Bruce's Restaurant
by Kate Quinn, (c) 2004

She stood outside the very simple looking diner-type restaurant and sighed.
Cara was tired. She really did not want to be here, she had been to so many places and applied at so many stores and restaurants. Working with the public was NOT what she wanted to do but then she was forced to consider the fact that she was not experienced in anything else but public service.
God, that sucked.
With another huge sigh, she crossed the street and walked into the restaurant. South Street was very bright, the sun was very glaring. Cara mentally cursed herself for not remembering her shades as she squinted against the taunting white ball that shot rays of light into her blue eyes.
She reached the shelter of the restaurant and little yellow spots danced in front of her eyes. Cara steadied herself against the wall a minute before proceeding.
"Are you all right?" demanded a rough female voice.
Oh, great impression I'm making, Cara thought.
"Yes. I'm fine. Sun," Cara said with a laugh as she got her sight back. The woman, a dark haired dark complected rather nondescript sort of person, did not smile back.
"So can I help you?" she asked tersely.
"I'm wondering--" Cara swallowed hard. "Umm--are you hiring?"
The woman's eyebrows went up. Suddenly her face changed, and became more friendly.
"Yeah," she said, reaching under the counter and pulling out an application. "Here. Sit over at that table, it's not that busy tonight. Fill this out and then I'll have you talk to Bruce."
"Thanks," Cara said with a smile. Well maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
She sat down at the table and began the task of filling out the application, the same standard application she found in every place. She filled out her previous employee info, and her references and education background; then she came to the most difficult question.
"Why do you want to work here?"
How the heck do I answer questions like that? Cara thought. Please. I have never even heard of this restaurant before!
So she simply put down that she loved working with the public(lie), she loved people(bigger lie) and she was good with money.(lie, lie, lie, oh my God, what a liar I am, she thought!)
Sighing, she finished the app, signed it, and took it back to the woman.
This time she smiled at her. She had a really pretty smile, Cara noticed. It actually gave her features some life.
"I'm Maeda," she said, extending her hand.
"Cara," Cara said shaking it.
"Good, Cara. I won't lie to you, we NEED hostess/cashiers. But you HAVE to know what you're doing. I DON'T have time to train you or anyone else. So I hope I don't!" Maeda walked back toward what looked like the kitchens. "BRUCE!" she called.
A tall, thin man with grisle on his chin and under his nose--five o'clock shadow, came out of the kitchen. A cigarette dangled from his mouth. He had hair down to below his ears, but it looked rather tangled. He wasn't a really handsome man, but he was interesting to say the least.
"Hello," Bruce said, walking over toward her. "Cara, right?"
"Yes," Cara said, smiling. They shook hands. Bruce smelled strongly of cigarettes, food and whiskey. He was probably in his fifties, from the lines on his face and his slight gray in his brown hair. He seemed like a nice enough guy.
"What experience do you have?" he asked, indicating that Cara should sit at the same table she had filled out the application on. She sat down and began rattling off places she'd worked before.
"What was your reason for leaving your last place?" Bruce asked studiously.
Cara hesitated. She'd been fired, but didn't really want to go there.
"I just wanted a different environment," Cara lied, "so I left."
"And what if you decide you want a different environment with us?" Bruce asked, eyes narrowing a bit.
Cara smiled. "I don't think that'll happen. I like the energy of this place."
Bruce laughed. He laughed for a good long time, then exchanged a look with Maeda.
"She likes the energy of this place!" Bruce guffawed. "I like that! I really do!" He looked at Cara. "Okay, honey. Here's what you do. You go home and get a good night's sleep because tomorrow you're gonna come in here at five o'clock in the morning and open up with Maeda. She'll show you the ropes--Maeda, don't look like that, she's got experience, she won't be too much trouble! Will you, Cara?"
"Well," Cara said honestly, "I won't be, I'm sure, but you know every restaurant is different. I will need to learn where everything is and all the procedures but once I learn that, I should be fine."
"I like your honesty," Bruce said earnestly. "I think we're gonna work real well together. Okay? You feel all right?"
"Sure," Cara said with a smile, shaking his hand again.
"Okay!" Bruce said, coughing a phlemy sort of cough, his cigarette still dangling from his mouth. "I'll see you--tomorrow morning--then!" He waved her off, as he put his hand over his mouth and finished coughing.
Cara rose, and nodded to him, then waved to Maeda as she headed out the door.
Maeda just shook her head at Cara. "He smokes too much," she said in a low voice. "He really needs to stop, you know!"
"I know the feeling," Cara whispered. "I used to smoke. It was so hard to quit."
Maeda smiled at her, a genuine smile. "See you tomorrow, Cara."
"See you tomorrow."
When Cara left the restaurant, it was pouring rain.
Oh great, she thought. No umbrella. I'm gonna be soaked.
She started down South Street, when suddenly a young man came around the corner, with a big umbrella.
"You look like you can use this more than I can," he said with a smile, putting down his umbrella and giving it to her. "I'm going into Bruce's. You're just comin from there?"
"Hey--thanks!" Cara said with a big smile. "Yes, I just applied. I start tomorrow!"
The man's smile faded. "What shift?"
"Uhhhh--Day shift," Cara said. "I was told to come at five o'clock and open up with Maeda."
The man grimaced as if he tasted something unpleasant. "Maeda," he whispered, as if he were spitting the unpleasant thing out.
He was extremely handsome, with long black hair going past his shoulders. His eyes were a deep chocolate brown. His cheekbones were high and defined, and his lips were full. He looked like he worked out, but he wasn't overly muscular, he looked just right, in fact.
Cara wondered if he was available, then she remembered she herself was spoken for.
Crap, she thought.
"Listen," the man said very intensely, holding her gaze with his own. "You're not coming here at no five o'clock tomorrow morning. Get it? You're coming at ten tomorrow night. Are you adverse to night shift working?"
"No," Cara said, almost in a daze. "I love it actually, I'm more of a night person as it is."
"We need night shift workers," the man said. "I'm Miki. Miki Wilson. I'm in charge of the night shift." He held out his hand.
"I'm Cara Sands," she said shaking his hand. "Great to meet you, Miki."
"And don't you worry about a thing, hear? Maeda will call you tomorrow morning. She might even come over to your house." Miki made a face. "She likes to stalk."
"Oh, no."
"But don't worry. If she bothers you, just call the police. They've had lots of complaints about her already," Miki said. He looked suddenly miserable and looked at the ground.
"You okay?" Cara asked before she could stop herself.
"I always hate to see another person getting involved with the likes of Bruce's," Miki said. "Even if they're comin onto my shift. Oh, Cara, don't let it get to you okay? Just try to take it all with a grain of salt. I've seen this restaurant kill some people. Don't let it happen to you. Okay?"
He was so intense, yet something told Cara he had a sense of humor underneath all that. It was just his eyes, the way they sparkled.
"Okay, Miki," she said smiling at him. "I've worked in lots of restaurants before anyway. I'm familiar with the restaurant business."
"There's nothin like Bruces," Miki said, his eyes widening. "Nothing! Well okay, Cara, we're both getting wet here. Just take this umbrella and bring it back on your shift tomorrow. Okay?"
"Thanks, Miki!" Cara said. "Great meeting you again!"
"Likewise," Miki said.
As Cara walked away with his umbrella, Miki could not help but stare after her. He shook himself off, not understanding his reaction. It scared him. He didn't need any more unpredictability.
Shaking, he went into the restaurant.
(TO BE CONTINUED)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Free Madness,

Hay with a name like that you know I hadda read it... looks interesting ..
Im lookin forward to more...

Thanks, Brucy! Yeh there's more to come.

Ok Brucy I tokk some time out to read this and with my latestpeoblems I want to be very constructive and frank. First of all YOU CAN USE CAPS WOW! I love your writing style.

My critique:

I read the second part first and thought it was the first and I have to tell you it really works as your lead. You can gleen some of this part for rhetorical insights into Cara's character as flash backs but you alread have your setting and story intrigue set in the second part. Just adapt this into Caras thought or flash backs as you see fit.

I have to admit I am a llitle frightened of the "screaming room" but I am also hooked. Just dont make it too gory please. You need to give someone a real goal now, either Carla or Miki and we could learn more about Bruce or some trouble that his place is in. I know you can make something of this by what I've read so far. Keep going and keep trying things but stick to the "gut" stuff, you seem to know it so well. And you really write well Bruce, you've got what it takes I'm sure.

That's all for now I need some rest but I'll be back to see what you have done with this.

LOL!
Nanzar, it's me, WP9 who wrote this, not Brucy!
but thanks, I'll think about what you said!

Boy it was a wierd day! But you can see how I could have gotten confused- I hope. I wondered about the philly setting now it makes sense Anyway keep up the good work!

Thanks, Nanzar!
yeh we all have weird days, and stuff going on; in fact, it was like that with me all week! A lot of heavy drama going on--but i think the worst is over now, thank God! Hope things are a little better with you!

Chapter 3 should be up sometime today!

Kate,

This was a good opening, it has me interested enough to go see what lies behind part 2. It's interesting to me how Miki is all against Maeda and yet she seemed like the most normal one out of them all!

Oh, and just so you know there was a little typo in there-- you went to first person instead of keeping it in third:

Maeda smiled at me, a genuine smile. "See you tomorrow, Cara."
"See you tomorrow."

All in all, a good start. Nice to see you excited about it.

~Gabber

LOL.
Yeh, Maeda SEEMS normal, doesn't she? hehehehhehe.
Well you might have seen part 3 already but if not--check it out!
I fixed the typos too. Thanks.