7
JACE'S POV
"You're late."
I paused before the owner of the restaurant, Mrs Chang.
Despite the fact that the restaurant was new, it was doing excellently well. And that fact was due to the relentlessness of Mrs Chang. She was present day and night, overseeing everything that went on.
She attended to customers whenever she had the chance, and developed a good relationship with them.
As a result, her business was on the rise, but the employees suffered.
Deep within me, I always wanted to think she was a nice person and was only harsh because she knew how competitive the restaurant business was.
"I'm sorry, Mrs Chang. Traffic."
She looked at the hotter in her hand before replying.
"You're a terrible liar, do you know that, Mr Wilder?"
I looked at my feet, my cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
"You've never used a taxi before. And before you lie, do well to look at your shoes. They give you away."
I looked at the dust that my leather shoes had picked during the walk down to the restaurant and bit the smile that almost found its way to my lips. The last thing I wanted was to make Mrs Chang e even angrier than she already was.
"Get in there, Mr Wilder. We need all the hands we can get today."
I grabbed my apron from the hallway as I made my way into the kitchen.
There, I politely greeted my colleagues and went to work immediately.
I understood that most of my colleagues didn't like me because socializing had always been difficult for me. All I wanted was to do my work.
At the same time, I know my character could also be described as rude, so I made sure to always greet them anytime I got the chance.
Cleaning the restaurant was hard work. But I was used to hard work. I scrubbed the plates clean, the glasses following suit. I was in charge of cleaning and also serving the customers when extra hands were needed.
"We're having a party next Friday, Jace. You should come."
I turned, somewhat shocked that I had been invited to a party by one of my colleagues. It was Margaret, one of the waitresses. She always had a sweet smile, and was polite to customers.
"Oh, I don't know…"
"You've never come to any of the hangouts we've organised since you began working here. I think it's time we got past the new guy gimmick and knew you better."
I stopped scrubbing for a moment, smiling in spite of myself.
I felt happy that they had included me in their plans. And although I was supposed to be in the circle of death on Friday nights, I knew that working for Christopher was no longer in the works.
Not after what Enzo Romano had done to him.
"I'll be free on Friday. I think I can make it."
Margaret smiled brightly then got back to work as she heard approaching footsteps.
"Are we here to discuss or work? I want to see everyone doing something! We need all hands on deck!"
Mrs Chang's whiny voice rented the kitchen once more as I began to scrub at the frying pan in my hand more fiercely than before.
*
Afternoon came with heat and fatigue. By the time I managed to take the thirty minute break allocated for all workers, I was craving a cold bottle of soda.
Just as I hung my apron and made my way past the counter, I saw Xander enter the restaurant.
Xander worked as a receptionist in a small motel in the evenings while he saved up for his college education.
His parents had died when he was younger, leaving him and his sister in the care of an uncle who literally didn't care if they slept at home or not. Xander's uncle was a drunk, and was always at his happiest with a bottle of beer in front of him.
The result was Xander learning to work as a teenager to feed himself and his sister.
"Didn't you see my text?"
I shook my head, wiping my hands on my faded jeans.
"What do you think we use our phones for? Do you ever check your texts?"
I shrugged tiredly, glancing at his face which was devoid of sweat. He worked in the evenings alone, which meant that his afternoons were free.
"I've never been a social media person, you know that."
Xander sneered, then practically dragged me outside.
"Come on, man. Can you at least allow me to have a drink? I'm sweating my skin off in this heat."
"You'll have your drink, Jace. Are you going to pretend that what happened last night was normal? You spoke to Enzo Romano for crying out loud. Do you know who he is?"
I shrugged again.
"Of course I do."
"And you think that's normal? Speaking to one of the biggest mafia lords in the city?"
"Go straight to the point, Xander."
Xander smiled, rubbing his hands together before speaking.
"I saw him beat up Christopher before getting yesterday's profits. Aren't you going to share it with me?"
I wiped the sweat off my brow with a finger before replying.
"We're going to do the sharing when I get off work. You know that. I'm I free to go now?"
Xander shoved me backwards in the most playful manner possible before replying.
"You were in the same car with him. What did he tell you?"
I smiled at my best friend, aware that I could suspend the story and leave him hanging and wanting.
"I'll tell you when I get off work, I promise…"
"You know when you get off work is when I have to prepare for mine, right? What's stopping you from telling me now?"
At the same moment, the shrill sound of my phone ringing in my pocket shoved my reply back into my throat. I had a few friends and rarely received calls.
Who could it be?
"Jace? Jace?"
I knew that croaky voice anywhere. It was the voice of Mrs Jones, our next door neighbour. Hearing the panic in my voice made me slightly dizzy, nauseous even.
"Mrs Jones?"
"Jace, you need to come quick. I wanted to borrow flour, and after knocking for a while without a reply, I went in, only to find your mother in a pool of her own blood on the floor. I've called 911, but you need to come here immediately!"
My head was spinning as I ended the call moments later.
"What is it, Jace?" Xander asked when he saw the sharp change of countenance.
"It's my mother, Xander. It's my mother."