Date: Wed, 5 Oct 2011 19:02:04 +0100
From: mandijerri@gmail.com
Subject: A Man for a Year Part 1

A Man for a Year: June-Friday Evening...

"Boy!" The shout, whispered as it was, echoed across the foyer of the
restaurant.

"Emm." Boy smiled, looking up from the guest book and crossing off the
party of 5 (two vegetarians and one celiac), that had just been seated at
their table in his section. "What can I do for you?" He added.

"You can tell me who that guy is who just went into the kitchen, that's
what?"

"Have you been sneaking around the back of the restaurant again?" Boy
laughed, "You don't want me to call the police now, do you?"

"Shut up." Emma laughed. "I'm not that drunk yet. No, we just popped out
for a ciggie, and he was there, leaning against the kitchen wall finishing
his fag. Who is he, is he new? I've never seen him before."

Emma, sadly in Boy's eyes, had recently taken up smoking.

She said it was a political move. Smokers at work knew everything and made
all the decisions that affected the company, and she needed some of
that. She didn't quite inhale yet, but she was addicted never-the-less.

"No, been here for a month now. Not new at all." Boy told her, trying not
to breathe in the fug of already stale smoke that seemed to cling to her
otherwise pretty clothes.

"Boy, don't mess with me! I've had a drink and I'm ready for a fight!" She
smiled then leaned over and kissed him on the mouth. "Now", she
breathed. "Tell your favourite girlfriend his name and status."

"OK honey." He smiled, taking her arm and leading her slowly back across
the restaurant to the table she and her friends were sharing.

It was one of Emma's bosses birthdays and a few of them had come out for a
meal to celebrate. "His name' s Eduardo and he's single."

"Straight?" She asked as she slipped back into his chair.

Boy pulled out his order pad, pretending to take drink orders in case his
boss looked over.  "Definitely straight." He added.

"Good. Bring him to Sheridan's tonight. I want to meet him."

"A little bit pushy, don't you think?" Boy asked as the others at the table
began to give him their drink order for real. "You know the rules."

"OK." Emma smiled, slipping her cigarettes into the miniscule purse she had
with her. "You point yours out in the club and I'll lead him to you -
deal?"

"No deal." Boy smiled, quickly whipping away with the order before Emma
could respond.

She glared at him and then stuck her tongue out when she caught his
eye. Deftly he put the drinks on a tray and made a show of slowly carrying
them across the restaurant to the table.

"Your drinks." He smiled as he handed each person at the table the correct
drink.

"Tell me." Emma whispered, grabbing the back of his leg and squeezing.

"The guy there, next to your friend Sarah. I want him, Emmy, that is the
deal."

"Jason?" She said, letting go of his leg. "He's Sarah's cousin or something
and straight apparently."

"You're point being?" Boy smiled as he handed her the Mojito she would have
ordered had he given her the chance to ask.

"Deal." She smiled. "You bring Eduardo and I'll have Jason waiting for you
at Sheridan's."

"Deal." He answered, moving over to the next table to clear the desert
course and take final drink orders.

"So Jason..." He heard Emma begin as he carried the plates back into the
kitchen.

Maybe tonight would not be so dull after all.

"Hey Eddy!" He called as he came into the kitchen back first - his hands
were full of tray, so he had to use his back to open the door.

"Marco, what d'ya want?" Eduardo asked.

He was not Italian, not Spanish, not even Latin at all really.

So much for judging a book by its cover! His mother had liked the name and,
despite being born in sunny West Drayton, London, he had become Eduardo,
Eduardo Mills.  Still, as is the way with lads, the Italian thing had
become an in-joke between him and Boy and now they were both Italian when
they were in the kitchen.

"What d'ya do to my friends when you smoke, huh?" Boy asked as he began
loading the dishwasher.

"What d'ya hava in mind?"

"You're a funny man Eduardo, but not funny hah, hah if you getta my
drift. My girl Emma, she want to do a number on you."

"She cute?" Eduardo asked, running over to the 'out-door' and peering
through the window.

"Shaggy bob, table 16, sitting on the right. Purple rinse with coffee has
her back to her. You see?"

"She's cute." Eduardo decided. "Whada ya planning?"

"She wants me to take you to Sheridan's after work tonight. You wanna go?"

"Gonna have to get changed. Yours?"

"No problemo, mi amigo, no problemo."

"Hey, that's proper Spanish!" Eduardo complained, then smiled and added:
"You keepa da hands to yourself, hey?"

"Hey!" Boy laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'ma always da
gentleman where you concerned, no? Besides, we hava the deal, Emma and
me. I give her you, and she serves me up that blonde cutie sitting opposite
her."

"You sure?" Eduardo asked. "He doesn't look gay to me."

"Like I said to Emma." Boy laughed as he left the kitchen with a
flourish. "Your point is what, exactly?"

There were a few more tables to work in his section before he could make
his way over to Emma again; and at least one new table that would need
seating soon. So much to do, and so much at stake! Eventually he made his
way over to Emma's table and began clearing away the debris, balancing
everything on his arm and extremely outstretched hand.

Smiling at Emma, he said:

"The kitchen man, he say yes."

"Good." Emma smiled, pulling some lip gloss from her bag and preening.

"And..." Boy added.

"Oh yes, I forgot!" Emma smiled. "Jason, this is Mark, you know the guy I
was telling you about? He's taking a year out to put his life back in
order, but he's studying graphical art as well, with advertising I
think. Is that right Mark?" She added as he kicked her under the table.

"Yes." Boy smiled at Jason. "Took my first year in London, then took a year
out?"

"Too expensive?" Jason asked him, leaning forward.

"I'll say." Boy replied.

He and Emma often invented careers and interesting back-stories when trying
to find dates for each other. Last month she had been a midwife for a guy
who had a nurse fetish and she had made him into a car mechanic for a guy
with an abnormal interest in grease - mucky, as it turned out, but fun
never-the-less!

It could have been worse this time, he supposed. Graphical Art with
Advertising was certainly better than the time she had introduced him as a
trainee gynaecologist!  Besides, he did have an Art GCSE, and he certainly
liked shopping, so he had been on the receiving end of a lot of
advertising. This career was already a cinch - he would have to come up
with something really devious for Emma next time.

"What Uni you planning to go to after this year then?" Jason asked.

"Erm...Southampton?" Boy answered, the name of the town his parents lived
in popping into his head at the last minute.

"Hey cool." Jason smiled. "I tried to get onto that course but it was
full. I'm at Nottingham now."

"Shame." Boy muttered. "Listen, we'll catch up in the club. In the
meantime, I have to work for my living. You lovely people want coffee?"

Deftly he took the order and moved onto the next table. Purple rinse
family, grandparents taking their grandkids out for a treat, were waiting
to pay - no tip, and he had their table to clear as well, and no more space
on his arm!

Emma smiled again as she watched Boy move on.

Every now and then she wondered if the sex had been better would they...?
But of course not. This was their life now and it was one they were both
comfortable living.  As best friends they were closer than lovers and no
sex to mess it all up, what more could you ask for in a male friend?

At least they were still friends mind, She hadn't even spoken to a single
school- friend in months and had no intention of doing so either. She and
Boy had moved in one direction, it seemed to her, and they had moved in
another.

Their loss, of course.

But back to tonight: Eduardo. Spanish, South American? The potential of the
coming tryst threatened to overwhelm her and she felt herself blushing.

"Ciggie?" She asked, unsure now why she was feeling embarrassed anyway.

"OK." Sarah.

"Sure." Mary.

"Thought I would have to go on my own!" Tom.

The four of them trudged out of the restaurant into the bleak outdoors.

Someone had once said that the smoking ban would kill the hospitality
industry and for those pubs, clubs and restaurants that were already
starting to fail, it had. But people still went out, and went out in the
same numbers as they did before the ban.  People weren't smoking less, and
places that catered for smokers, gave them nice areas to stand or sit, they
were the ones that were doing a thriving business.

 "So, did he organise it?" Sarah asked her as they huddled around the flame
of Tom's Zippo.

"What?" Emma asked.

"The guy from the kitchen!" She replied, slapping her forehead to emphasise
the stupidity she saw around her.

"I am meeting Eduardo later." Emma smiled, breathing out a plume of hot
smoke into the cold evening air.

"Eduardo!" Mary swooned. "First name terms already, and you haven't even
met him yet!"

"Who?" Tom asked.

"Never mind." Emma smiled, patting him on the arm. "I have a date and, if
the evening progresses as planned, I'll be on a promise within half an hour
of his coming into the club."

"You wanna bet?" Sarah asked.

"Meaning?" Emma smiled, this was already falling into an old tried and
tested pattern.

"What if me or Mary sidle on up to him and convince him otherwise?"

"Only if he's fit." Mary said. "I didn't come out last time, so I didn't
see him, don't forget. I'm not getting jiggy with a minger, not for
anyone!"

"He's not a minger!" Sarah laughed.

"Fresh meat..." Emma taunted.

"God, and I thought guys were crude!" Tom complained. "You girls are
insatiable!"

"Got thrown out of the nunnery, Tom, in case you didn't notice!" Sarah
laughed.

"Didn't even get a fucking T-shirt." Mary added, and they all collapsed in
laughter.

"Game on?" Emma asked as they pulled the last draw from their respective
cigarettes.

"Oh, I think so." Sarah laughed.

"As long as he's not, you know, sleaze." Mary added.

"Christ, Mary!" Sarah joked. "You are SO not drunk enough yet! Sleaze,
minger - if there's action to be had do you think you should be so picky?"

Mary thought for a moment, then added:

"No, you're probably right. Let's all hit on Emm's fancy man!"

"To Emm's fancy man, then." Sarah laughed as they rushed back to the table
and downed their drinks.

"What's that all about then?" Jason asked Tom as he settled in next to him.

"Mate," He said, "You don't want to know." Then downed his drink as well.

"What's the time?" Mary asked as they sat back in their chairs.

"11:00." Jason said, showing her his watch.

"Bill?" Tom asked.

"Bill." Emma agreed, and then called, "Waiter? Bill please?"

"Your wish is my command." Boy said as he sidled over to the table. "And,
as you have been my favourite table tonight, is there a small night-cap I
can get you?  Sambuca, perhaps?"

"Is that the stuff they burn?" Mary asked. "I don't want any of that, last
time I had it I had burns on my tongue for a month!"

They all laughed then, even Boy, remembering the party she was talking
about.

"Ok." He smiled. "Not Sambuca. What about a nice Southern Comfort, on the
house?"

"Oh, you are good." Emma whispered as the rest of the group expressed their
delight at the free drink.

"Hey!" Boy smiled. "I'm broke, I need the tip!"

He turned and vanished for a moment, returning with their bill and a tray
of drinks.  "Hey!" Tom called. "You poured one too many!"

"Did I?" Boy asked as he left them to fetch the card-reader.

"Too good, sometimes." Emma smiled to herself as the others began to argue
over who would get the extra drink.

Shaping up into a good night. She thought to herself as she pulled her lip
gloss out of the bag. A good night indeed. She added.