“How’s everything going in here, ladies?”
“Doing great, Nikolai!” Sara assured him.
“Are we looking on time?”
“Never been late yet!” Nikki chimed in.
“You two are amazing – I’ll see you at the dinner in just a few!”
“And with that, he’s gone,” Nikki commented to herself as Nikolai’s head popped back out the kitchen.
“What’s that, Nikki?” Sara asked.
“Oh, nothing.”
“C’mon. You know you don’t need to hide anything from me.”
Nikki hesitated before saying the thing that had slowly been eating at her lately about the job. “Well, maybe I just missed having you around while you were out, but…”
“… what is it …” Sara prodded while putting the finishing touches on her platters.
“Remember when working here was fun? When we’d all hang out before and event? When we weren’t just pressed to make more food faster? And how, after the events, we’d all hang out again and make fun of all the people we saw being so weird at it? I miss that. Now, it just feels like we’re being used to make the same dishes we make for every event.”
Sara passed by Nikki, holding a large tray over her head. As she passed by Nikki, she bumped her hips into Nikki, further prodding her along. “Snap out of it, girl. I’m back! Now, let’s go see who we can make fun of.”
Sara’s positivity instantly rubbed off on Nikki, breaking her out of the slump. A smile instantly cracked her face as she began pushing her cart of entrees out into the dinner hall. “Right behind you!”
The benefit to booking catering through Nikolai’s business was that he also owned the large event hall on the same floor of an upscale building. This way, his customers would be eager to book both his catering and his hall. It just made logistical sense. This way, all of the food prepared for the event remained warm due to being prepared so close to the event hall. It also allowed for more attention to what each patron asked for during the events, since the kitchen was so close and able to accommodate last minute requests. This is how Nikolai’s business kept so busy.
The ambiance of each event was so different due to the diverse New York City population who booked with Nikolai. But one thing still generally, and remarkably, remained the same. There was always a buzz in the air. Each event was alive with an energy of excitement or celebration. At least, this is what Nikki felt from the events.
And this one also held that buzz of exhilaration. Nikki could tell that she wasn’t the only one feeling it, either. She looked over at Sara and saw the fire of enthusiasm in her eyes just as Nikki had felt inside. They loved what they did, and it was great to have Sara back at Nikki’s side. Even though Nikki really would prefer to have done the pastries and wedding cake, just the atmosphere of a wedding drew her in, nonetheless. It was intoxicating. It was exhilarating. Potential was all around her – the potential between the engaged couple, the potential between everyone else in attendance, and the potential for her to find love. Weddings were not just settings for celebration, they were a scene afire with potential. Love was in the air!
“Psst!” Sara said as she set a plate of hors d’oeuvres down. Nikki glanced over from across the table. “There!” Sara said as her eyes pointed the way across the room.
Nikki glanced casually over to see a man trying to hit on a woman who, from appearances, looked vastly out of his league. The man was short, wearing large-rimmed glasses, and bald. On top of that, Nikki would guess that he was about in his mid-thirties. The woman he was trying so hard to strike up conversation with was probably just a few years younger than him. But their differences in appearance made it actually look like a late forty-year-old was trying to hit on a late twenty-year-old. The woman was well kept, with straight black hair and a beautiful countenance that just radiated being out of the man’s league.
Nikki didn’t notice this out of judgment. Rather, this was just a very normal occurrence that she and Sara observed throughout their years at weddings - guys taking a chance on someone they probably otherwise wouldn’t have a chance with. This common scene would lead to much laughter between Nikki and Sara.
“Think he’s got a chance?” Sara whispered over to Nikki.
Again, Nikki was thrilled to have Sara back – she had desperately missed this type of banter, which would make the events feel like entertainment instead of work.
“Only if he’s rich!” She said back.
Sara chuckled and then did a double take, glancing back at the man. Nikki saw her friend’s eyes widen in disbelief. Sara shot a look of disbelief back at Nikki. Signaling with her hand, Sara mouthed: “A ring – look at their hands. They have rings on!”
Nikki couldn’t believe it. She also turned back to inspect the man and woman. They both wore wedding rings. But even more astonishing was the fact that they were now both smiling and talking fully engaged with each other.
Nikki’s observation was confirmed by what she heard Sara whisper loudly from across the table. “They’re married! Can you believe that?!”
“Well, then, he must be rich!” Nikki joked back. But then Nikki’s focus quickly shifted. Something else caught her eye.
Right behind the unusually-matched couple was a face. A man. And a strikingly attractive one at that. Her attention was instantly drawn away into it – almost as if in a dreamlike state. This had happened many, many times before at weddings. And each time her hopes ignited for this to be the one. This time was no different.
Sometimes the men saw her first and casually found ways to initiate conversation. It actually wasn’t that difficult since, as a caterer and server, she was always located by the food. So, it was easy for the men to find a way to make it look like they were striking up a casual conversation with her. Food was a natural excuse for men to approach her.
If Nikki saw the man first, she usually tried to make eye contact with him. That usually did it. Eye contact with a quick smirk before looking away was a simple method to show interest. If that didn’t happen, then Nikki would resort to her backup plan. And that backup plan was what she knew she had to do this time, since the man wasn’t really scanning around the room to see her.
Nikki first looked over to Sara and then nodded back to the surprisingly married couple. Nikki mouthed, “Look behind them.”
Sara’s eyes grew wide and a smile quickly adorned her face. “Do it,” Sara mouthed back.
Nikki still got nervous to approach a man first. But whereas that nervousness used to make her question whether to be the one to make the first move, it no longer did. She now recognized that nervousness as eager anticipation. And luckily for her, she grew even more bubbly and flirty when she was feeling this way.
Nikki made her way over to the man. As she got closer, she saw him talking with that other married couple – fully engaged in whatever they were all talking about. So engaged, actually, that he didn’t even notice Nikki as she came by to clean some plates off of their table. This type of circumstance was rare, so Nikki had to resort to her backup plan which required even more action and courage on her part.
“Oh! Sorry, sir,” Nikki said to the man as she brushed into him, feigning an apology. She placed her hand on his shoulder where she bumped into him, to draw his attention up to where she stood over him as he sat at the table.