Images 48

Chapter 48

I’m getting some of the tarts out of the oven and out as fast as I can. I can’t keep the Beer tarts ahead at all with all the working guys in right now. I’m actually getting orders for pick up for suppertime tonight.

There’s a lot of working class guys down here and apparently he concept of the beer tart is something they like and the guys with wives and girlfriends are ordering some of the other stuff on the menu.

I head outside for a breather looking around until I can see some of the street kids that we sometimes have hanging around here. We actually have a few more than we used to ever since we’ve been seen as LGBTQ friendly and Taylor’s given them odd jobs and let the use our laundry room and stuff.

I wave one of the girls over. “Gypsy how goes it?”

She sort of shrugs. “Not bad, why, was sup?”

“I need some hands.”

“For what?”

“I got a lot of orders I wasn’t expecting going out and not enough staff. You interested?”

“What are you paying?”

“I’ll talk to Tay about the cash but food yeah, all you guys can eat plus some take away and showers and using the laundry room.”

“Shit, deal how many do you need?”

I think a minute. “Five but you can invite some friends over to use the shower in the staff room and do laundry.”

“Really?”

“Yeah I’m in a bind and you guys are all alright.”

“Oh sure with all our damaged asses.” She’s giving me this skeptical look.

“Hey, I’m just like you guys only I got very, very lucky and I’m not enough of a butt not to try and pay it forward.”

She bites her lip. “Yeah I heard…you like a couple of years older than me.”

“I’ll be eighteen in a few months.”

“Y’know you seem older.”

“Name me one of us that doesn’t.”

“One of us….?”

“I used to work over at Dazzles.”

“No shit the tranny bar?”

“Yeah but just the tables…I couldn’t handle doing anything else, not with my damage.”

Gypsy nods. “Okay give me an hour?”

“Sure it’ll take me that long to get prepped.”

She leaves stopping to talk to her friends. It’s Edmonton we’ve no shortage of street kids here like any other city and there a good number of them runaways from bad situations like mine.

I head in and talk to Taylor about hiring the five and stuff and he agrees and with the orders we’ll be doing I need the help and we can do extra for later sales and still come out ahead after paying them.

“We can do twelve an hour for them and be okay.”

I kiss him. “Thank you I do need the help and they need the work.”

“They need the work and they need the experience, if I can get them to where I can give them a good reference then maybe they can get jobs in a few places.”

I smile at him and slip my arms around him. “I applied for my GED and some night classes.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, I want more than what I’ve got now. I want my GED and then go for my culinary course.”

“You don’t need that to cook.”

“No but I want it and I want our daughter to know that her mom does give up, that if things get bad you get back up and you keep trying.”

“Now if we can get Ingrid to listen to that.” He semi frowned.

“We will…sometimes getting back up takes time Tay, life can flatten you pretty good.”

“Yeah I know…I’m just…I’m not you hon…”

“You seem okay with her?” I rub his back.

“I’ve been there… but for the abuse and that or not she doesn’t have the right to …she didn’t have the right to have done all the stuff she’s done.” He hugs me a little tighter and I lean on him and soak in his body heat and the way he feels and smells.

I look up at him. “Taylor, she was broken by that, human beings don’t come with instruction manuals…she had no idea how to put herself back together.”

“Yeah…you know you’re an awesome person right Jen?”

“I’m just a person honey, I just try to do the right thing like I’m supposed to.”

“God stuff?”

“People stuff honey but yeah God too.”

“Uh…huh.” He’s got his agnostic face on. The whole not sure and even if he was sure he still might not like it face.

I actually like that about him. I like the fact that Tay does have a sort of relationship with God if even the angry one. Kids are supposed to be angry at the grown ups some times.

I kiss him. “I love you.”

“Uh-huh…I love you too.” He kisses me but he’s still kind of scowly in a cute way. I head to the back kitchen and start getting things set out for doing this in a mass production way but not just for the tarts but cinnamon rolls, and bread…if I’m doing tart shells we might as well be doing pies and I’m thinking turnovers too.

I have leftovers we can use too to fill some of the turn overs for them to take home with them and I get two big pots started. One will be stew, we have enough veggies to make a stew and enough meat scraps and bones and leftovers too for that and it’s beef and pork but it’ll work and I toss them in the oven at full blast to brown.

The other pot I’m doing the same with left over veggies, some fresh ones, and lots of garlic and potatoes and herbs and white beans. I raid our meager stash of veggie bacon and sausage and bake it off until crispy and I try and make a vegan version of casole. There’s a lot of kids that are vegetarians or vegans these days and I’ve both options for them ready or cooking by the time Gypsy shows with the others and some friends.

Oh…I see the looks on their faces at the smells and there…Not for the grace of god goes I…I’ve been there and if it wasn’t for the charity of a few decent people I’d have starved or worse.

Yeah…when you’re hungry and poor that gets in your head too…which never helps when you’re trying to survive.

“Okay guys showers are there, laundry room’s there…feel free to use the detergent and stuff we buy enough for the staff stuff so not a big deal. I get the kids working with me Mavericks shirts and to get rid of bracelets and rings and stuff.

Tay hires two to dish wash and bus tables. “Pay’s twelve an hour plus food and laundry.”

That’s seven out of like twelve…I wish we could do more but… “Hey guys I’m going to open the office so you guys can charge phones, batteries, and you can use our wireless and our printer or photo copier to do stuff okay?”

I go to log off our computer and see an e-mail response from Hanna Remington….Iggy’s ex.

[I’m sorry to hear that she’s that sick but Ingrid’s exactly where she wants to be Jenna, I’m not you and I’m not even going to try to compete with you anymore. Don’t contact me again please.]

My reply. [No, that’s not good enough, you don’t know the full reach of her situation and I think you owe me a face to face meeting to explain the comments you just made about her and I. Plus you walked out on not just her but Giselle too.]

She responds on her mobile. [Fine, but you won’t like it.] she gives me an address.

[I’ve very busy could you come to me?]

[No, that’s your place, this is mine. You don’t want to talk to me don’t come. And leave the kid home.]

[Fine, tomorrow?]

[Fine.]

She’s gone and I’m frowning.

“Maybe she’s actually better off.”

I power the computer down and get back to the kids and making the orders and stuff. I really didn’t like the way her tone was. Really combative and I don’t like the way she referred to Giselle as “The Kid.”

Knowing what I know about Ingrid now…who would she end up with…given the way she see’s each other.

Sigh…shit…

Okay…one battle at a time and right now I’ve got the kids and the orders to fill and them too…they’re not leaving here hungry.

I start showing them what I need and we’re going for a sort of assembly like thing and I end up with Taylor bringing Gisele back from out front with me as he’s starting to get things started in the front kitchen for suppertime.

She’s adorable in this sundress she got into some time and Tay’s tied a bandana around her hair. My two year old sun child mini-biker. I take her into my arms and lug her around as I supervise and let her play with some dough or Tinkerbell some crumble or even stir some of the chili or casole.

I lose the ladle twice but I don’t care.

I’m happy and so is she.

I’m going to take the win while I’ve got it.