A Man for a Year: June-Friday Evening...
"Boy!" The shout, whispered as it was, echoed across the foyer of the restaurant.
"Emm." Boy smiled, looking up from the guest book and crossing off the party of 5 (two vegetarians and one celiac), that had just been seated at their table in his section. "What can I do for you?" He added.
"You can tell me who that guy is who just went into the kitchen, that's what?"
"Have you been sneaking around the back of the restaurant again?" Boy laughed, "You don't want me to call the police now, do you?"
"Shut up." Emma laughed. "I'm not that drunk yet. No, we just popped out for a ciggie, and he was there, leaning against the kitchen wall finishing his fag. Who is he, is he new? I've never seen him before."
Emma, sadly in Boy's eyes, had recently taken up smoking.
She said it was a political move. Smokers at work knew everything and made all the decisions that affected the company, and she needed some of that. She didn't quite inhale yet, but she was addicted never-the-less.
"No, been here for a month now. Not new at all." Boy told her, trying not to breathe in the fug of already stale smoke that seemed to cling to her otherwise pretty clothes.
"Boy, don't mess with me! I've had a drink and I'm ready for a fight!" She smiled then leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. "Now", she breathed. "Tell your favourite girlfriend his name and status."
"OK honey." He smiled, taking her arm and leading her slowly back across the restaurant to the table she and her friends were sharing.
It was one of Emma's bosses birthdays and a few of them had come out for a meal to celebrate. "His name' s Eduardo and he's single."
"Straight?" She asked as she slipped back into his chair.
Boy pulled out his order pad, pretending to take drink orders in case his boss looked over. "Definitely straight." He added.
"Good. Bring him to Sheridan's tonight. I want to meet him."
"A little bit pushy, don't you think?" Boy asked as the others at the table began to give him their drink order for real. "You know the rules."
"OK." Emma smiled, slipping her cigarettes into the miniscule purse she had with her. "You point yours out in the club and I'll lead him to you - deal?"
"No deal." Boy smiled, quickly whipping away with the order before Emma could respond.
She glared at him and then stuck her tongue out when she caught his eye. Deftly he put the drinks on a tray and made a show of slowly carrying them across the restaurant to the table.
"Your drinks." He smiled as he handed each person at the table the correct drink.
"Tell me." Emma whispered, grabbing the back of his leg and squeezing.
"The guy there, next to your friend Sarah. I want him, Emmy, that is the deal."
"Jason?" She said, letting go of his leg. "He's Sarah's cousin or something and straight apparently."
"You're point being?" Boy smiled as he handed her the Mojito she would have ordered had he given her the chance to ask.
"Deal." She smiled. "You bring Eduardo and I'll have Jason waiting for you at Sheridan's."
"Deal." He answered, moving over to the next table to clear the desert course and take final drink orders.
"So Jason..." He heard Emma begin as he carried the plates back into the kitchen.
Maybe tonight would not be so dull after all.
"Hey Eddy!" He called as he came into the kitchen back first - his hands were full of tray, so he had to use his back to open the door.
"Marco, what d'ya want?" Eduardo asked.
He was not Italian, not Spanish, not even Latin at all really.
So much for judging a book by its cover! His mother had liked the name and, despite being born in sunny West Drayton, London, he had become Eduardo, Eduardo Mills. Still, as is the way with lads, the Italian thing had become an in-joke between him and Boy and now they were both Italian when they were in the kitchen.
"What d'ya do to my friends when you smoke, huh?" Boy asked as he began loading the dishwasher.
"What d'ya hava in mind?"
"You're a funny man Eduardo, but not funny hah, hah if you getta my drift. My girl Emma, she want to do a number on you."
"She cute?" Eduardo asked, running over to the 'out-door' and peering through the window.
"Shaggy bob, table 16, sitting on the right. Purple rinse with coffee has her back to her. You see?"
"She's cute." Eduardo decided. "Whada ya planning?"
"She wants me to take you to Sheridan's after work tonight. You wanna go?"
"Gonna have to get changed. Yours?"
"No problemo, mi amigo, no problemo."
"Hey, that's proper Spanish!" Eduardo complained, then smiled and added: "You keepa da hands to yourself, hey?"
"Hey!" Boy laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'ma always da gentleman where you concerned, no? Besides, we hava the deal, Emma and me. I give her you, and she serves me up that blonde cutie sitting opposite her."
"You sure?" Eduardo asked. "He doesn't look gay to me."
"Like I said to Emma." Boy laughed as he left the kitchen with a flourish. "Your point is what, exactly?"
There were a few more tables to work in his section before he could make his way over to Emma again; and at least one new table that would need seating soon. So much to do, and so much at stake! Eventually he made his way over to Emma's table and began clearing away the debris, balancing everything on his arm and extremely outstretched hand.
Smiling at Emma, he said:
"The kitchen man, he say yes."
"Good." Emma smiled, pulling some lip gloss from her bag and preening.
"And..." Boy added.
"Oh yes, I forgot!" Emma smiled. "Jason, this is Mark, you know the guy I was telling you about? He's taking a year out to put his life back in order, but he's studying graphical art as well, with advertising I think. Is that right Mark?" She added as he kicked her under the table.
"Yes." Boy smiled at Jason. "Took my first year in London, then took a year out?"
"Too expensive?" Jason asked him, leaning forward.
"I'll say." Boy replied.
He and Emma often invented careers and interesting back-stories when trying to find dates for each other. Last month she had been a midwife for a guy who had a nurse fetish and she had made him into a car mechanic for a guy with an abnormal interest in grease - mucky, as it turned out, but fun never-the-less!
It could have been worse this time, he supposed. Graphical Art with Advertising was certainly better than the time she had introduced him as a trainee gynaecologist! Besides, he did have an Art GCSE, and he certainly liked shopping, so he had been on the receiving end of a lot of advertising. This career was already a cinch - he would have to come up with something really devious for Emma next time.
"What Uni you planning to go to after this year then?" Jason asked.
"Erm...Southampton?" Boy answered, the name of the town his parents lived in popping into his head at the last minute.
"Hey cool." Jason smiled. "I tried to get onto that course but it was full. I'm at Nottingham now."
"Shame." Boy muttered. "Listen, we'll catch up in the club. In the meantime, I have to work for my living. You lovely people want coffee?"
Deftly he took the order and moved onto the next table. Purple rinse family, grandparents taking their grandkids out for a treat, were waiting to pay - no tip, and he had their table to clear as well, and no more space on his arm!
Emma smiled again as she watched Boy move on.
Every now and then she wondered if the sex had been better would they...? But of course not. This was their life now and it was one they were both comfortable living. As best friends they were closer than lovers and no sex to mess it all up, what more could you ask for in a male friend?
At least they were still friends mind, She hadn't even spoken to a single school- friend in months and had no intention of doing so either. She and Boy had moved in one direction, it seemed to her, and they had moved in another.
Their loss, of course.
But back to tonight: Eduardo. Spanish, South American? The potential of the coming tryst threatened to overwhelm her and she felt herself blushing.
"Ciggie?" She asked, unsure now why she was feeling embarrassed anyway.
"OK." Sarah.
"Sure." Mary.
"Thought I would have to go on my own!" Tom.
The four of them trudged out of the restaurant into the bleak outdoors.
Someone had once said that the smoking ban would kill the hospitality industry and for those pubs, clubs and restaurants that were already starting to fail, it had. But people still went out, and went out in the same numbers as they did before the ban. People weren't smoking less, and places that catered for smokers, gave them nice areas to stand or sit, they were the ones that were doing a thriving business.
"So, did he organise it?" Sarah asked her as they huddled around the flame of Tom's Zippo.
"What?" Emma asked.
"The guy from the kitchen!" She replied, slapping her forehead to emphasise the stupidity she saw around her.
"I am meeting Eduardo later." Emma smiled, breathing out a plume of hot smoke into the cold evening air.
"Eduardo!" Mary swooned. "First name terms already, and you haven't even met him yet!"
"Who?" Tom asked.
"Never mind." Emma smiled, patting him on the arm. "I have a date and, if the evening progresses as planned, I'll be on a promise within half an hour of his coming into the club."
"You wanna bet?" Sarah asked.
"Meaning?" Emma smiled, this was already falling into an old tried and tested pattern.
"What if me or Mary sidle on up to him and convince him otherwise?"
"Only if he's fit." Mary said. "I didn't come out last time, so I didn't see him, don't forget. I'm not getting jiggy with a minger, not for anyone!"
"He's not a minger!" Sarah laughed.
"Fresh meat..." Emma taunted.
"God, and I thought guys were crude!" Tom complained. "You girls are insatiable!"
"Got thrown out of the nunnery, Tom, in case you didn't notice!" Sarah laughed.
"Didn't even get a fucking T-shirt." Mary added, and they all collapsed in laughter.
"Game on?" Emma asked as they pulled the last draw from their respective cigarettes.
"Oh, I think so." Sarah laughed.
"As long as he's not, you know, sleaze." Mary added.
"Christ, Mary!" Sarah joked. "You are SO not drunk enough yet! Sleaze, minger - if there's action to be had do you think you should be so picky?"
Mary thought for a moment, then added:
"No, you're probably right. Let's all hit on Emm's fancy man!"
"To Emm's fancy man, then." Sarah laughed as they rushed back to the table and downed their drinks.
"What's that all about then?" Jason asked Tom as he settled in next to him.
"Mate," He said, "You don't want to know." Then downed his drink as well.
"What's the time?" Mary asked as they sat back in their chairs.
"11:00." Jason said, showing her his watch.
"Bill?" Tom asked.
"Bill." Emma agreed, and then called, "Waiter? Bill please?"
"Your wish is my command." Boy said as he sidled over to the table. "And, as you have been my favourite table tonight, is there a small night-cap I can get you? Sambuca, perhaps?"
"Is that the stuff they burn?" Mary asked. "I don't want any of that, last time I had it I had burns on my tongue for a month!"
They all laughed then, even Boy, remembering the party she was talking about.
"Ok." He smiled. "Not Sambuca. What about a nice Southern Comfort, on the house?"
"Oh, you are good." Emma whispered as the rest of the group expressed their delight at the free drink.
"Hey!" Boy smiled. "I'm broke, I need the tip!"
He turned and vanished for a moment, returning with their bill and a tray of drinks. "Hey!" Tom called. "You poured one too many!"
"Did I?" Boy asked as he left them to fetch the card-reader.
"Too good, sometimes." Emma smiled to herself as the others began to argue over who would get the extra drink.
Shaping up into a good night. She thought to herself as she pulled her lip gloss out of the bag. A good night indeed. She added.