Alissa looks at the two girls and one guy standing before her. They were friends of Bobby’s and had answered the ad she had up at the LGBTQ center. Bobby had vouched for all three of them and they had done well on their interview.

She was feeling under the weather, so Meisa, Bobby, and Jessie were going to handle the food truck while she was sick. Carol, Gregory, and Ryan were going to handle all the catering jobs that have come in. Some of them wanted Alissa’s famous burgers and barbeque meats she has been selling from her truck.

Carol, Meisa and Ryan were her newest hires. Carol and Meisa were transwomen and Ryan was a transmen. She had to send Meisa and Jessie through a food handler course for them to work on the truck. Since, Bobby already had hers and has been working with Alissa, she was the cook on the truck.

Gregory was handling the catering business, while she was sick. She had caught a cold and was too sick to be around food. Especially, till she overcame the cold she caught. She went to her doctor and she informed Alissa that she had an upper respiratory infection. Which meant she couldn’t be around serving food or prepping food.

She could supervise as she watches Gregory and Bobby prepare the truck. She bought customs t-shirts for the truck crew and the catering crew she got the white dress shirts, black vest, and black slacks for them to wear.

“You need to be inside in bed, Alissa.” Gregory spotted Alissa watching them in her house robe.

“I wanted to make sure everything went off without a problem.” Alissa pulls some tissue out of her robe’s pocket and blows her nose.

“That’s it, your going back to bed.” Gregory escorts Alissa out of the caring kitchen and up to her bedroom. He tucks her into bed and kisses her forehead.

Alissa hated being sick. Her nose was running, and she had a nasty cough. She made some homemade chicken soup last night. She still had some left over.

Alissa takes two shots of some cold medicine and slowly fall asleep. She hated having a cold.

Food Truck:
Jessie couldn’t believe the people that lined up at their first stop. He and Meisa were taking the orders. While Bobby was cooking, she instructed them how to make the different types of burgers after the meat was cooked.

When she could, she helps. She reminds her cousin that firefighters and police officers get a ten percent discount on their meals. When there is a break in customer traffic. Jessie looks at his cousin as she cleans the grill.

“Are you guys always this busy?” He couldn’t believe how much they sold.

“You should have seen us last week. Once word got out about us. We would be busy from the time we got here, till we left.” Bobby was
enjoying the food truck business.

“You mean you’re always this busy?” Meisa was surprised by Bobby’s statement.

“Yep, we stay busy all day long.” Bobby looks over towards Meisa.

Meisa just came out to her family a few months ago and they weren’t very accepting of her choice. She came from a traditional Japanese
family and her parents couldn’t accept her decision. So, Meisa was forced to move out. She was staying with Carol and between the four jobs they had. They could barely afford their apartment and their hormone pills.

They move to another location and sell burgers. Meisa watched Bobby and learned how to cook the different burgers and barbecue they had.
She wonders how Jessie got roped into working on the truck.

While they are taking a break, before moving on to their next location. Jessie was making himself a buffalo chicken wing sandwich.

“You need to be careful, cousin.” Bobby had watched Jessie make the sandwich.

“Why do you say that?” He was looking at his sandwich.

“That sauce is milder than the original one we had on that sandwich but is just as hot.” Bobby had watched Alissa make the new sauce.

Meisa was eating a barbecue sandwich with the sauce she was told went with the sandwich. She loved how the sauce went with the barbecue meat.

“What do you think of the meat, Meisa?” Bobby had watched as Meisa made herself a sandwich.

“It’s tasty, I love the sauce that was supposed to be used on it.” Meisa takes another bite and wonders where the sauce came from.

“Alissa made the sauce when we competed in a barbecue cook-off. The barbecue came in first place, just like the sauce had as well. We have
one more stop for the day.” Bobby starts securing everything before they leave.

Catering Service:
Ryan and Carol couldn’t believe the event they had been hired to cater. The first one they went to, was a breakfast catering jobs for a women’s business conference. The second one, was for a retirement party. The next one was for another party. This one all they had to do was set up everything and the people who hired them would take care of it.

Gregory saw how helpful Carol and Ryan were. Carol, he knew needed a nice job. Ryan, he didn’t know much about, except that he was Carol’s roommate. He picked that up from their conversion. When they didn’t think he was listening.

When they get back to the house, Carol and Ryan help clean-up the dirty dishes and put everything away. Gregory checks the fax machine and two orders for Friday had come in. One was for a Southwest meal and the other was for a party of twenty. They were going to need the staff there to help serve and seat everyone. Which meant he was going to need the food truck crew that night.

By the time all the dishes are cleaned and put away. The food truck backs into the driveway. Bobby and Meisa come walking with all the empty containers that needed to be washed and reloaded. Carol and Ryan give them a hand cleaning out the food truck.

“Gregory, why don’t I and Carol get started on reloading the food truck up. Ryan, Meisa and Jessie can help you reload the burger containers.” Bobby helped Alissa when she came home and cleaned all the containers.

Gregory looks at everyone standing around “Bobby since you work with Alissa the most on the truck. You handle getting it ready for tomorrow.”

“Carol, Ryan and Meisa if you would like to stay on with us, we could use your help. Sometimes you’ll be working on the truck and sometimes you’ll be doing catering service.” Gregory knew Alissa had hired Carol to work for them.

“I thought we were already hired?” Ryan looks at Gregory.

“You were, but I wanted to still give you an option to back out if you don’t want to do catering. I could use someone down at the garage if you know something about cars.” Gregory figures Alissa wouldn’t mind poaching a person or two from her. After all, they were business partners.

“I think all of us are going to stay with Alissa. However, if you really do have an opening at your garage. I know a person who is good with cars and would be a good fit. His name is Darrel and I can give you his number.” Ryan knew Darrel would be a good fit for Gregory. Alissa made it known that none of the people she works with are bigots.

A smile appears on Gregory’s face “good. Let’s get the truck prep for tomorrow and see what other catering jobs we have on our schedule for the rest of the week.”

A few hours later, Gregory heads into the house and check on Alissa. She was still curled up under her blankets and sound asleep. He notices she took some shots from the Nyquil bottle sitting on her nightstand.

He has never seen her sick before. She has always been an upbeat person. Just as he is about to walk out of the bedroom.

“How did we do today?” Alissa’s voice sounded hoarse as she looks towards Gregory.

“I haven’t counted the money yet. I wanted to check on you, first.” Gregory walks back into the bedroom and over towards Alissa.

“I’m not going anywhere. This infection is kicking my ass.” Alissa starts coughing to clear her sore throat.

Gregory just smiles at her comment. He could see she was still tired.

“Do you want anything?”

“Juice, please.” Alissa had a craving for a glass of mango and orange juice.

“Alright.” Gregory picks Alissa thermal cup up and heads down to the kitchen.

He pours her some juice in her cup, after washing it first. He grabs some aspirins and takes them up to her bedroom.

“Here’s is your juice, my lady and some aspirins for your sore joints.” As he hands the aspirins to Alissa.

“Thank you.” She accepts the aspirins and pop them in her mouth and swallow some juice to chase them down her sore throat.

“You’re welcome. Now, get back in bed and rest.” Gregory walks over and tucks Alissa back into bed.

Alissa just smiles at him and closes her eyes.