"Don't think I can't feel that there's something wrong
You've been the sweetest part of my life so long
I look in your eyes, there's a distant light
And you and I know there'll be a storm tonight
This is getting serious
Are you thinking 'bout you or us"
"I start to understand why this is a 24-hour-restaurant" one of the men repeated now even louder. The third today, who've had complaints about something. Usually, it would be the long 'waiting-term' time of the year, but the last three months had been busy. A lot of meetings were held up in this little restaurant (yes, it became quite famous somehow) and although everything was simple and mostly quick to accomplish, it took its time now and then, especially on a night like this, with a full house.
One of the waitresses was tired of telling them to be more patient, and finally managed to turn the TV set, right above the bar, a little louder to attract their attention for at least another thirty minutes.
'A great night for passionate theater supporters and long-term fans. A new play moves around like a wild twister and surely carries away everything on its way. The critics call it "Marvelous" and "Amazingly emotional. A must-see show, unexpected as ever and certainly a whole different path, this production team created". This show already is rated as the biggest knock-out in years. We have the rare opportunity to speak to the Producer of this show tonight, Max Bialystock…"
"Holy Christ, they talk about that guy often lately" said a small brunette waitress, while leaning on the transfer hatch to the kitchen.
"I mean he surely makes a million bucks per day or something, y'know, being that famous'n all."
A young man traversed the smallish door next to the hatch that instance and moved forcefully towards the TV set, changing the channel as quickly as he could.
"Yeah, whatever" he answered. "Rosie, why don't you start cleaning your plates and stuff before you go home?" He smiled at her and moved towards the kitchen again. Rosie followed him with her eyes until she went after him.
"Take the evening off" she said, stopping him. "Let's walk home together then."
"What?" the man answered. "I can't take an evening off when there're so many guests around here. I mean, I am one of the cooks and, and…"
Rosie could see him pocketing his hands quickly. She knew he was searching for that idiotic blue blanket of his again. She'd seen him doing this a lot of times now. Sometimes, he simply need to feel it, as if to make sure it's still there. This little thing seemed to give him some sort of security. She didn't know why but she could imagine it had something to do with his past, of which she knew very little. All she knew was that he came into this restaurant nearly three years ago and asked for a job, which he got.
"Hey Joe" she suddenly screamed into the kitchen. This sudden increase of sound intensity made the brown-haired guy jump. He still didn't get over loud noises or sudden movements.
"Yeah?" a dark voice recalled from behind an oven.
"Leo's stressed and just broke a plate" she said.
"What?" the voice yelled out of the kitchen.
"Rosie, are you nuts?" Leo whispered to her with panic written all over his face. "Why are you telling this?"
"He's clearly overworked…Mind if I just bring him home just for this one night?" Rosie continued.
"ROSIE!" Panic laid in his voice now.
A big man came close to hatch now and looked from high above down at Leo and Rosie. He had a grim face all the time but usually would turn out to be very understanding and careful, when it came to interacting with his employees.
"Broke a plate, eh?" Every time he was angry his Canadian accent came out again, though he lived in Jersey City for ages now. "You don' look overworked a'all, Bloom."
He looked at Leo closely and the young man could feel the sweat on his forehead. Being close to people still was a problem he couldn't arrange with.
"Well, can' afford any more of them broken plates" he said, though he scanned the ground carefully and indeed seemed to wonder why no shards were anywhere to be seen on the ground. "Jus' take yer evening off Bloom and go home. A lil' rest is never bad." Thus he walked back into his kitchen and vanished behind a cloud of steam.
Leo stood there, still staring at the hatch where the huge man stood seconds ago; being petrified.
Rosie grinned. She patted him on the shoulder.
"See? A little faith in kindness sometimes is useful" she said. "Shall we?"
Leo just nodded, hung up his apron and so did Rosie. She took his arm and led him outside, while Leo still looked pale and a little confused.
The air was clear but already very cold in this October-night. Stars stood all over the sky. It was a prejudice that one couldn't see them in the city due to the many lights. They were clear to see. The leaf-less trees stood in the scenery; like masts of ghost ships in the pale moonlight.
Rosie and Leo walked silently next to each other, with their faces pointing to the ground.
"Uh" Rosie shivered. "It's getting cold."
Leo didn't respond. She looked over at him and bit her lips. There must be some way to cheer this guy up.
"You know, one day I will have worked so hard" she started anew. "I will be able to afford to live somewhere else. Somewhere warm."
Leo looked at her and started to lift his mouth to a cheap smile.
"Like where?" he asked.
"I dunno…Somewhere cool. Like Rio" she giggled.
Leo's face darkened suddenly and he turned away again and sighed. He seemed to slip deeper into his scarf and silently kept on walking again.
"What is it?" Rosie asked insecure. "Did I upset you? I am sorry if so. I mean, one day you surely will have the chance to get outta here too. To live a better life. Being famous and all."
"It's not that" Leo stopped and looked up to the sky. "It's not that at all."
Rosie looked up as well, then to the taller man with the hazel eyes and up again.
"Well" she started happily again. "What is it then? You never told me anything about yourself since we work together. I consider us as friends by now and just need to ask this."
Leo looked at her quickly and grew a little pale again.
"Friends?" he asked.
"Yeah, friends" she laughed. "You know, like sharing everything and trusting each other and being there for the problems of your opposite. I mean you've been there for me when I split from my boy-friend two months ago and I am very thankful for that. But with seeing something's depressing you, I just want to repay you somehow."
Leo started to move again, this time a lot faster than before. He didn't look around anymore, just walked. Rosie was so taken aback, it took her some time to realize Leo was gone. Finally, she ran after him.
"What is this about?" she asked, while trying to keep up with him. Already she was breathing hard.
"Please, go home now Rosie" was the answer she got.
"Well" she had troubles to speak. "I am. I live in the flat next to you, remember?"
She ran in front of him to stop him from walking any faster.
"Now, stop. Tell me, what this all is about or I will never speak to you again."
Leo stopped and looked at her a little angry.
"Alright, what exactly do you wanna know?" he finally asked and exhaled heavily.
"Why do you act like this for example? Or why do you carry around this odd blanket-thing? Yeah…don't look at me like that, I've seen you touching it a hundred times over. Or why the hell do you always change the TV-channel when this man is on air…this Max…..whatever his name was?" it poured out of her like a waterfall.
"Bialystock."
"Excuse me?"
"His name is Bialystock" Leo sighed again.
"Yeah, well…why this odd behavior all the time…wait a minute" she suddenly gave him aa awkward look. "How come you can remember that name? I mean no normal person can memorize it, unless….oh my God!"
Leo's eyes widened. Did she figure it out now?
"You're a fan, aren't you?" she smiled. "How else could it be? And you turn away every time because you don't want anyone to notice, right? Well, this musn't be embarrassing for you."
Leo shook his head. "A fan?" he asked and looked at her in disbelief.
"Are you not?" she asked.
"No" he puzzled a moment how to come out of this. "No, certainly not."
He passed her and continued his way home, just not as fast as he did some minutes ago. Rosie started to walk next to him again.
"What then?" she dared to ask again some minutes later. "I mean this name obviously upsets you somehow."
No response.
Rosie and Leo continued walking down the dark streets for a long time without saying a word. Leo stared at the ground and was deeply lost in his thoughts while Rosie tried to figure out what his face could tell her.
"You know him, right?" it burst out of her.
"Well, we're home" Leo said, searching for his keys. Him not paying attention or at least trying to, drove Rosie nuts. If she asked someone a question she wanted to get an answer. At least in some way. But with this guy, who was a little older than herself, ignoring her totally every time she was close to something, wasn't the way she expected this conversation to end.
"So" Leo started. "Good night!" He even forced himself to a smile.
"What?" she screamed. "No, wait! You can't go now. I won't let you go until you've answered this one question."
Leo, already on his door, turned once more. "That is?"
"What's with you and that TV guy?"
Leo looked down his doorknob. His silver keys were ready to be turned around, giving way to his little apartment. His own world. He lived here for three years now, far away from the trouble of New York and away from the people he didn't want to meet again in his life.
"I did know him" Leo answered.
Rosie seemed to be a little shocked by guessing so well. She stood there and looked simply idiotic, her eyes wide and her mouth open.
"You what?" she asked again, before catching herself. "You knew him? How's that possible?"
Leo was stressed and kind of lost interest in this conversation. He really didn't want to talk about that and really started to get annoyed by this girl, who was the only real person, he knew in New Jersey who was relatively kind to him.
"I did work for him" he simply said and entered his flat.
"Good night" he said once more.
"Please, tell me more" Rosie said and held her hand between frame and door to hold him back from closing it too quickly.
Leo sighed again. "Why are you so interested in this?"
"I just wanna understand you better" she answered.
The young man could hear in her voice she really meant what she said. So, he nodded.
"Tomorrow is Saturday. Come here for lunch. I'll tell you what you want to know, alright?"
Then, he finally was able to close the door. When he heard Rosie's door closing too, he moved into his living room and sat down on his couch, holding his head in his hands.
"How the hell could this happen?" he thought. "I never wanted to think of all this again and now this."
~to be continued~
