Another true tale of waiting tables.

The restaurant I worked for prided itself on fresh food, no cans in the kitchen at all. Everything was made fresh at least twice a day. The salsa was made hourly and was extremely popular. People would love to come in and scarf down free chips and salsa all day long. One lunch we were packed to the gills with such chips and salsa munchers, the wait for a table was up to an hour. We were so busy that our Floor Manager, Dan, was taking tables.

Dan was the typical corporate middle manager. He was new enough to the company and still interested in climbing the ranks that he was really excited about being there. His enthusiasm for the job could be contagious, or nauseating, depending on the day. All in all though he was a downright decent guy. He was always positive to talk to and always tried to make you feel better about everything around you.

Dan had picked up two tables, each one in a different server’s section, and was running around trying to do his regular job as well. When he picked up his third table things were already starting to go downhill for him, he was in over his head, and no one to turn to for help. The third table was a rich looking couple in their forties. As he approached them to take their drink order the man glowered at him and slid the salsa bowl off of the table and right onto the floor.

“This salsa is awful, it is certainly not fresh.” The man said. His wife simply scowled up at Dan.

“My apologies folks, let me go get you some salsa.” The smile didn’t leave Dan’s face, though he knew he now had to stretch his already strained staff even further to clean up a mess. He hurried off and got a new bowl of salsa and grabbed a wet towel to clean up the floor. He returned, set down the bowl of salsa and bent down to clean up the mess they had caused earlier.

“What did you wring the towel out in this stuff?” The man said as he slid the second bowl off of the table and right down onto Dan who was busy wiping up the first one. The bowl splashed salsa all over Dan’s white button up shirt, our required uniform.

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Comments (6)
  • nutuba on Mar 10, 2009

    This is an absolutely wonderful story! I could feel the tension in the air; I could sense Dan’s temperature rising as the man kept dumping bowls of salsa on him; and the end, even though we see it coming, was described beautifully. Nicely done!

  • Ruby Hawk on Mar 10, 2009

    Hooray for Dan.I applaud him. I’m happy he wasn’t fired. He was long on patience and deserved a raise.

  • papaleng on Mar 10, 2009

    a great story told so nicely. i enjoy reading it.

  • Jo Oliver on Mar 11, 2009

    Great story. I know that it isnt the smartest thing to do, but I was silently giving Dan a high five in my head. I love the line \”contagious, or nauseating.\” Ive meet people that I have felt just like that about.

    You have a talent for the short story. I often skim short stories, but I read every word of this one.

  • Andrew Davies on Mar 13, 2009

    Thank you, I love writing short stories the best.

  • Bullwinkle Muse on Mar 18, 2009

    My wife was a manager at Longhorn for several years. I know first-hand (well, ok, 2nd hand) what that job can be like, from the stories she’d tell me nearly every night. Great story here, too. Well done.

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