Exchange

11 pages

Chapter 11

Night, insomnia, melancholy – I'm tired of you.. And what should I do? You can safely go to work, unless, of course, the dear director arranges the whole Maldives by prescribing a few more days off. Yes, yes, yes. Rick doesn't mind at all. Now is hardly the right time to reason. Two o'clock in the morning? Sure. But it doesn't seem to be anyone's fault that there is "no sleep" in this fucking world, or rather insomnia. Because of her, you can spend the night as if it were daytime, but, just the same, in the morning it unbearably begins to hibernate. Moreover, not only Andrew is not friends with sleep, but also Rick. And Renee doesn't say whether she gets enough sleep or not; if the conversation comes to that, then maybe she'll mention something about sleep. Andrew was lying in a pastel, staring into a dark void. It won't be a coincidence, but if Rick is awake at this time.. In general, Minyard planned to get a good night's sleep that night, even if possible, but this is not going to happen. Alas. If you have the opportunity to sit in the kitchen, read the newspaper, and then, when the brain completely stops perceiving at least something, you can try to lie down and fall asleep. It's not a fact that he will turn off quickly, but after which time you can fall asleep. Andrew, after a moment's thought, whether to go to the kitchen or stay under a warm blanket, got out of bed. After walking barefoot on the cold floor, Andrew found himself in the kitchen. He didn't really want to drink coffee, so he didn't pour or boil water. He just sat down at the table and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning his head back. What can I do at night? A lot of things.. not useful. Andrew had a lot more desire to sit in the dark than with the lights on. We need to figure out what we can do. There are two options, one of which will definitely be necessary, but Andrew was not going to do any of this. He just wanted to sit and stare into the void, and not cause a commotion in the darkness. Anyway, Minyard stayed in the kitchen for an hour with a penny, and later, without noticing it, he fell asleep. I just passed out. At all. And thank God he hit his head on the table–not hard–and didn't float nose down. Andrew stayed in such an incomprehensible and, it seems, uncomfortable position until morning. An alarm clock rang in the next room and Minyard casually jumped to his feet, brushing the corner of the table with his hand. It doesn't seem to hurt at all. Standing by him, the blond man was misunderstanding the situation. He probably hadn't woken up yet, but the body didn't wait. Alas. If there had been a normal childhood, everything that was needed would not have gone through the slash. Andrew shuffled lightly in place and moved into the bedroom, where he dressed in a work uniform. On the threshold, he put on his shoes and stole the car keys from the chest of drawers – the car had been removed from repair. Today you can ride the baby to work, and later drive around the city, waiting for the sunset to begin. Basically, it's a good idea. The next way is the Penguin Restaurant.

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Andrew silently parked the car around the corner near the restaurant. As he walked along the sidewalk, he looked out through the large windows: Renee was standing at the counter and looking bored at the floor, propping her chin on her palms. Rick, surprisingly, wiped the tables and sawed the table with a look full of hatred. There are waiters for this, but for some reason they were not in sight. Andrew pressed his body slightly against the door, penetrating inside. Because of the ringing coming from above Andrew, the guys looked at the guy indifferently. Did he miss something? "Welcome to the team of «my yes, clean and honest,»" Rick said dryly. "And for the same thing in «get out, sweep and decorate your yard»," Renee summed up, rolling her eyes. Minyard gave her his usual look. "Forget it, we're talking a little bit about our own." Andrew shook his head and trudged into the kitchen, but stopped at Renee's. Not by himself, she bit him by the sleeve of his T-shirt. The first thing that caught her attention were the keys, the second was indifference. Walker clearly wanted to say something, but couldn't. Or she was waiting for the right moment. In the next instant, goosebumps ran through my body: Rick's cold hands went over Minyard's neck. The redhead immediately leaned his shoulder against the counter and looked at his friend with a grin. It seems that at some point he's going to take it all in. Here are the ones on. Theodore appeared behind Rick from the direction of the kitchen. Renee noticed him first, and therefore did not pay attention: the redhead would exclaim. Walker also caught Andrew's trick. He was staring blankly at Rick, and the red-haired man himself was probably deciding whether he was crazy or the guys. Theo walked quietly to the counter and posed in Rick's position, poking him in the back with his finger. Maybe Theodore didn't see anything, but the guys saw a lot of things.. Rick's face should have been seen. He turned around, looked at Shaleese, and, rolling his eyes, walked away from the counter. It's a sight to see, but you need to work, so Minyard went to his room. Andrew pulled an apron off the top hanger and put it on. He usually does fine without it, but the director, who once looked at the days on camera, made it clear that he did not support this method. There is a case, so you need to do it in an official manner. It can be assumed that because of some little thing, Andrew will be taken and fired, not wanting to know the details or anything like that. Today it is worth praying that there will be fewer customers: no one will get tired, no one will go crazy ahead of time. And I don't care about wages. And so almost forty-five thousand are paid every month; there is no such salary in any coffee shop or restaurant in this city. In addition, there are no smaller and main cities living in the neighborhood. Miracle. On this day, you will have to cook with Shaliz, but it is unlikely that this broadly smiling devil will do the main job. Minyard will handle it. If you think about it, Theodore is basically not capable of the main position of cook: there is no excellent experience, which is needed after all. Moreover, he does not work often, because all his concentration is put only on studying. Money is needed, true, but education is more important. Due to the withdrawal into his thoughts, Andrew did not notice the notebook coming on the tape. Seriously? The day has just begun, the restaurant has recently opened. Minyard was about to grab his wallet, but Theo entered the kitchen ahead of him. Today, Shaliz was somehow strange, because he did not give in to conversations and did not smile at all. Maybe a little bit. But he's smiling! Always, in any situation. Clean, explicit and confusing. After reading the name and the cooking process, Theodore got down to business. Two people came, respectively, ordered a couple of dishes. Andrew, in order not to stand and stare at the guy, moved the notebook to himself. By taking the vegetables for food, Andrew guessed which order Theo was currently fulfilling, and therefore took over the free one. Minyard immediately got down to business, standing at an empty table. They quickly worked together, taking turns sending plates filled with food and a notebook. Following this, another wallet arrived– a gift from Rene Rick. This time, Minyard took it. What the hell, four. It would be smart to split between them by taking two orders each. Andrew, in principle, did so, pointing with two fingers at the first and third courses. Without any exclamations, Theo took out a pen from his pocket and wrote down the names on his hand so as not to run from one end of the kitchen to the other. If there are problems about the ingredients, Shailise can ask Andrew about it, and also look for the recipe by the first letter in the book "Tastier than delicious". There are many options, namely from books, because in the very corner from the tape there is a small cupboard-shelf where they are arranged in alphabetical order. Andrew went through the numbers again and put the notebook on the tape. Minyard is very good at memory, but he doesn't try to show it in reality. If, for example, the director or one of the guys explains the necessary information, Andrew, going about his business, mentally remembers important details.

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Lunch. Cheers. Congratulations. Who invented it at all? Why "lunch"? What kind of geniuses living far in the past. Now, examining the main part of the Penguin, Andrew could assume that there were about twenty people in it at the moment. It is not necessary to assume a larger or smaller number. The notebooks took turns going back and forth. The first visitor went to the one who managed to manage the last order. Before lunch, Theo, with Andrew's permission, distributed the wallets between them. He took the big one, and Andrew took Rick's notebook. No one forced anyone. If one has a lot of orders, and the other has half as many, then nothing will be done about it. Closer to one o'clock in the afternoon, Theo was noticeably tired, and therefore decided to get rid of such a large and unnecessary load. They took the wallet that came to them and, distributing it equally or not at all, sent it back. In part, only Shaliz wrote down the names. Orders flew at an incredible speed, but thanks to at least some help from Theodore, the guys coped with a bang. It would be really bad if Theo couldn't come that day either. Well, all right. Things weren't going well for Rick and Rene behind the wall. Rick was running around like a madman, writing down orders, then distributing customers to vacant places. Renee did not move from her place, all the while serving drinks to customers. The waiters ran from the counter to the designated table as if they were not their own, wiped them from the people who had just left and took the payment, added to the total amount. The camera was flashing red, which means the director is now watching what is happening. Probably, a weekend away from the workers was a bad idea, but only the main one decided that. Soon a new director, unknown to anyone, will take his place. Seconds and minutes flew by so fast, merging into hours. Every minute passed like ten, and an hour like an eternity. Things were going more or less normally. At five minutes to two, the workers followed the new plan. They decided to pull together and take turns working without causing trouble. For example, the first waiter carried the dishes ordered by one or another person on a tray, and the other, waiting for his arrival, brought the next one. This was necessary in order not to offend each other, because the dishes here are not cheap, and even more so the ingredients for cooking. Rene and Rick, like Andrew and Theodore, did the smart thing. Renee completely freed herself from the recordings, concentrating on drinks and distributing customers to their places. All Rick had to do was write down orders in the first notebook he could find and put ready meals that had just been taken off the tape on the distribution line. It was thanks to his skill and understanding that the day at the restaurant went great. Customers, leaving, praised the employees for their restraint, good service and delicious food. Today we can say that everyone has worked hard and everyone deserves more. However, the working day was not over. Now the clock shows half past seven in the evening, but after the last departure of the customers, the restaurant was no longer filled. The director wrote Walker one word, "close up," which meant "go home." The next moment, the red dot on the camera went out, probably because he thought that no one else would follow. Renee announced the news, calling the guys to her. The waiters went home, and Theodore stayed with them. Actually, in general, Rick had to play a battle with Andrew and Renee today, dragging in a couple of rounds. But because of Theo, they instantly collapsed. Rick did not hint that he was not welcome here, because it was somehow not right. Theodore is part of their team, after all. And yet. "I suggest we stay," Renee said affirmatively. "Will he play?" Both Andrew and Rick looked at Shayleese at the same time. He, in turn, looked only at Rene. "The game?" Theo said, "do you have games here?" "Imagine, there is. And a bunch of others, there's even a big TV that we play on. Are you checking?" Rick began mockingly. "Think about it, there is also a separate room for this, called «room O», like a rest." After listening to the redhead's statement, Theo nodded. He didn't really hope that he would be called or even take part, but it's worth a try. Renee made a decision by allowing Shailise to spend the evening with them. After going first into the room, Walker turned left to the closet. The guys sat on the couch; Rick was turning on the TV, Andrew was looking for consoles, and Theo was all attention, looking from one to the other, alternately looking at all three of them and trying to figure out who was doing what. Renee pulled out four new joysticks from the bottom drawer and approached the guys, handing out one to each. Andrew, holding their old consoles, looked at Rene without emotion. Rick didn't pay attention to it at first, but when he looked at Andrew, his face immediately changed. Renee was smiling sweetly, and only Theo really didn't understand this kind of reaction and the appearance of new consoles. They're the same, yes, yes. No one would have doubted that the reaction of Minyard and red would be exactly like this: Walker once offered to change the old joysticks to new, more comfortable ones. Andrew rejected her outright, and Rick didn't notice their difference at first. However, at the beginning of the fight, the guys made one decision – it is not possible to play on them. And it's not that they are larger and slightly different in shape. It's about the buttons. They are completely different from the arrangement of buttons on old joysticks. Rick looked from Andrew to Renee, then back again. After all, the guys agreed to such conditions and took their seats. The sofa was big, so all four of them sat down on it. The screen finally loaded and, picking up the remote, Rick clicked to the right a couple of times, looking for their favorite game. The guys focused on the rounds, distributing them one by one among themselves. To be honest, Walker wrote the names of each of them and put them in a glass cup, mixing them a couple of times. Everyone pulled out one piece of paper. In the first round, the placement played a role: Andrew vs. Rene, Rick vs. Theodore. And no matter what the opponent was, the guys focused on winning. In principle, it was not possible to play, because, confusing the buttons, each of them used the wrong fighting techniques.

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With the end of the third round, each team found a winner. Andrew was in the first, but gave the victory to Renee, and Rick was in the second. Theo just smiled, thanking him for such a friendly evening. Andrew glanced at his watch as he left the break room. It was almost nine o'clock, the end of the working day. Having gathered together, the guys said goodbye and went their own way. As Andrew left, he looked up at the sky: the pink and scarlet color almost covered the blue. The sun was already at its limit, it was time for sunset. No one knows what came over Minyard, but he clearly wanted to spend the sun and face the moon alone. Tapping on the key fob, Andrew opened the door. After waiting for the car to heat up for a long time, Minyard turned on the gas. I really wanted to take a ride around the city. Driving past the multi-storey buildings, Andrew quietly parked the car. Just standing on the ground, looking at the departing sun is not interesting, you need to see it from a full angle. Without the car, Andrew wouldn't have been able to get here before sunset. He has hardly walked that much, because even after arriving home, he almost does not feel his legs. It's great that the car was taken out of repair. Thanks to this, Andrew will be able to arrive at the Penguin even five minutes before the start of the working day, and then, relaxing, drive home. Andrew climbed to the nearest building using an evacuated ladder. After walking a little on the flat roof, Andrew calculated a more suitable place and sat down on the edge. Looking at the sun, Minyard was thinking about his own. Sunset is just when the last drop of hope is draining away. On the other hand, it has already become much darker behind Andrew's back than in front. The guy planned to stay until the end of the sunset, and later go home. At this time, at this hour, it was impossible not to light a cigarette. At least one. So Andrew took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, took out one and, squeezing it between his teeth, set it on fire. The smoke from the first exhalation immediately rose in an uneven upward movement, dissolving into the cold air. It was followed by another, longer one, but also, like the previous one, dissipated, leaving no trace. It wasn't long before full sunset. Andrew watched each disappearing cloud, moving from one to the other again. The chirping of birds has noticeably subsided, and crickets have taken their place. The lights in the windows of the high-rise buildings alternated with each other: people went to bed. Andrew's attention was attracted by a car stopping in the parking lot. A slender girl in some dark colors came out of it. Because of the darkness, it was not possible to make out facial features or something else, but, focusing on dark shades, we can say that she is long-haired and not quite light-skinned. The girl slammed the door and looked up. She seemed to feel the gaze on her. "Andrew," came an almost audible voice from below. Does she know him? The girl took out her phone from her bag and held it up. The flash went off: she took a picture of Minyard. Then, without any problems, she walked along the sidewalk and walked along the high-rise buildings. Andrew watched her go with his usual gaze, but it seemed to be a little mixed with misunderstanding. The sunset has passed, which means it's time to return home. The night enveloped the city with its mysterious veils, turning it into a gloomy and mysterious place. The streets, usually busy and noisy, were now empty, taking on a completely different appearance. The reflections of the lanterns painted the narrow alleys with dull colors. The bright lights of cars raced through the dark streets, leaving a trembling trail behind them, like stars in the firmament. The silhouettes of passers-by, immersed in the shadow, became an inseparable part of this picture and seemed to dance to the slow rhythm of the night. The city came alive at night. With ruins and ancient buildings, it seemed more historical and mysterious. The strange noises and shadows created by the wind awakened the imagination and colored the imaginary landscape with dark colors. The air was filled with an atmosphere of anticipation, as if every corner of the city could hide another mystery. In the distant vistas, the contours of familiar and unfamiliar buildings rippled, creating the illusion of something incomprehensible and unreal. Meanwhile, the city continued to breathe in this nocturnal aura, singing its beauty in a quiet and peaceful singing. And although the night brought its share of mystery and mystery, it was not by chance that it was called beautiful. It was only in the darkness of night that the city revealed its true beauty and allowed everyone who turned their eyes to it to plunge into the ultimate harmony between light and dark. The atmosphere at this time played a major and at least an important role. Everything seemed inanimate.

Chapter 12

Morning is an alarm clock. Sometimes it's worth turning on flight mode and enjoying a nap, unless, of course, it arrives head-on. No one canceled the work. Minyard dropped the reminder from the bedside table to the floor and, hearing a knock, opened his eyes. It looks like he's going to be in a bad mood today. Getting out of bed, Andrew picked up the alarm clock. He didn't stay in his hands for long, because the next moment he flew into the wall. I don't care if it's broken or not. As the saying goes: "think about your behavior." Andrew watched him go with a look full of hatred and strode to the closet. After changing his clothes, he pulled the phone off the bedside table and walked to the front door. There is clearly no time to relax now. Walking to the car, Andrew patted his pockets, but found no keys. I had to go back to the hallway and pick them up from the table. Andrew froze, holding on to the door handle. He's probably wondering if he's forgotten anything else. Without remembering anything, Minyard went to the car and started it. It took Andrew about five minutes to drive up to the restaurant where he met Rick. He was rummaging through his phone, but when the car hummed, he turned in the direction of Minyard. Rick smiled, waved with his free hand and trudged to meet him. Andrew got out of the car and headed for the restaurant. Together they reached the entrance, but the door was still locked. Twenty-five again. Rick took the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the door with them. As he walked inside, Andrew stood like a pillar, still not understanding how Rick got the keys to the Penguin, because Renee should carry them with her in strict order. Andrew followed. He walked over to the counter, where the redhead was already looming. I wanted to ask how and why his keys were refused, but I didn't have time: Walker somehow got out of the rest room sideways. And so Andrew swallowed his tongue. Renee, noticing that Andrew was confused, explained, catching his gaze on her: "I understand, I left here with everyone. But then I had to go back, and Rick didn't want me to go back alone." "And where did he get the keys from," Andrew said without question. "She told me to lock it here and take the keys with me," the redhead said, raising his hands in the air. Andrew stared at Rick for a long time. Then he exchanged glances with Rene and, sighing, went into the kitchen. If we assume by time, then the working day started about two minutes ago. Theodore is not here, but that doesn't mean he won't come. Maybe I overslept a little. Andrew pulled his apron off the hanger and put it back on. Yesterday he forgot to wash the remaining dishes, so he got down to business. There are only a few plates, mostly most of them are spoons and knives. Minyard picked up the sponge and wanted to pour detergent on it, but he did not find it on the sink and shelves. I had to go to the warehouse opposite the kitchen door. The warehouse itself was the size of a kitchen. It was a spacious room with a concrete floor. There were no windows in it. Going in, on the left side you could see a large closet almost the entire wall, which belonged to various tools, for example, like knives or ladles, lapatki; also in it you can find pots and pans of different shapes, plates and glasses. But on the right side and to the left there are large iron racks, only six pieces. In particular, they serve for long-term meals: pasta, buckwheat, wheat, tam, pearl barley. It is also necessary for any kind of baking. You definitely can't do without flour here. From the wall, in the corner, the lower half of the rack is used purely for seasoning; the upper part is filled with boxes filled with special serving napkins. If you walk around the corners of the warehouse, you can find plastic boxes with something white. With a napkin, that is, with a tablecloth. The napier in the "Penguin" is only for VIP clients. The rest of the tablecloth, which does not correspond to this one, belongs to ordinary people. It is just as durable and beautiful! There is no difference between ordinary people and some businessmen except for napieron - this is basically not important for a restaurant. And the food is designed for all types of people, for all ages. Andrew went to the closet and, opening the upper door, took out detergent from there. Calmly walking through the hall, he found himself in the kitchen. Glancing at his watch, Andrew had already assumed that Shalise would not be coming. There was only one thing left – the dishes. Minyard did not put much pressure on the middle of the remedy and lightly squeezed the sponge. All that remained was to moisten and wash everything dirty, so that later the order could be expected. Andrew opened the faucet a crack, but the water wouldn't come. Then he opened it completely, although the director forbids it, but even after that nothing poured out. Only one small drop dripped. Today is clearly not his day. Let's say. It would be fine if there were twenty-liter bottles of water in this case, or, for example, at least they warned about temporary problems on a social network. But still. There is neither of these at this hour. We can only hope for the best and only hope. Andrew left the kitchen and went to Renee to tell her the news. She immediately made Rick's decision, ordering delivery for a couple of bottles. Probably, not washing the dishes last night was a bit stupid and generally ill-considered decision, but still. Walker explained that there was no need to worry about this, because she had fully secured the early delivery. An hour and a half later, a courier arrived. He helped with unloading the bottles and, having provided special papers for signature, left. In this short period of time, eight people managed to visit the restaurant. Rick and Andrew dragged the water bottles into the kitchen, and Renee took care of ordering extra water in order to avoid such cases. Andrew calmly washed the dishes and returned to his former place. Rick and Walker did the same, waiting for customers. There were few people in the next two hours: in most cases, they work. Andrew cooked the food, sent it over the tape and rested his back against the countertop. It took a long time to wait. But at least it was possible to think about something unreal and impossible. So, just to dream. Andrew looked around at the layout of the kitchen as if he had never seen it before. Because of this, he caught a glimpse of a notebook that appeared out of the darkness, continuing to drive to the end of the tape. Minyard stared at him, unwilling to move, but still moved towards him. It is good for someone who left the wallet open on the right page, because it will be unnecessary to sit and scroll through it to the required sheet. Have arrived. Two orders, and even individually made. This is clearly the first time, but still. Rick wrote a new recipe for cooking, purely for the services of customers, and in the corner of the notebook he wrote a response like "Donkeys, get over it." Minyard seemed to wonder how Rick had restrained himself from this, and if he had restrained himself at all. And Rene is there.. so everything is under control. Andrew did not hurry with the preparation, because some individuals had made these orders. You just need to cook and decorate everything well so that you don't get left with bad reviews later. It will be funny if they receive the ordered dish, but somehow find a flaw, saying that it is generally different from the desired one. And such people exist in principle. Barely managing this surprise, Minyard put it on tape. It worked, moving towards the guys. In return, Renee sent her notebook. Miracles are wonderful. Andrew completed most of the tasks perfectly, but still some were difficult. Because of those two customers, the customers decided that such an opportunity was available to them. They believe that they also deserve some kind of dish made especially for them. Renee tried to persuade them, like it wasn't according to the rules of the restaurant, but they just looked at her arrogantly. Rick pulled a small wooden pendant and a marker from a drawer under the counter to write the repeated rules on it. With changes. Then, with a special piece on the pendant, he drew a circle on top, which was later cut out. Rick stretched a rope through this circle, and later went outside with it. He hung up the pendant at the "other announcements" board, finding a loose nail. Besides, I went into the warehouse, took a stack of papers and put everything under my counter, leaving only one sheet on it. He also wrote the rules on it, writing the obligatory words with a marker in a different color. In the corner, the redhead drew a heart as a sign of respect. Rick glued another smaller one to the bottom of the sheet. Already on it he wrote approving words, asking to draw a small heart in an empty place. Purely as "I'm for these rules." He pinned this sheet to the door of the Penguin so that the people who entered would somehow look at it. And even more so, they did not arrange surprises.

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At six o'clock they gave me water. Andrew didn't produce a single emotion. Rick looked at Minyard approvingly, smiling kindly. Renee breathed a sigh of relief, leaving all the difficult questions behind. It is easier to cook with water, because because of this you do not need to lift the bottles, bending your back. It is best to put water in pots and use it if necessary. Things were generally going well, so far nothing terrible had happened. At four-thirty, Theodore contacted the director, telling him to set aside a day off for Andrew. Not because Minyard swung, but only because Theo needs money. He wants to go out tomorrow to work part-time and receive money in the evening, without waiting for the end of the month. The director initially postponed it for later, as if there was no time, but after about twenty minutes he replied, considering that it would be quite a logical and good decision not only for Theodore, but also for Minyard. Andrew, on hearing this news, refused. And what's next? Theo persuaded him to stay at home so that Andrew could rest. Minyard involuntarily agreed, but warned that it was only for one day, no more, to which Shaliz nodded contentedly. Closer to seven, there were problems in the restaurant. Rick, already tired of records and distribution, snapped at an annoying client. He expressed his point of view, according to the type: the restaurant is not beautiful, it is better to replace the interior or close altogether. Although Rick is voluntary, however, an empty glass still flew into the forehead of the customer. He almost climbed onto the counter out of anger, but because of the waiters who arrived at the right time, everything turned out fine. The man was asked to leave the room, but he rushed to Rick, scratching and leaving red spots on the waiters' skin. He was furious. The redhead, looking at the sinister face of the client, was delighted. He looked at him with a predatory smile, resting his hand on his chin. Rick was clearly winning now, enjoying it. Nevertheless, the man left the restaurant. How did it happen? Renee just grabbed his phone from his pocket and threatened to put it in a blender, saying these words: "I have never tasted drinks with such taste. Maybe we'll take a chance?" He loosened his grip and got down to business. At parting, he only certified Rick with an indecent gesture and kicked the door with his foot. If not too much, then there should be no crack. And she is. Anyway, the end of the day ended as usual.