Were up all night to get lucky

Feel's like I'm here working alone, Sam thought as he took an order of meatloaf out of the microwave and slid it unto a plate. There were five tickets on the board, he had everything started, but it had been coming in steadily the entire night. It wasn't slammed, he knew if it was really bad he could go to the back and get Mike, who was prepping, but it was still constant. And he had been going for over 3 hours without a single break. Still even when he did get Mike to help him on the line, Mike seemed put out. Irritated at having to give him assistance. He poured some Gravy on the meatloaf and put it in the window along with a burger. The reason Mike was in the back was because of Alex, who had declared that one person should always be in the back prepping while another person works the line. He wouldn't have minded prepping but whenever he was in the back prepping Mike would come along and point out something he was doing wrong. Because of this he found it easier to simply have Mike do all the prepping because he did everything Alex's way, went along with everything he said.

It's smart, Sam thought, he can see where the tide is turning. Where the new regime is going. Everyone else tried to fight it. Nobody really likes him, Sam thought. From the grizzled old cooks on first shift to most of the younger waitstaff on second, everyone opinions about him were negative. It was getting worse, Alex accused most everyone on the staff of being lazy and/or incompetent, of course he did with thinly veiled comments. Notes, about the 'culture,' how things were soon going to change. If anyone didn't like it, there was the door. Sam had tried to stay out of it as much as possible, but he knew that pretty soon neutrality wouldn't be an option. Alex had already started to threaten to stay longer on night shifts to make sure things were being done, and it seemed likely to happen soon. Already he was seeing more and more of him, he was staying later. Or Sam would come in at 4 and he would come back at 7 or 9 to 'Check in' on them as he liked to say. As if they were children who needed constant monitoring. There was a rumor going around that he came back to punch out, that he would come in early in the morning leave mid-afternoon, and return later in the evening, to make it look like he was working the 10 plus hour days he was hired to do.

Sam put up the last order, a western omelette, in the window and took down the last ticket, spiking it. He went out the kitchen door, 'I'm going outside for a bit.' He told Lindsay as she was grabbing the last order. 'Ok,' She said, occupied. He walked through the line, into the prep area. Mike was slicing portioning sliced ham, 'I'm going outside for a bit, there's no orders up now. I haven't had a break since I got here.' 'I haven't had one either.' Mike replied barely looking up from his work. It was hard to know what to say to something like that, so because you don't get a break no one does. Instead he answered, 'Well, when I come back in you can take one.' Mike nodded, grumbling something. What a fucking asshole, Sam thought as he walked outside to the shed. So far, the consensus on Mike was mainly positive, he seemed cool enough, he smoked weed in the shed, seemed like an ok guy, but Sam always felt wary of him. He thought he was probably a spy, and he knew for a fact that he was telling Alex things about what went one when he wasn't here. Although, he was probably smart enough to omit the fact that he was doing these things with people also. Sam went over to his backpack which he had put in the shed, and took out his pipe. It was a simple affair, corncob, but it had a deep bowl. He took out his bag of weed and broke up a large bud and put it in the pipe.

He took his first hit, holding it in, watching the smoke fill the shed as he exhaled. I should call her, he thought as he took his second hit, Andrea, he hadn't talked to her in two days. They had exchanged brief text's but nothing substantial. He had done it mainly to make sure there was still something there. I have to hold unto this dead relationship, he thought, I have to make this work somehow. There's still a chance. I won't go back there, to single-land, to being alone. Like being put right back in the unemployment line, I've been in that goddamn too long to go back. I might be too late, but maybe, just maybe, there was some kind of hope. The last time they had been together she had mentioned that they had nothing in common, no common interests, except that they both liked to smoke pot, fuck, and sleep. I've got to make it about something, he thought as he finished his bowl. It can't be beyond redemption. He took his phone out of his pocket and checked the time, 7 minutes, ok not too long. He dialed Andrea's number. It rang several times before he heard her voice. 'Hey.' It sounded warm, sweet even. 'How's it going?' He asked, trying not to sound too anxious but sounding that way anyway. 'Pretty good, I'm just hanging here. Reading a book. What time do you get out?' She wants to see me, he thought. 'Ten, I think.' He responded. 'Good, I was thinking maybe we should have a little talk.' Fuck, Sam thought. I was thinking he shouldn't. I was actually hoping things could just stay exactly as they are. She said it so sweetly too, innocently, as if all they were going to do was having a nice chat. 'Ok, I mean what's there to talk about?' He asked, regretting it as the words came out of his mouth. There was a long pause on the other end of the line, 'You know, about us.' She said maintaining her sweet disposition. 'Don't worry, it's not a big deal.' 'Alright,' Sam replied. 'I'll see you at ten. Love you.' 'Love you.' She replied, but the words sounded hollow.

 Sam hung up the phone, he took another bud out of his bag and stuffed it in the pipe. As he took another hit he saw Mike coming out the back door. 'You going to come in and help me with these orders?' He said forcefully as he came out. Sam put the pipe in his bag, putting the bag away as he walked back inside. The were three tickets on the board, 'I just need a large fry' Mike said as he walked in. Sam pulled up a basket of fires and poured him into a hat handing them to Mike. He looked at the slips, A burger and fries, a large fry and an order of pancakes. 'I already did the first two,' Mike said as he put the large fry in the window. This is what was so urgent? What you so desperately needed my help for? Sam thought. Mike walked into the back. I gotta get out of here, Sam thought.