Turned out, three of her servers were AWOL, and she needed backup on the tables. With a sigh, I hung up my jacket, removed my tie, and grabbed a tray. I’d done this many times before, and had worked in restaurants for a few years before landing the job with Viola, so this was old hat to me.
I circled the room, removing plates and serving courses, refilling glasses and making light conversation. At one point, I came across the table where Viola and Van were seated. Viola just shook her head and smiled wryly, while Van appeared stunned.
“What are you doing serving food?” he blurted out when he caught my eye.
“It’s one of my many duties, sir,” I replied with saccharine sweetness. As Viola elbowed him in the ribs, I said, “Enjoy your evening.” I conjured up a smile for the benefit of the table as I served dessert, then made haste to the next table.