him space to work.
"Where'd you hear about your new place?" he asked me.
"Your mom told me. I had that thing happen with the scam when I first moved here, and then I stayed with Mrs. Blankenship, which has been amazing. She's a cool lady. But then, just like three days ago, your mom told me about a friend of hers that had a place for rent. It was seriously straight from heaven. It wasn't even posted online—just word of mouth. It's a gorgeous studio apartment, and I got it for the same amount as I was going to pay to rent that scam bedroom."
"That's amazing," Jim said. "Where is it?"
"Down on Virginia. It's in the Piedmont Building."
"Oh, yeah, I, I know that building well," Jim said. "It's a real nice place."
"Yeah, I don't know how I got it. I would say it's too good to be true, but I already signed the lease and everything. I think I'm locked in and I get to stay there for a year. I mean, goodness, if all else fails, I can move back to Oklahoma after the year is up. I'm so happy that place worked out."
"What about your car?"
"That worked out, too. I thought I might hold onto it and try to get it up here later, but I went ahead and put it on Craigslist when I got scammed. I knew I'd need the money to get a place over here. But good news with that, too—it already went through. That guy bought my car."
"Did he?"
I nodded. "My friend took care of it. She got a cashier's check from him. She already took it to the bank for me."
"That's great," Jim said. "I didn't know you found that place on Virginia. That's crazy. That changes things for you."
"I know. I'm so excited. I hope it's not too good to be true. I slept there last night, so it seems like everything's fine. I just can't believe it. I thought I would have to get an apartment miles away, and I walked here in like five minutes just now. I almost busted into song as I was walking down the sidewalk, like I was in a musical."
Jim laughed and handed me a small plate. It was a singular piece of toast, cut in half diagonally with butter, along with a small portion of scrambled eggs.
"Thank you," I said. "How'd you know I haven't eaten?"
"Because you moved into a new apartment yesterday. You probably don't have any food in your fridge yet."
"I don't. You're exactly right. But I do have a little grocery store close by," I said. "And I still want a bite of your eggs even after I do go to the market. Thank you for this." I took it from Jim and set it down so that I could give him a hug. He smiled as he took me into his arms. We exchanged a quick, tight hug like we had done since the first day I started work.
Jim would say that he was the black sheep of the family even though he was the one who had been working at the restaurant the longest. He would tell you that all the pretty girls liked Samuel, his younger brother. He told me that working at the restaurant was the last resort after a long line of bad decisions, including a few for which he had to ask his children's forgiveness. But I loved Jim. He was a good man who had regrets, and he had become a father figure to me since I moved there.
"Go get a cup of coffee and take a minute in the back before you clock in," he said.
"Yes, sir," I agreed, walking off with my small plate of food. "Thanks again!"
It was only my second time to work a Saturday, so I wasn't sure what to expect. We were busy, but I felt confident and comfortable already. In the last few weeks, I focused all my energy on learning the job and being good at it, and I had caught on quickly. I kept up with my section and was even able to chip in at the counter some.
I was in a great mood, and I put on a Valentine's party playlist that had us singing along and dancing in the kitchen. We had a good crew working, and we had fun doing the whole day-of-love thing even though over half of us were single.
Rita and Papa Jim came by during our slow time at around 3pm, and I was excited that I finally got to meet him. It had been my favorite day in Seattle so far, and it had gone by quickly.
We were at the end of our dinner rush when I saw JD Alexander come in. I was standing near the end of the counter, and I looked at the clock to find that it was 7pm.
"What are you doing here at dinnertime on a Saturday night?" I asked, going right up to him when he walked in.
"What are you doing playing this music?" he replied, looking me over.
"And why are you dressed like that?"
