I walk into the changing room to get ready for work. It's a very nice outfit. It's a slim fit gown that stops high up my laps, it's black and golden. The neck, the waist and the hem of the dress are golden while the entire dress is black, it also came with a golden bandana for the neck, it's tied the same way air hostesses tie theirs, the waist apron is a shimmery black material. I pack my hair up in a bun and wear my black 6cm non slip heels. I look myself in the mirror to make sure everything is intact. I was tempted to come with a baby pink lip gloss and so I did. I wipe the red lip gloss off my lips and apply the baby pink lips gloss. I had already spoken with the manager that I'll do night shifts and during weekends, I'll do day shifts and he agreed.
I walk out of the changing room.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
I take the menu and walk into the dining section. I walk up to the door, there's a couple about to enter.
"Would you follow me, please?" I say with a smile. I take them to table 5 and once settled, I proceed to take orders.
"Hi, welcome to golden palace, my name is Khelanie and I would be the one serving you. What would you like to start with please?" I say maintaining my composure and smile.
"Can I see the menu card?" The man requests and I give it to him.
"White wine and classic cocktail sauce would do." He says and she agrees with him. I take down their order.
I leave to get their order. I relay the order to the kitchen and return shortly with it. I place it on the table using my left hand and I leave with the empty tray. I drop the tray and walk up to another table to get their order.
"Hi, it's good to see you. My name is Khelanie and I'll be serving you. May I take down your order please?"
The girl looks up at me.
"What are you? 18 or 19? Aren't you supposed to be in college? What are you doing working in a restaurant, is your family that poor?" She says.
She's a blonde girl, looked like a high school one, the type that her parents are rich and she's mean. She's probably 16.
I smile at her although I was pained, I just got the job and didn't want to lose it.
"I'm really sorry ma'am, may I take your orders, please?" I say but she keeps trash talking me. A guy walks up to us and settles down in front of her.
"What's the problem Alexis?" He asks.
I figured it could be her boyfriend or her brother.
"What is she? 18 or 19! Her family's poor, she needs the money, her mates are studying." She says.
"Alexis! I'm so sorry dear for what my girlfriend said, she can be mean sometimes. Can I have the menu card?" He says softly.
"Okay, I've no time for appetizers...let's see. I'll take Mandarin sorbet and buffalo chicken please. Whoa! You guys run a Spanish and French restaurant! Lexis....what do you want?"
"Buffalo chicken with sweet chili soy sauce, crisp maple bacon and white wine." She says.
I take down their orders and leave to get it. I return to table 5 to clear it up.
"May I take your order please?" I say to the couple I walked in.
"Ah, yes." He says.
This time the lady takes the menu card from me and orders.
"Classic cheese steak and water please? Honey, what would you want?" She says.
"Um...lounge burger and water." He says.
I leave to get their order and return to table 10 with their orders. I place it on the table in a professional manner before walking away. The pager vibrates showing me kitchen bar and I walk to the kitchen to get the previous couples' order.
I return to the table with the dishes.
"Bon appetit."
Another waiter covers for me as I leave to answer the manager.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
*At the managers' office"
"I see you're very smart, fast and good at what you're doing. So far, I haven't received any complaints from the customers you've served. I watched you walk in a couple, get them settled, take their orders, return with their orders and place it in a professional manner. You said you haven't worked as a waitress before? How did you know all this? You work better than some of my workers, I heard you got a snark comment from one of the guests about your family but you didn't lash out. I was expecting you to lash out, but instead you smiled it through and kept being polite." He says.
"I read about it, sir." I say with my head bent low.
"Look at me when you speak, I do not eat people."
I giggle. "I like your expertise, Ms Khelanie." He adds.
"Thanks, sir."
"Work here even after college, that way I won't lose customers." He says.
"I'll think about it, sir."
"Marcel, please." He corrects.
"Okay..."
"Marcel?"
"Marcel." I say.
"Get back to work, I'll see you at the end of your shift." He says leaning back on his chair.
I nod my head and leave.
★★★★★★★★★★★★
I walk up to table 3. The table that had the mean red head and the guy, they were done with their dishes. I clear it and return later with the bill. I place it flat down on the table and he takes it later on. I return back to table 3 and take the billing wallet from the table.
"Thanks for dining with us, have a nice day." I say maintaining my smile and they leave. I walk up to table 5, my guests were already done eating and were ready to leave.
"May I have the bills please?" He asks.
I hand the wallet over to him and he takes a look at it. He takes his credit card out of his pocket and his partner lends hers to him as well, he encloses it in the billing wallet and hands it over to me. I walk few stops away from the table to get the POS machine and a calculator.
"How shall the bills be paid, sir?"
"Split it in half."
I insert the first credit card in the machine and do some other things on it before handing it over to him.
"I love your service...miss. You must be new here. I usually come here and I know all workers here except you. Remind me your name." She says.
"It's a pleasure ma'am. I'm Khelanie by name." I reply smiling.
"I know it's against your professional ethics but are you in college and how old are you?"
"I'm really sorry ma'am, I can't disclose such information to you. We could talk about it when we meet outside of my workplace." I say politely.
"It's all right." She says.
He hands the machine back to me and I punch some things in before tearing out the receipt. I put in the other card and que in some things before giving it to him. He inputs his password and gives it back to me, I que in some things before printing and handing the receipts and the credit card back to him.
"Thanks for dining in Golden palace, we hope to see you again, have a nice day." I say and they exit the place.
I keep the POS machine where it used to be before returning to clear the table, I see a tip on the table with a note.
The lady had tipped me and left a note containing her digits. She tipped me $20 out of her $100 bill. My first hard earned money from working. It felt divine, I'm so happy right now. I didn't have any experience when it comes to serving, but I did really well, my customers liked me and I even got a tip. I also got tips from the other tables I served. I got $10 from the redhead, got $30 from a guy that's been eyeing me and $15 from a little girl's dad. She told her dad earlier that I'm pretty and she wants him to tip me, I guess that's why I got the tip. The guy that tipped me $30 also left me a note that read, "Hey pretty, use this to take care of yourself for me. Lance." Right, his name's Lance, I chuckle after seeing he left his digits.
"You're gonna wait long mister." I say to myself.
I walk over to the managers' office to tell him about the tips. My actual salary for the day for all the hours I worked until this 3:00pm was supposed to be $41, but he gave me $50 because of my service. In all, I had $125, I've never made such amount of money before.
He already made it clear to us that when we get tipped, it belongs to us and we aren't meant to share it with the cooks or so except you want to.
"Thanks sir."
He sips his drink without turning to look at me. I bid him goodbye before exiting his office.
*In the changing room*
I walk into the changing room and there's this co server there.
"Hey." I say.
"I'm Coleen and you?" She says.
"I'm Khelanie."
"I see you're new and I saw you got tipped huh?" She says chewing her gum noisily.
"Yeah."
"Share it!" She says.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I really need it and the manager says not to share it except I wish to. I could share with you tomorrow." I say.
"I'll help you share it, you stingy cow!" She plunges forward at me to collect the money and I back away.
"Coleen! Is that in anyway how to welcome a coworker?" Another lady asks walking in and Coleen backs off.
"I'm sorry about Coleen, she's only mad that people hardly tip her because of her behaviour. I'm Annette and you?" She says.
"I'm Khelanie."
Annette and I get on talking, we exit the building together. Happens to be Annette lives in the next street. Annette's a 20 year old girl, she's tall and beautiful, her hair's wavy, blonde and long and she has a very beautiful body shape and she's nice too.
"Okay, this is where I live." I say halting in front of my house."
"Oh, I live in the next street. You'll wait for me when it's time for work so we could go together." She says.
"Sure, just don't be late." I say smiling.
"It's nice meeting you, by Anie." She says and I wave at her and she waves back before walking away.
"Seems someone had a good day." Mom says behind me.
"Yes mummy, I'm hungry." I say and walk into the house.