STAGESTRUCK - The Complete Series (3 page)

“I see here that you’re an actress. I have to tell you, that makes me a little nervous.” Rick, the manager of Orlando’s Italian Cuisine, eyed me from across the table. “I need a reliable waitress, not someone who’s going to call in every time she has an audition.”

A week had passed since my first night in the city. I’d met with Marion Russo the previous morning and she made me feel confident about my chances on Broadway. She’d also cautioned me that getting on stage might take a long time. I didn’t want to burn through my trust fund too quickly, so after my appointment with Marion I’d spent the rest of the day filling out job applications. I’d worked as a waitress all through high-school, so I thought a restaurant job would be a perfect fit.

Max had called twice since we spent the night together, but I’d ignored both of the calls. I was embarrassed by my behavior that night and knew that he’d only ever see me as a piece of ass. I’d liked him, but my mother has always warned that happy relationships don’t start with one night stands.

“I’m highly motivated to work.” I told Rick. “I’ll let you know about auditions at least a week in advance, and I’ll stay out a two week notice if I get cast in anything.”

“I don’t think you understand how the theater business works.” Rick sighed. “But to be honest, I’m desperate right now. I’ll give you a chance if you can start immediately.”

I didn’t have any other plans for the day so I quickly agreed to get to work. Rick gave me a uniform and I changed in the employee restroom before meeting Lisa, my trainer, at the hostess station.

“So, you’re the new girl.” Lisa greeted me crankily.

“Hi, I’m Kate.” I said with a smile.

“I hope you last longer than the last four waitresses I trained.” She sighed. “Today you’re just going to shadow me. Pay close attention to the way I do things, ask questions when you have them, and stay out of my way when I’m carrying plates.” She directed.

“I can do that.” I told her with another smile. I was determined to make her like me.

Lisa looked me up and down and then gave me a slight grin. “The longer you stay here, the nicer I’ll be.” She explained. “I’m just getting impatient will all of the turnover around here. You’ll need an apron and notepad. You can get them behind the bar.”

I nodded and walked across the main dining room and through the open doorway that led to the bar area. The moment I turned into the room, my stomach clinched and I felt like I’d walked into a nightmare. There, behind the bar, stood Max Shepherd.

I stood in the doorway unnoticed and watched Max move behind the bar. He looked sharp in his uniform; the crisp white button-up shirt and pleated black slacks gave him an air of sophistication. As I watched him, I debated my next move. ‘How do I handle this? I can’t just turn around and leave, I need this job… I guess I should just rip the band aid.’

I walked up to the bar, clearing my throat as I approached. Max turned towards the noise; a look of surprise flashed across his face as our eyes met.

“Kate!” He exclaimed with a smile. “Oh my god, what are you doing here? I’m happy to see you of course… did you get my messages?”

“This is awkward…” I begin slowly. “I did get your messages, but that’s not why I’m here… Actually, I didn’t even know that you work here until just now.” I sighed.

“I see…” he said softly. “So, are you just here for lunch or what?”

“That’s the awkward part, Lisa sent me in here… I need an apron and a notepad.” I admit with a blush.

Max slowly realized that I was at Orlando’s to work. He turned, opened a cabinet behind the bar, and retrieved a plain black apron. Then he took a blank note pad from a stack next to the cash register and slid the items across the cherry stained bar.

“We obviously had different opinions about what our night together meant.” He said angrily. “But there’s no need for this to be awkward. We’re both adults. I’ll do my job and you do yours. We don’t even have to act like we know each other.” He snapped.

I hate confrontation and I was still overcoming the initial shock of running in to him, so I didn’t respond. Instead, I gathered the apron and notepad and rushed back to the hostess station.

“Took you long enough,” Lisa snapped as I approached. “I hope you didn’t waste your time flirting with Max. He’s a pretty serious guy and he doesn’t get involved with his coworkers. Better women than you have tried and failed to win his affection.”

I blushed inadvertently as she talked about Max. “No, I wasn’t flirting with anyone.” I quickly assured her. “The bartender had his hands full when I got there. I waited until he had a free moment to ask him for my stuff.”

Lisa looked me up and down, as if she was taking stock of me. “Alright,” she finally sighed, “you’re growing on me. I looked over your application while you were at the bar. You already have four years of experience waiting tables?”

I nodded. “Nowhere this nice, though.” I said modestly. “I worked at a small diner in my hometown. It was a mom and pop place… kind of a neighborhood hangout. I’m sure I have loads to learn, I appreciate you taking the time to teach me.” I finished with a smile; Lisa returned it with a smile of her own. We both knew that I was kissing her ass, but she seemed to appreciate the effort.

I was also downplaying my serving experience. Minnie’s Diner is one of the most popular restaurants in Waterloo; the Friday night, all you can eat catfish special drew in most of the town, and I never left without at least two hundred dollars in my pocket. I approach waiting tables the same way I approach an acting role; I know what the people want, and that’s exactly what I give them. But Lisa is the head waitress here, and I don’t want to start off my new job by acting like a know it all and insulting my trainer.

“I started off in a small, hometown diner myself.” Lisa said with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that you’ll pick up on things quickly. The computers are easy enough to learn and the menu isn’t too big. I’ll send you home with a copy of it and I expect you to have it memorized before your shift tomorrow. Every server has to pass the menu quiz before they can take their own tables. I hope that won’t be a problem?”

I shook my head. “I have a great memory. I’m an actress, so I have to memorize lines all of the time. I’ll be ready for the quiz tomorrow.” I assured her.

“An actress, huh?” She asked with a smile. I nod and tell her that my dream is to be on Broadway. “Well, you’re not the first actress we’ve had.” She laughed. “In fact, Megan’s story is almost exactly the same as yours. She’s off today, but you’ll meet her tomorrow… Anyway, she moved to the city a few years ago with the same dream.”

“How has it worked out for her?” I ask hesitantly. Since I arrived in New York, I’d met plenty of people who shared my dream but none who’d actually lived it.

“She’s still working here, if that tells you anything.” Lisa said with a shrug. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a good actress. I’ve seen her in a few shows… nothing big though. But she has a pretty good gig; she works here to pay the bills and acts in smaller shows to fulfill her passion. If you’re interested in off Broadway stuff, she could probably help you get a few auditions.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I say with a smile.

It was slow at Orlando’s, that period between the lunch and dinner rushes, so Lisa spent an hour training me on side-work. I learned how to fold the linen napkins into a sunburst and that servers get discounted meals during their shifts. After prepping the last of the dining room tables for the dinner rush, Lisa and I sat down at a small two top and ordered pasta.

“It’s good to load up on carbs before a long shift.” Lisa advised. “Helps you keep your strength up. This place gets slammed, being so close to the theaters.”

“Do any of the stars ever come in?” I asked hopefully.

Lisa shook her head. “Some of the behind the scenes people pop in from time to time. Producers, tech guys… most of the performers eat in their dressing rooms.”

I nodded as if I wasn’t disappointed by her answer. “So, aside from Megan is anyone else here involved with the theaters?” I asked.

Lisa shook her head. “No, no other theater people. Chase, one of the chefs, plays bass in a rock band. And Shaun, one of the dishwashers, fronts a punk band. They’ll both hit on you… shut them down, the harsher the better. They’re players; if you aren’t firm with them, they’ll just keep trying to worm their way into your pants.”

“Gotcha,” I said with a nod. I twirled fettuccini onto my fork as I asked my next question. “You seem to know a lot about the people who work here. Have you been here long?”

Lisa nodded as she swallowed a bite of her chicken parmesan. “I’ve been in the city for six years and I’ve worked here for five and a half of them. I could tell you stories about some of these people that would make your stomach turn.”

“Is there anyone in particular I should avoid?” I was expecting her to hear Max’s name but Lisa just shook her head.

“Just the guys I’ve already told you about. Everyone else is basically harmless… though you shouldn’t tell Terri, another of the waitresses, anything that you don’t want the entire block to know.”

“I’ll keep that in mind… anyone else?” I prodded. “What are the bartenders like?”

“They’re both great. Chelsea’s been here even longer than I have and Max just came on a few months ago. They’re both really professional, they engage the customers but they’re careful not to over serve. Chelsea is older; I think she’s in her late thirties. She’s married and has a little girl, so she mostly works days. She’s the bar manager, she does all of the inventory and ordering. Max is just a few years older than us; he’s a fantastic bartender but he’s really a writer. He’s pretty good; I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves on soon. He’s not like the other guys here, either. He’s never come on to any of us or made inappropriate jokes. Some of us have wondered if he even likes women.” She laughed.

I smiled and tried to hide my confusion; the man she was describing didn’t match the image of Max I’d created in my head. ‘He must be good at faking it.’ I thought to myself. ‘Of course he wouldn’t want the people he has to work with everyday knowing what a slime ball he really is.’

The bell chimed as the first dinner customers pushed open the front door. “We’d better get to work.” Lisa said as she rose from her seat. “Take our plates to the kitchen and meet me back up front.”

Lisa and I spent the next six hours rushing through the restaurant delivering plates, refilling drinks, and keeping our customers happy. One of the other waitresses called in sick, and half way through the shift I started taking tables on my own. While I was working with Lisa, I managed to avoid the bar area; once I was on my own, I didn’t have a choice. Nearly everyone wants wine with Italian food and I had to place a few dozen orders with Max. Each time, he wordlessly filled the orders without making eye contact with me. I held my head high and pretended not to notice. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of rattling me.

At the end of the night I’d found a new friend in Lisa, made almost two hundred dollars in tips, and been ignored by Max Shepherd so many times I lost count.

“Oh my GOD!” Janette exclaimed. “Oh what I’d have paid to see your face when you spotted him behind the bar!”Her tone held the appropriate blend of shock and amusement.

“It was pretty bad.” I admitted before taking a long drink of my beer. I’d been home from my first shift at Orlando’s for about two hours. I’d taken a long shower and washed the smell of marinara sauce out of my hair before calling Janette and inviting her over for a few drinks and a much needed venting session.

“How did he react when he saw you?” She asked. “Was he creeped out, like he thought you were a stalker or something?”

“No,” I laughed. “Actually, I was surprised by his reaction. He seemed… happy to see me.”

“Kate, I TOLD YOU!” Janette groaned in frustration. “Not all guys see sex on the first night as a bad, dirty thing. Your mom means well, but her advice is outdated. This is New York City… it has a pace and a mind of its own, and it’s easy to get caught up in. Guys here don’t think that your trashy if you hook up with them, they think that you’re bold and adventurous.”

“Maybe you’re right, but why take the chance?” I argued.

“Because if you don’t, you’ll end up all alone,” she scolded me. “So he was happy to see you… what did he say?”

I took a deep breath before explaining. “He asked if I got his messages. I said that I had, but that they weren’t why I was there. I commented on the awkwardness of the situation and told him that I was the new waitress. Then he got standoffish and told me that he could act like an adult at work, regardless of what had happened between us. THEN he spent the rest of the night giving me the silent treatment like an eight year old child.”

Janette groaned again. “Kate, what is WRONG with you?” She asked bewildered.

“What are you talking about?” I insisted. “How was I supposed to handle it?”

“When you saw that he was happy to see you, you should have returned the sentiment. You could have said that you’d gotten the messages, but you dropped your phone in the sink and lost his number. Then, you could have commented on how happy you were that fate had landed you a job at the exact same place he works! It would make a great ‘how we met story’.” She finished with a smile.

“Yeah,” I agreed sarcastically after finishing my fourth beer. “We had a random hook up one week and became coworkers the next. That’s a great story, Janette, really something you want to share with your grandchildren one day.”

“There’s your mother talking again.” Janette said, shaking her head. “We’re twenty-one years old, why in the world are you worrying about your grandchildren? You could get hit by a bus tomorrow… focus on the here and now.”

“Okay, fine.” I huffed. “I’ll focus on the here and now. But that doesn’t mean that I have to date Max Shepherd.”

“I’m not telling you to date him.” Janette countered. “I’m merely pointing out that not being able to handle the fact that you slept with him isn’t a good enough reason to treat him like a piece of trash.”

“I understand what you’re saying, Janette. Really, I do.” I assured her. “I know that I’m a little old fashioned, and that that’s part of the reason I dislike Max so much. But honestly, I’m a good judge of character and I just get a strange vibe from him. I don’t think that he can be trusted.” I didn’t mention what Lisa had said about Max; the information didn’t support my argument so I saw no reason to bring it up.

“Well if that’s the case, why don’t you just quit? I think it would be easier to find a new job than work in such an awkward situation. Besides, you have plenty of money to fall back on. You could take your time and find something that you really enjoy.” She suggested.

I shook my head. “I can’t do that. It may be my old-fashioned upbringing coming out again, but I don’t want to touch my savings unless I absolutely have to. The longer that account stays in the black, the longer I can stay in the city. And you know how hard it is to find work in this economy. If I quit Orlando’s it could be months, a year even, before I get another paycheck.”

“Didn’t you come here to be a star, Kate?” Janette asked me skeptically.

“Of course I did, why would you even ask me that?” I was drunk and growing impatient with her attitude.

“Because right now, you’re acting like you lifelong dream is to be a waitress at Orlando’s. A lot of people come to New York with the exact same dream you have. They want to be stars and they bust their asses, book their own auditions, and pray that an agent will one day take a meeting with them. Those people take jobs just like you have, but because they don’t have a choice. And do you know what happens to those people, Kate?”

“No, but I’m sure that you’re going to tell me.” I sighed.

“The stress gets to them. It all gets to be too much. Something has to give, and it can’t be the job that keeps a roof over their heads. Some give up completely and go back to where they came from. Some give up on their dream but stay in the city. None of them end up with their name in lights.”

“I can handle it.” I answered defensively.

“But you don’t have to.” She replied before I could continue. “If I was in your shoes, I’d be living it up! You’ve just moved from a small, wholesome Midwest town to the most exciting place on earth. You’ve been here for a week: you haven’t seen the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, or the Statue of Liberty, but you HAVE seen Orlando’s employee break room. There’s something seriously wrong with that Kate.”

“I went to the flea market…” I argued halfheartedly. I knew that Janette had a point. I’d been so caught up in my determination to survive in the city that I forgot to actually enjoy it. “Okay, I’ll admit that you’re right.” I told her. “I’m not going to quit my job until I have a new one lined up, but I will do a better job of exploring my new hometown. I’m off on Thursday, do you have plans?”

“I’m working later that night, but I’m free during the day. I’m off tomorrow night, so I can get up and moving at a decent hour… how did you manage to get a Friday off?” She asked.

“Lisa said that that after the girl I’m replacing quit, Steve covered all of the regular shifts. They didn’t think they’d hire someone so quickly. Today and tomorrow are my training shifts, and I’ll start my regular hours on Monday.” I explained.

“So you have one last weekend of freedom!” Janette exclaimed. “We have to do something… lots of somethings! The band is booked for Thursday and Friday, but I’m off on Saturday night. Maybe everyone could come to the Friday show! We could part all night, have a lazy recovery day on Saturday, and then do some sightseeing on Sunday!”

“That sounds great!” I agreed. “I just have to make it through tomorrow…” My excitement disappeared as I remembered that I’d have to face Max again.

“Listen Kate, I’m sorry if I seemed out of line earlier.” Janette said with tears in her eyes. The tears were inspired more by the six pack of beer she’d drank and less by actual remorse, but I was drunk too so it didn’t matter. “I just really like you. I feel like we’re becoming friends and I don’t want to see you end up like everyone else.”

“It’s alright,” I assured her with tears of my own. “I know that you’re just watching my back… I really appreciate that.”

Janette laughed and wiped her eyes. “Look at us, we’re sloppy drunks. I need to chill out… I’m too emotional. I know that you’ve said that you wouldn’t care if I…”

“Do you have pot?” I interrupted with an excited whisper.

She smiled and nodded.

“Can we smoke it?” I laughed.

“If you want…” she replied hesitantly. “What made you change your mind?”

“I don’t know.” I laughed, knowing full well that the alcohol had changed my mind. “I guess I’ve gotten wrapped up in the pace of the city… I’m feeling bold and adventurous.”

Janette rose with a laugh and set off to retrieve her marijuana.