Bella (10 page)

“It's for Mr. Winters,” said the waitress.

“Make a new one!” Manny shouted, grabbing the snapper from Pepito and handing the plate to her.

“Here. Take this out. Table ten. And tell Mr. Winters I love his shoes, okay?”

Pepito snorted.

Manny turned to him. “Don't give me that look. I do not need that look today.”

Frannie approached them
as they finished up their mussels. She turned around a chair from the vacant table behind them, straddled the seat, and sat down with her arms draped across the backrest. “You two doing all right? How were the mussels?”

José airplaned his hand back and forth. “Good.”

“But?”

“Try to use Pinot Grigio in the broth instead.”

Frannie smiled at Nina and shrugged.
“Is he like this back at Manny's?”

“He's the
chef
at Manny's. We had a sub today,” she said.

José set down his fork. “I really like the direction you've taken the place.”

“You like it? Then the kitchen's yours. When do you start?”

“How about a package deal?” He pointed to Nina. And why not? Frannie and he had been doing favors for one another for a long time.

She turned to Nina. “You looking? I know this guy won't ever come down. But if you're looking, we could use someone. And if he recommends you . . .”

“I recommend her.”

Nina's eyes widened; half her mouth rose in a smile.

“Ring me on Monday.”

A food runner sidled up to the table with a tray.

Frannie tapped the back of the chair, then stood. “Okay, I'm going to let you guys eat.”

“Thank you,” Nina said. “I'll call you. It was nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.”

“Frannie, gracias.” José knew she'd come through. And she'd do right by Nina. Frannie was a woman of integrity, even if she did work too hard.

Frannie grinned and José knew that grin. “De nada.” She'd expect something in return, and he knew just what he was going to give her.

José turned to Nina after Frannie left. “See? That was easy.”

Nina teared up again.

Must be the pregnancy
, José thought.

“What are you doing the rest of the day, Nina?”

“Dealing with this.”

“Do you want to go to the beach with me? I want to show you something.”

He had to get her there. Something in him that loved the sand, the crash of the waves, and the scream of the gulls reached out to Nina and told him she'd understand him there and he'd understand her and maybe she could find another way. Maybe they both could. Plus, his family would be there.

She hesitated. “Okay. But I want to get out of these crazy clothes.”

“We can go like this.” Of course, he wasn't the one in that loud skirt.

Nina sighed. “Why not?”

“But first, I have to go back to the restaurant to get my wallet.”

“You mean you came here without your wallet?”

“I know Frannie. She'd never let me pay.” José downed his water, then spread out his napkin. “You got a pen, Nina?”

She nodded and dug one out of her backpack. “What are you doing?”

“Watch.”

He scribbled down the words
Mole Verde de Oaxaca
followed by the ingredients to his mole sauce, and Nina's eyes widened. “Manny's gonna kill you!”

“Manny will never find out because Frannie would not tell him. Will you?”

“Of course not.”

Ten minutes later Johannes approached the table. “Is that everything?”

“Almost.” José handed him the napkin. “Frannie's been bugging me for this for years. See what you can get for it.”

Johannes bowed his head and smiled. “I will, sir. Thank you. You both have a great day.”

Nina pulled a twenty out of her purse and set it on the table. Waitstaff respect. José admired it. She didn't have much money, he knew.

“And tell Frannie it's not all about the ingredients.”

José watched the
scene in the kitchen before making his presence known. There was Kevin, Manny's favorite waiter, holding one dirty plate, while Margarita, whose name Manny could never remember, lugged a large tray of dirty dishes.

Carlos snorted. “Pacing yourself there, Kevin?”

“These were the only dishes in my section, okay?”

Carlos glared at him, and José figured now was as good a time as any to make his presence known. He walked forward, patting Carlos, then Pepito, on the back. They returned the gesture in kind, welcoming him back.

Pieter entered, placed his hands on his hips. “Did you have a good day off, José?”

José wanted more than anything to grab him by the lapels and give him a shaking like he'd never experienced. He'd never had much respect for Pieter, who was always trying to antagonize him, but knowing what he did magnified everything negative about the man. Still, he wanted to keep Nina's confidence. “I've had a great day, Pieter. Nina is a wonderful person.” He glared at him.

Pieter called toward the line, “Hey, Manny! Your brother's back,” then sidled behind Carlos.

José figured he better just make for the lockers.

“Hey, El Callao! Where you been, man?” Carlos asked.

“Was it busy?” He slid his phone off the counter.

“Oh man.” Carlos wiped his sweating brow with a red bandana. “Oh man, it's been crazy. We did the best we could.”

“Two tables walked out on us,” Pieter said, almost looking happy about it if it meant José was in trouble.

What was this? Second grade?

Manny stormed into the kitchen. “You just sneaking in and out? You weren't going to say hello?”

“I just came to pick up my phone and wallet, Manny.”

Manny breathed through his nose, and his words issued through his teeth. “Yes . . . you forgot your phone. I called you. Mama called you too. I found time to call you.” And it was suddenly too much for him. José watched with awe as the dam of self-control gave way and his brother unloaded. “Even though we were short one chef during our lunch rush hours! Where were you, José, huh?”

“I just went outside, Manny. That's all I was planning to do.”

There was no
way Nina was going to go back into the restaurant, so she waited outside instead.

She lit up a cigarette. She wasn't a big-time smoker, only when life became a little stressful.
Why am I doing this?
I don't even look like a real smoker.

Nina hated things like this about herself. Relying on silly stuff like cigarettes and stupid guys like Pieter.

And there was José inside, trying to be a good friend and a nice guy. She knew he wanted to tell her a thousand different reasons to keep her baby, but for some reason he couldn't, as if he didn't have the right. But he listened to her, and she couldn't remember the last time somebody really did that for her.

Sometimes Manny didn't
understand his brother. “You went outside? Marcos took some trash out. He didn't see you outside. How far outside did you go, hermano, huh? Acapulco? Where were you? We were worried. We were busy and you bailed on us.” He jabbed a finger in José's chest. “You abandoned your own flesh and blood!”

José just needed to see sense. There, the mop. Manny grabbed it and shoved it toward his brother. “Here. You can make this up to me by cleaning up this mess! You're lucky I don't cut the whole staff and let you do it by yourself !”

He walked away. Let José stew for a while.

“Manny! Manny!” José called.

He turned, feeling
the lion of anger return. He knew what José was going to say because José was his brother and they knew these things.

“I just came for my stuff. I have to do this now, Manny.” He handed Manny the mop.

Manny threw the mop in the corner, knocking over a stack of cans. “What? What do you have to do?”

“I have to go.”

“What?!” Manny wanted to strangle him.

The kitchen fell silent. The water stopped running. Knives stilled. People leaned in their direction. Manny looked around. “What's everyone staring at? We have work to do.” He pointed at José. “
You!
In my office. Right now!”

He would settle this immediately. As mad as he was, he couldn't let his brother leave without him seeing things correctly.

Besides, dinner prep needed to begin pronto.

José followed Manny
down the steps to the office. Manny could think what he wanted about José's Spartan lifestyle, his cloistered ways, but Manny's life revolved around the restaurant. It was a different kind of cloister. And even now, one of his former employees was in trouble, but as he saw it, she was out there and they were in here.

José knew it was time to take a stand.

Manny's eyes blazed. “I called everyone. I called Mama and Papa. You left all of us when you walked out that door with your new friend.”

Mama and Papa. Manny . . .

“Two tables walked out on us today, José!
Two!
That's never happened. Never. This is bad business, José, bad business.”

That's right, José realized. This wasn't about family at all. “Everything to you is business. I'm sure everyone picked up the slack and got you and your restaurant through the day. But what are you doing for them?”

Manny clenched his jaw. “Wait, wait, wait. Am I hearing this correctly?” He pointed toward the door. “Ask Amelia. She's been here the whole time. She has four kids and commutes from the Bronx every day.”

“She has three kids, Manny.”

“She has kids!”

“See? You don't even know her and you're giving the Amelia speech to me? How long have you been running this place? And how many times have you given Amelia a raise?” He made an O with his fingers. “
Zero
, Manny. Zero.”

José watched his brother's nostrils flare. Better just to get out of there. He turned.

“Listen to me, niñito. Don't tell me how to run my business. You work for me, and walk out on me? Your brother? The one who bailed you out and employed you?”

José felt his heart speed up, anger running up from the base of his spine to flare over his head. “Manny . . . ,” he warned.

“You just leave me for some late, drunk waitress? When did this happen?”

José was finished. He loved his brother, but Manny could jump to conclusions so quickly. And dragging up the past like he'd done? He'd had enough.

“You fired a pregnant woman, Manny.”

He stormed back to the kitchen.

Manny punched the wall in his office. José had heard that sound before.

And then the subsequent pounding of his feet as he rushed up the steps. José sighed. So this wasn't over yet. And poor Nina, waiting outside through all of this. He hoped she'd still be there.

Manny grabbed José's arm. “I didn't know why she was late! All I knew was that she was late all the time!”

“And you know she wasn't always like that.” He pushed his hair back with a sigh. “Manny, she's one of your best employees. Been here for four years. You ever stop to ask her what was going on?” José pointed to everyone around them. “You know anything about any of these people besides Amelia?”

He might as well go all the way. He breathed in deeply. “You know anything more than the fact that Henry the bartender is making twice as much as Pepito, my
cook
? Why does Pieter always give better sections to Kevin than Margarita?”

“Enough!” Manny straightened his tie and looked around him, a flush seeping from his collar up to his hairline. He pushed José toward the walk-in freezer and shut the door behind them.

Manny pushed José's shoulder. “
What's wrong with you?
How do you get away with talking like that in front of my
employees?
”

It always came down to pride with Manny. “
What's wrong
with me? What's wrong with you, man? What is it with you?
What is it?
” José pushed Manny back. “
Carlos, Carlos, one of
your people, he's below minimum wage, man. Why is that, huh?
Oh, he doesn't have papers? And you can get away with it?
” He pushed open the door. “
We all slave in the kitchen for you.
It's all about you, man!”

José stormed out of the walk-in. Time to get out of here. “
Enough of this talk about family
,” he mumbled.

Manny followed. “José!”

José picked up a pot on the counter and turned on Manny. “This pot is the same one you bought eight years ago when you opened. It scorches because it's old.” He pushed the pot into Manny's chest. “Buy another one.”

José cruised by Kevin, then by Pieter, staring a hole into him. “You got something to say?” he asked Pieter.

Pieter's face paled.

If he could say one more thing . . . no. He'd already become angry enough. There was no telling what he'd do to Pieter once he got started.

“You clean out your locker too! I'm done!” Manny hollered.

José stopped, looked at his brother, and waved him off with a weary hand. He was done too. He couldn't get out of there fast enough.

“And call Mama. She's worried.”

I'll bet she is
, José thought.

Thirteen

N
ina ground out the half-smoked cigarette beneath her heel. She wasn't planning to keep this baby, but just in case . . . pregnancy or not, it wasn't good to smoke, right? She had to rely on something other than cigarettes to get through the rest of this day. She stepped into a nearby convenience store to buy some snacks for the trip to the beach.

Several minutes later, apples and water in her bag, she waited back at her post, only imagining how Manny must have been reaming out his brother.

José, hands balled up into clenched fists, pale with anger, stormed out of the restaurant, and right into traffic. Nina watched in horror as the driver of a maroon sedan jammed on his breaks and yelled out the window, “Hey, man! What are you tryin' to do?”