Bruce's Restaurant 2: Miki's Night Shift
by Kate Quinn(c) 2004

It was midnight at Bruce's.
South Street was buzzing. Over the years, Philly had become a lot like New York. Ever since more restaurants had begun doing the graveyard shifts, more people had been out. They weren't just the usual drunks or wackos either. They were regular people out for a good time, a drink and a midnight snack.
They were Miki's kind of people.
Miki loved the Night Shift. He had come up with the idea. Bruce had told him it was the best thing to happen to Bruce's since the restaurant started. That made Miki feel good, although he also felt like he was drowning inside, because deep down, he hated the restaurant business.
It was just compensation for what he really wanted to do.
He wanted to be in a band. He wanted to be playing the guitar, or the bass, and singing. He wanted to spend time writing songs, not doing Bruce's books for him. Miki was also the bookkeeper of the night shift.
What have I gotten myself into? he thought.
The usual crowd filed in, obnoxious and friendly, but overall, energetic and loud. Miki kept his energy level up as best he could, smiling and moving through the restaurant to the beat of the alternative rock music playing on Y100.
"Oh eee oh I look just like Buddy Holly,
Oh oh and you're Mary Tyler Moore,
I don't care what they say about us anyway.
I don't care about that."
It was an old song, but they still played it from time to time. Miki didn't even remember the name of the band, but the song was a lot of fun, and made him smile. At Bruce's, you needed a genuine smile as much as possible.

When it all got too much, however, there was always the Screaming Room.

Miki had set up that room, out of an extra storage room in the back. There was not much storage there, and the room was set apart from the rest of the restaurant. You could yell, throw things at the walls, scream, cry, swear, whatever you needed to do to release stress when it all got too much. The trick was, to use it wisely with good timing, so that you didn't leave your fellow workers in the lurch for too long. Whenever one needed to use the Screaming Room, they had to go to Miki and inform him, after which he'd arrange for someone to take over the duties of he or she who needed the room--for fifteen minutes. When fifteen minutes was up, that person had to leave the Screaming Room and be ready to work, thereby allowing the next person to use the room, whoever they were.
It was a good system and it made for a lot less stress during the Night Shift. Even when things got out of hand, and they naturally would. People at night were in partying moods, and a lot of them were drunk and stoned. It was a fact of life. Many underaged consumers tried to buy beer and wine coolers. The cashier/hostess had to card customers who brought beer and coolers up to the register. Sometimes people would be in their thirties, but they'd still get carded--they had to. Twice, Bruce's had been raided, and one of those times was during the Night Shift.
Miki did not want to take any chances.
It bothered him to card people he knew, especially when he knew they were of age, but it irked him even more that they'd never even made the effort to get a fricking driver's liscence or Pennsylvania ID. It didn't make sense at all.
Miki sighed. Here now was Terrence Sims. He always tried to buy coolers and he never had ID. Miki knew he was thirty, but that was not the point. He didn't look thirty. And the cops would see that and cite Miki and Bruce for not carding him. Everyone had to show ID.
God, thought Miki. I am going to need the Screaming Room after this!
"Hey hey hey!" Terrence boomed at Miki, showing pearly white teeth from a practically blue black face.
"Hey Terrence," Miki said genially. "See some ID, man?"
Terrence's smile faded.
"Come on, Miki, man!" he whined. "Give a brother a break!"
"Sorry, Terrence."
Terrence swore creatively and flipped Miki several nasty gestures before storming out the door.
"Come again!" Miki called as several girls laughed.
"Hello Miki," one of the girls gushed. Girls tended to act like they knew Miki personally.
"Hello," Miki said cordially. He was used to this dance with girls.
"How's business?" asked the girl, trying to appear cool, while the other one giggled dizzily at her side.
"Oh, very good for the most part," Miki smiled. "Can I help you with something? Coffee? Cigarettes? A table?"
The girls sagged a little. No, they were not the ones. It was a severe disappointment to them obviously, but they were not going to be the magical creatures that would turn Miki Wilson straight.
"Oh--uh--no thanks," the girl said. Sighing, she and her friend walked out of the restaurant.
As they were walking out, Brendan walked in.
Tall, muscular and red-haired, Brendan sauntered over to where Miki stood. Now it was Miki's turn to fight back dizzy giggles as the piercing blue eyes bored into his and Brendan just stood there, crossing his muscular arms and smirking.
"Miki, Miki, Miki," he said in a deep Irish brogue. "What are we going to do with you. Flirting with all the girls again."
"Ha!" Miki laughed, feeling lightheaded. Vertigo was making his head spin a little bit. "Geez, Brendan, you catch me off guard so often I don't know what I'm doing anymore."
Brendan only grinned, walked up to Miki, took his shoulders in his, and kissed him very lightly on the lips.
The room exploded into cheers for the most part. Miki was Out at Bruce's. It was generally accepted, another reason Miki felt comfortable with this Night Shift.
The Day Shift was not as forgiving. Bruce didn't care, but Maeda was very fundementalist Christian.
Everyone on the Night Shift was okay with Miki and it was understood that they had to be.

Suddenly, Miki remembered Cara, the young girl whom he had just hired. He quickly put her out of his mind, as she had made him feel really unsettled. He didn't understand why. He didnt' really think she'd have a problem with his being gay, something told him she would be rather cool about it, but no. No, it was something else.

Do NOT think about it, Miki, he told himself.

Brendan was staring at him in a meaning way--Miki willed his mind to be closed. Brendan could read minds pretty well. It was a talent of his. And Miki did not want him reading his mind at the moment.

"So, sweetheart, you just getting off work?" he asked Brendan.
"No, man, I was fired," Brendan said, as if he were reporting a sports score.
Miki stiffened. Anxiety coursed through him, to be replaced by annoyance, then fury.
"Oh, great," he said conversationally. "you lost another job? What about the rent?"
"Well," said Brendan, smiling his winning smile, "I was hoping you'd take me on here. That, uh, cashier job."
Miki sighed. "Brendan, I just hired a girl today."
Brendan looked at him as if he had been betrayed.
"Don't look like that, sweetie," Miki purred, trying to smooth things over. "You know you didn't want to leave your car mechanic job. You loved it there."
"Yeh well that was before they fired me," Brendan groused. "Christ, Miki, you knew those gits had it in for me! Why couldn't you have at least kept it open for me?"
"Brendan--"
"Oh, stop," Brendan smiled, putting Miki at ease completely as he took him in his arms. "You know I can never stay mad at you, sugar. Now listen. Don't you worry your gorgeous black head about anything, do you understand? I am going to get another job. And we will have money. Trust me. We will have the rent."
"Hey, Brendan, why don't you go work for Maeda?" joked one of the men behind the deli counter, a rather jovial but harmless fellow named Rick. "I hear she's looking for someone now that Miki's snagged her girl!"
Brendan stiffened. "Is this true?"
"Honey, I didn't know you were going to be fired," Miki said earnestly. "I need a cashier more than Maeda does. So I just took the opportunity. It seemed to be laying itself out for me."
"Ah," Brendan said evenly.
"Come on, Brendan," Miki teased. "I'm not going to make you go work for Maeda."
Brendan smiled. "You promise?"
"I'd have to really hate someone to sic them on Maeda," Miki said passionately. "I wouldn't even sic my grandmother on her!"
"Well," Brendan said, laughing, "I'm very grateful to know that you don't hate me, Miki."
"But I do," Miki teased. "I hate you with a passion. Beyotch."
"Come here!" Brendan grabbed him and tickled him a little. Then he planted an even bigger kiss on Miki's lips.
"Ahhh, get a room!" shouted Rick, as many people around them cheered them on.
"We have one!" Miki said laughing heartily. "it's just kind of far away at the moment."
"A hop, skip and a jump," Brendan said. "I could have him back here in no time."
"Go for it, Miki!" shouted one of the waitresses, a woman named Swayne. "Hey! THere's always the Screaming Room!"
"Screaming Room! Screaming Room!" several drunken people shouted from the table.
"Please! Dont' tempt me!" Miki shouted, feeling his face turn all shades of red.

At that moment the door swung open.

Miki's lighthearted mood disapated and he felt his center leaving him. Coming into the door, her long highlighted brown hair swung over her shoulder, and wearing a rather tight black shirt and cutoff shorts, was Cara Sands.
"Hello," she said, smiling at Miki. Her voice was like wooden windchimes or something. "Can I have a cappucino? I just wanted to see what this place was like."
"Uhhh--sure," Miki said, trying to get his hands and feet to coordinate properly. "Uhhh--how many shots?"
"Two," Cara smiled. Slowly, Miki felt himself get into automatic pilot, and thanked the Higher Spirit for that. He made Cara her Cappuccino, but noticed it seemed to take forever. By the time he was finished, sweat was pouring down his forehead.

The room had gone completely silent. The silence was louder than the song that was playing, an old song by Eminem called "Stan."
Miki placed the Cappuccino on the counter in front of Cara, who smiled beautifully and started to reach into her purse.
"No charge," Miki croaked.
(TO BE CONTINUED)

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

YaY!
type some more ..
but dont use too much intimdation..it will make Bruce feel Icky..!!

Its Obvious I didnt write this !
Everyone knows I cant write conversations..LOL

ROTFL, Brucy!
sure, more is on the way!

Kate,

*laughs* The Screaming Room? Everybody needs a screaming room at work, that's for sure. Although hopefully not nightly.

I'm curious as to why Miki is so...flustered over Cara. If it's an attraction. If it's something else. I'm all a curious.

And eh, Brendan isn't hitting me right. Asking his boyfriend for a job? That's...okay, that's a little low. Plus, who would want to WORK together while living together with someone? Work is a naturally stressful, competitive environment...plus, Miki would be his boss. Yeesh. Boy needs to go get his own job. I dunno, was hitting me wrong-- I don't like that character too much.

Good second chapter...helped establish Miki a bit better and not just seem like a psycho like he did in the first chapter, lol.

Keep writing, girl!

~Gabber

Thanks, Keri!
Lol, so Miki seemed like a psycho at first, huh? Interesting. Actually that's kinda cool, cuz it gives it an element of surprise to see how charactars develop; I wasn't even intending that but if it comes thru like that, that's really neat! Wait'll you see what happens next! hehe not tellin!
As for Brendan, yeh, I pretty much wrote him as kind of a pushy almost jealous type boyfriend who doesn't want Miki out of his sight really, lol. So I'm glad that read well.
Anyway thanks again--and you'll just have to wait and see what Miki's all flustered about! TEE HEE!