Emma was just walking in when Mandy returned and smiled when she saw her sister and the coffees.
“Oh, thank you. I was running late and didn’t have time to stop and get one.” They had very good coffee at the restaurant, but something about getting it from a coffee shop just made it taste better, especially when Mandy splurged on a caramel cappuccino.
“Have you seen the forecast? More flurries for the weekend expected.”
Emma looked pleased. “No, I hadn’t seen that. Good. I’m excited. Paul is too, and he said Jared is working out great. He’s glad to have his help, especially for this weekend.”
Jared Hawthorne was their newest employee. He’d started several months ago in the sous chef role and was Paul’s right hand. He came highly recommended after spending five years in a similar role with another Nantucket restaurant that was recently sold and was under new management. Mandy hadn’t gotten to know Jared well yet, as he was very quiet, but he seemed pleasant enough. She had noticed that several of their waitresses seemed to have crushes on him.
Jared was in his early thirties, and he had the kind of looks that made you pause—dark hair that was slightly too long, deep green eyes with ridiculously long lashes, a square jaw and a slight dimple in his chin. If Mandy was younger, she’d probably have a crush too.
Jared seemed oblivious to it all and unlike other kitchen staff they’d had who could be grouchy toward the servers, he was friendly to everyone, which only made the girls more interested. They tried to flirt with him, but he didn’t seem to take notice and kept his focus on his work.
“Jill and Billy are flying in Wednesday afternoon and are going to stay through New Year’s Eve. They want to help, starting this weekend. Can we add two more to the wine dinner on Thursday? I figured we could put them at our table?” Mandy and Emma were going to be overseeing the event and were planning to treat themselves by also partaking in the dinner. Mandy knew once everyone was seated, the servers would be able to easily manage as it was a set menu. And she knew the two of them would be jumping up to help as needed.
“They are? Oh, good. This will be fun. Yes, of course we can include them. I’ll let Paul know the final count is plus two.”
Mandy and Emma both acted as managers, pitching in as needed and doing just about everything. Emma spent most of her time in the dining room and the kitchen, expediting orders and checking to make sure customers were enjoying their meals. Mandy handled more of the operations work, overseeing the front reservations desk and greeting their regulars.
Their first customer of the day was Connie Boyle, one of their favorite regulars. She had also been one of their grandmother’s closest friends, and she lived at Dover Falls, the assisted living community where Grams had also lived. Connie was in her early eighties and was energetic and very social. She came in two or three times a week, often with a few of her girlfriends, but sometimes on her own, especially if she came at lunchtime.
“Hi, Connie, nice to see you. Would you like to sit at the bar today? Or in the dining room by a window?”
Connie thought about it for a moment. “I don’t suppose Gina is working?”
“No, she’s off today, and she usually works evenings.” Gina was an assistant manager and oversaw the bar area. Gina was great and filled in for either Mandy or Emma when they were off. She was very experienced in the restaurant industry and had worked at one of the top Italian restaurants in Boston before moving to Nantucket.
“Okay, then I’ll take the window seat, please.” Mandy smiled as she grabbed a menu and led Connie to her table, a small cozy one by a pretty bay window that overlooked Main Street. She knew if Gina had been working, then Connie would have chosen the bar. Gina had that effect on people and had many regulars that knew her schedule and came in specifically to sit at the bar and see her. Gina had a way of making people feel like they were friends and they loved chatting with her.
“Are you looking forward to the Stroll this weekend? Or will you steer clear of the crowds?” Mandy asked. She knew many of the locals appreciated what the Nantucket Stroll did for the island, but it was also a double-edged sword as the size of the crowds rivaled the busy summer season and many chose to avoid it.
But Connie laughed. “Of course. I’m looking forward to it. A few of the girls and I will be part of the caroling team. We do it every year.”
Mandy smiled, picturing Connie singing Christmas carols with the others. There was a group every year that walked along the cobblestone streets downtown singing festive carols.
“That sounds like fun.”
“It’s great fun! We’ll probably stop in for lunch either Saturday or Sunday.”
“Wonderful, we look forward to it.” Mandy handed her the menu and let her know that her server, Stacy, would be right over.
They were busier than usual for a Monday lunch. People steadily stopped in, and the dining room was soon full, with a waiting list. Mandy guessed that there were already people arriving on the island for the holiday weekend and making a vacation of it. She noticed that Connie had set her credit card on her bill and knew Stacy was picking up an order in the kitchen, so she went over to run it for her.
“How was everything?” Mandy asked as she picked up the bill and card.
“Delicious as usual, dear. I almost always get the same thing you know. Best eggplant parmesan on the island.”
Mandy smiled. She knew Connie’s love for their eggplant. She’d been surprised when she first started working at the restaurant to discover that most of the regulars ordered the same one or two meals every time they came in.
“Thank you. It’s one of my favorites too. I’ll be right back with this for you.”
She returned a few minutes later with the credit card and receipt and set it on the table along with a pen for Connie to sign. Connie looked thoughtful as she picked up the pen. Mandy was about to walk off to greet a new party that was waiting to be seated when Connie spoke. “It’s a shame about Stacy’s husband. Terrible time of year to be laid off and they have three small children too. I hope he finds something soon. She’s a nice girl, that Stacy.”
Mandy was caught off guard. She hadn’t heard about the layoff. She didn’t know what to say other than to agree with her. “It is a terrible time.” She realized that she didn’t know what kind of work Stacy’s husband did.
Connie looked deep in thought for a moment before smiling and asking, “Your husband does something with finance too, doesn’t he? I don’t really know what John does, but maybe it’s something similar?”
“I’ll see what I can find out. Thank you.” Mandy felt bad that she hadn’t known about the layoff. She imagined it must be a stressful time for Stacy and her family.
Later that afternoon as the shift was winding down and the day servers were getting ready to leave, Mandy walked over to where Stacy was doing her closing sidework, rolling silverware into a dinner napkin and stacking the bundles in a bin so they could be easily grabbed for the evening service.
“I was chatting with Connie Boyle and she mentioned that John was laid off. I’m sorry, Stacy, I had no idea.”
Stacy looked uncomfortable and looked away. “I haven’t really talked about it much. I did want to see if there might be any extra shifts I could pick up for the next few weeks? I’m happy to fill in if anyone wants a day off.”