May 19, 1921
Kurt
After receiving a pep talk from Blaine in the kitchen, Kurt feels more confident that Westerville's opening night will be a success. He does the buttons up on his jacket, pats his bow tie to ensure it's straight, and returns to the dining room.
The waiters are lined up while Elliott addresses them. "There will be times tonight that you'll be rushed off your feet. Let me know if you are struggling to take an order, serve the food or provide the bill. I can reassign tables or get another waiter to help you. But I can't do anything if you don't tell me. This time tomorrow, we'll sit down with Kurt and discuss how things went and where we can improve upon things."
Elliott turns to Kurt. "Is there anything you wish to add?"
Kurt takes a cursory look at the waiters and is satisfied that they look smart in their new uniforms. "We're not only selling food, but a complete dining experience. From the moment people walk inside, they should all be treated like royalty. The real trick is to provide attentive service, but not to disrupt their experience. I have confidence in each and every one of you. If you are enjoying yourself, it will pass onto your customers. I have every faith that you'll provide the finest service tonight."
The front door opens and a middle-aged man dressed in black walks in and shuffles toward the piano. Brad is a man of few words, but Blaine has assured Kurt that he's an excellent pianist. Apparently, Brad's knowledge of music is quite extensive, and he can play all matter of music at the drop of a hat.
Kurt goes to the front door and flips the sign to "open", then positions himself behind the greeting stand. He double-checks the reservations and the table assignments as a way to pass the time.
A few minutes later, the front door opens. Kurt looks up to see Hiram, LeRoy, Finn, and Rachel. "Welcome to Westerville's!"
Rachel claps her hands. "This is so exciting! Please tell me we're the first ones here."
Kurt smiles. "Our very first customers." Kurt picks up four menus from the stand. "Please follow me. Your table is ready for you."
As they walk to the best table in the house, Finn whispers into Kurt's ear, "Rachel was adamant that we should be your first customers. She's been ready for ages and was driving us crazy."
"I say, Kurt, the restaurant looks great. Where did you find all the stuff?" Hiram asks.
"Your sister shipped most of it here from Westerville. There are loads of photographs of the family dotted around the place."
"I'll have to take a closer look at them later."
"Are there photographs of me?" Rachel asks in a hopeful voice.
Kurt wants to kick himself. Of course Rachel, the restaurant's main investor, would want photographs of herself scattered throughout the room. Unfortunately, there isn't a single one.
Kurt replies with the best smile he can muster, "I'm afraid that the Countess didn't send me any photographs that included you." Kurt points at an empty area on the wall. "I left a space for photographs of you being presented at court as a debutante, and one of you, Finn and Carole. Of course, there will be plenty of room for a large photograph of your Broadway debut…"
"Excellent!" Rachel exclaims. "I'll have Finn bring photographs next week to be hung."
Once the family is settled into their seats, Kurt notices that Hans and his mother have entered the restaurant. He makes his goodbyes and goes to the front door. "Welcome, Hans and Frau Pippart."
"Please call me Anna. The restaurant looks wonderful," she remarks, gazing around the room.
"Thank you. A lot of the memorabilia is from the Westerville Estate in England. Let me show you to your table."
Kurt leads them to a table for two and provides them with the menus.
"I think I know which dessert you are going to order," Kurt says to Hans with a wink.
"Did Blaine really include it?" Hans asks eagerly.
Kurt opens the menu and points to the item in question. "Hans' Apple Crumble Cake is right here."
Anna smiles. "Blaine is quite a marvelous young man. Such a kind soul. I wish every lad had a Blaine in his life."
"I know that Blaine treasures the time he spends with Hans."
"Hans tells me that you were in the Royal Flying Corps during the war."
"Kurt has heard of Papa. They were both flying aces," Hans boasts.
"Did you ever come across my husband in the air?" Anna asks.
"Fortunately not. My aeroplane was shot down over France in November 1916. I believe your husband was stationed on the Eastern Front then."
Anna nods. "Thank goodness for that. It's awkward enough that you were both in the air services at the same time. I'd hate to think that you were in air combat against each other."
"The war is long over, and it's time to become friends again. Now, Hans, would you like to try the Flying Ace cocktail? It's made with sparkling apple cider, honey and lemon."
"Boy, would I ever!"
"Your meals tonight are compliments of the house," Kurt says.
"Oh, but we must pay," Anna protests.
"Blaine absolutely insists that you are his guests for the evening."
Kurt stands aside to allow a waiter to come forward. "Let me introduce you to Stephen, who will be your waiter tonight."
When the waiter pours water into the glasses, Kurt continues, "Please excuse me. There appears to be more customers entering."
Kurt is rushed off his feet for the next hour as customers arrive and are seated. Although a few tables are not filled, the place is abuzz with conversation and background piano music. True to her word, June Dolloway has filled half the space with important people she knows.
Kurt makes his way around the restaurant, stopping at tables to make sure that everyone is satisfied with their meal. Everyone is complimentary about not only the food, but also the service and decor. Kurt always offers a short story about a nearby photograph or piece of memorabilia, which the customers seem to appreciate.
Elliott pulls him aside. "There's a problem with the toilet in the men's room. The water level has risen to the brim."
"Thanks for letting me know. I'll get it sorted at once."
Kurt walks over to the Berry table. "Finn, could I speak to you for a moment in private?"
Finn sets his napkin down on the table and stands up. "Sure thing, Kurt. That Lancashire hotpot was the best I've ever tasted."
Kurt leads him to the hallway where the restrooms are located. "There seems to be a problem with one of the toilets. Would you mind taking a look at it?"
Finn takes off his jacket and hands it to Kurt, and opens the door to the cleaning supply cupboard. "I've left a few tools here to cover most problems." Finn retrieves a plunger and a small tool chest. "Leave it to me. It shouldn't take long."
Kurt mans the door to the men's room, grateful that there are no male customers who are in need. After five minutes, Finn exits with a grin on his face.
"It's all sorted. I've now worked up an appetite for dessert."
"You're a real lifesaver, Finn. Thank you."
"Brothers help each other out," Finn replies with a wink and returns to his table.
Kurt notices that June Dolloway's table has just been served dessert. He goes over to make sure that they are pleased.
June grabs Kurt's arm. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Kurt. He's Blaine's faithful servant from Westerville, who is helping him with the restaurant."
Kurt doesn't allow June to bring him down to her level, and certainly not on their opening night. "Good evening, everyone. I hope you are enjoying yourselves tonight."
A man pipes up, "We're having a marvelous evening. This dessert looks too good to eat. Can you tell us a little about it?"
"Trifle is a classic English dessert. The layers consist of fruit, sponge cake, custard, and whipped cream. Our chef has named this "The Wimbledon Trifle" after the famous tennis tournament. You see, in June, strawberries are in season, and it's traditional to eat them during the Wimbledon fortnight."
"Blaine has told me that the menu will change with the seasons," June remarks.
"That's right, ma'am. For example, Chef Anderson is experimenting with making a trifle with gingerbread and apples and adding cinnamon to the whipped cream for our autumn menu."
"That sounds divine. I must come back to try that," an elderly lady states.
Kurt notices Elliott wave from the bar area with a restaurant bill and cash in the other hand. "I'll leave you to eat your desserts. Let me know if there is anything you need."
Kurt goes behind the bar and records the sale and cash receipt in his ledger. He'll need to stay up front to make change when necessary and say farewell to the customers. He spends the time to check the new bills before they are presented to the tables.
"Thank you for coming to Westerville's on our opening night."
Kurt's head shoots up to see Blaine on the platform. He's changed his chef uniform to a clean one, and he looks calm and relaxed. Things must have gone very well in the kitchen.
"My business partner, Kurt Hummel, and I hope that you're having an enjoyable evening. We are both Westerville men, and our dream is to bring a slice of England's West Country to the Big Apple. Kurt has done a remarkable job of decorating the restaurant with parts of Westerville for all of you to see."
Kurt bows at the applause.
Blaine continues, "There are so many people to thank for helping us open the restaurant. We could not have done this without the help and support of Finn and Rachel Hudson. It turns out Rachel received quite exciting news today. She was offered the starring role in a new Broadway musical called "A Dangerous Maid". The music is composed by the Gershwin brothers, and it will open sometime soon. Rachel has the voice of an angel. Ladies and gentlemen, you're in for a treat if Rachel agrees to perform a song for us."
Rachel jumps up and walks to the platform. She gives Blaine a kiss on the cheek. "I'm Blaine's cousin, and I lived in Westerville during the Great War. There is nowhere on earth quite like Westerville. When I first arrived, Blaine discovered that I don't eat meat. He created the vegetable pie for me that you see on the menu. During the war, Westerville Abbey was turned into a convalescent ward of the local hospital. Each night, I would perform for the brave injured officers. This song was a particular favorite."
Once Rachel sings the first words of the song, Brad joins in with the piano. Blaine wasn't kidding when he said that Brad could play any song at the drop of a hat.
Keep the home fires burning,
While your hearts are yearning,
Though your lads are far away
They dream of home.
There's a silver lining
Through the dark clouds shining,
Turn the dark cloud inside out
'Til the boys come home.
Kurt is pleased that Rachel will have the starring role in a new Broadway musical. She certainly has the talent and determination to succeed. It seems as if everyone is achieving their dreams today.
When the song is over, the customers burst into a loud and enthusiastic round of applause. Perhaps they should consider hiring a singer to perform on a regular basis. He'll have to discuss it with Blaine, but it can wait until after their summer holiday in England.
There is soon a flurry of activity as customers request and pay their bills. Elliott comes over and stands next to him at the bar. "My customers are all sorted. Let me work the bills and cash while you say goodbye to the customers."
Kurt is grateful that he has Elliott to depend upon. Elliott recognizes that Kurt needs to act as the restaurant co-owner and host as customers leave. It certainly helps that Kurt knows Elliott will be conscientious with the money and the record-keeping.
Blaine joins him at the front to say farewell to everyone. Kurt knows that this won't happen every night, but Blaine needs to hear firsthand from the diners. Everyone gives him high praise about the food, but a few were disappointed that the Wimbledon Trifle sold out. Kurt offers them the dessert for free the next time they dine at Westerville's.
A man with an old-fashioned handlebar moustache approaches them. "I've been the food critic for the New York Post for the past 25 years. In all that time, I've never eaten in such a delightful place. Most new restaurants fail within their first six months, but I have a good feeling about this one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must rush to the office so that my review will be printed in tomorrow's first edition."
Kurt looks at Blaine in amazement. He had totally forgotten that June Dolloway had invited food critics to dine at Westerville's tonight. He wants to kiss him, then and there, but he can't. It'll have to wait until they are back home and in private.
June Dolloway approaches them. "I think everything went splendidly this evening. My friends plan on telling their friends about the restaurant. I suspect it will be difficult to get a reservation very soon. Blaine, your restaurant will be a huge success. Kurt, the service was impeccable, but that's what I would expect with a footman supervising."
Kurt bites his lip hard to stop himself from saying something he'd regret.
June gives Blaine a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow night. I should warn you that Buster Keaton will be joining me."
Kurt internally squeals that the famous movie star is in town and that Mrs Dolloway has somehow convinced him to come.
When the last customer has left, Kurt flips the sign to "closed" and locks the main door. The kitchen staff burst into the dining room, and Beiste is carrying several bottles of champagne. Kurt really doesn't care where she managed to buy them. Congratulatory hugs and slaps on the back are given all around. Beiste pops the corks, and Elliott is on hand with glasses. Soon, everyone has been served a glass of champagne.
"We did it! Well done, everyone!" Blaine shouts before taking a sip of bubbly.
Kurt chinks his glass with every waiter before he takes a sip. The teething problems they had tonight were quite minor and were dealt with quickly either by Elliott or himself. Kurt doubts that any of the diners have noticed. There is room for improvement, of course there is, but he'll leave the comments to the waiters for tomorrow. Tonight is for celebration.
When Kurt hears the front door open, he looks up to see Finn. He's more casually dressed than when he was dining earlier with the Berrys.
"Hey, guys. I came by to see if anything needs fixing. The work crew are arriving early tomorrow to work upstairs, but we can always change the plans."
Blaine hands Finn a glass of champagne and wraps his arm around Finn's shoulders. "That's very kind of you. Everything is fine in the kitchen." Blaine looks at Kurt and asks, "How about the front?"
"There are a couple of wobbly chairs that I put aside. I think that you need to give me and the waiters a class on how to do basic repairs, like sorting out a toilet."
"I'd be happy to. Perhaps Rachel and I should eat at the restaurant each night this week, just in case."
"Is that your way of getting to eat more Napoleonka?" Kurt teases.
Finn laughs, "You know me so well."
Kurt notices that the champagne has been finished. "Okay, everybody, let's wrap this up. The dining room needs clearing and I'm sure that the kitchen does, too."
The waiters and kitchen staff get on with their remaining work while Blaine, Kurt, Beiste, Elliott, and Finn have a coffee at a corner table.
"Are you planning to stay up until the first edition of the New York Post hits the street?" Elliott asks.
"I don't think I could sleep a wink until I read what their food critic has to say," Kurt admits.
"Then I'll stay with you," Beiste announces.
They all nod their heads, willing to stay until the wee hours of the morning. Kurt goes through the ledger and calculates each waiter's share of the tips. He then takes the remaining cash and goes upstairs to put it in the safe, located in the office. When he returns downstairs to the dining area, he thanks the staff, says goodbye to them, and returns to his seat.
Blaine nudges Kurt. "I forgot to tell you. I've found the perfect manager for the boarding rooms on the top floor."
Kurt gives him a quizzical look. When did Blaine find the time to interview anybody?
"Beiste. She wants to be the manager upstairs," Blaine announces.
Beiste smiles. "That's right. I'm currently living with my sister and her family in Brooklyn. Her husband is a nasty piece of work. You'd be doing me a favor letting me live here."
"Do you think you can manage ten young bachelors on your own?" Kurt asks.
Beiste thumps her thigh and roars with laughter. "Have you seen me in the kitchen? I run a tight ship. If they live by the rules, I'm their biggest fan, but everyone knows not to cross me."
Blaine replies, "Even I know not to cross my sous chef. The kitchen staff who prep for lunch can also cook the breakfast. I'm thinking that we should hire someone to clean the upstairs on a weekly basis. That'll leave Beiste to make sure that everything is running smoothly. Maybe Jakub has a relative that can help us out."
Kurt has seen Beiste firsthand in the kitchen, and he knows she can easily keep the young men in check. "Well, I guess that's settled, then. As soon as the upstairs is ready, Beiste and the others can move in."
"All that needs doing in the manager's room is to paint the walls. Is there any color you want?"
"Pink. I've always fancied having a pink bedroom with white lacy curtains," Beiste replies.
Finn stands up. "Do you want to see your room and the top floor?"
"Do I ever!"
Beiste and Finn leave the table to go upstairs.
"Why don't I go wait outside the New York Post building for the first issue? It should be available in another hour," Elliott suggests.
"Do you mind?" Blaine asks.
"I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. I'm just as anxious as you to read the review."
Once Elliot has left the restaurant, Blaine and Kurt are alone at the table.
"So it really went okay?" Blaine asks.
"Absolutely. Everyone loved the food. Brad played perfect background music, and the waiters provided an excellent service. How about in the kitchen?"
"We had to place another chef on the grill at one stage because there were so many orders for steak. We sold a lot more chips and trifle than I had expected. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to review how much of each dish we prep beforehand."
"We've got a while before people return. Perhaps we should go to the stockroom now and check things out,' Kurt suggests.
Blaine furrows his eyebrows. "What do we need to check out?"
Kurt leans forward and whispers in a deep husky voice, "How quickly you can get a stiffie."
Blaine jumps up and tugs at Kurt. "I like the way you think."
Fifteen minutes later, Blaine and Kurt return to an empty dining room, both feeling boneless after powerful orgasms.
Once Kurt sits down at the table, Blaine straddles his lap, and kisses him deeply and thoroughly. Kurt can taste himself inside of Blaine's mouth and boy, is that all kinds of sexy. Kurt squeezes Blaine's buttocks, trying to pull him closer.
"Guys! We're back!," Finn hollers. He turns to Beiste and rolls his eyes. "This happens all the time. If they say they're going to the stockroom to count things, don't let anyone near there."
"There will be no nookie going on while there is staff here," Beiste orders.
Blaine turns a deep shade of red and promptly removes himself from Kurt's lap. "We wouldn't even dream of it."
"Absolutely not," Kurt stammers.
Elliott rushes into the restaurant carrying a newspaper. "It's hot off the press!"
Blaine opens the newspaper to the entertainment section and finds the article written by their food critic.
"Read it aloud!" Kurt demands.
Westerville's Hits the Mark
There is a new restaurant you'll want to check out in the Greenwich Village scene. Westerville's is fun, different, and authentically English. From the moment you walk through the front door, you escape into the world of the Westerville Estate in Southwest England. The framed photographs are a reminder that it's people that makes a place. That is also true of this restaurant.
Kurt Hummel, the legendary British flying ace, greeted us as we entered. Under his watchful eye, the staff worked efficiently and discreetly to provide our 12-person party with a perfect night. There was live background music, and the piano player willingly played all our requests.
Chef Blaine Anderson first came onto New York's restaurant scene at Healy's Tavern, where I suspect that his true capabilities were restrained. The menu, although limited, is bursting with flavor and twists on old favorites. The chef has taken a simple steak and fries and made them into something special. The steak had a blend of secret spices and was grilled to perfection. The fat French fries (known as chips) were crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside. The seafood pie was made with large chunks of fish, scallops and shrimps in a delicate cream sauce, topped with mashed potato. Our entire party ordered the "Wimbledon Trifle", which was a perfect blend of strawberries, cream, custard, and a light cake. A perfect ending to a perfect meal.
I applaud their idea that ordinary folk can book a table in advance. Hummel informed me that half the tables can be booked in advance, while the other half are available on a first come, first served basis. I advise you to book now, for Westerville's will surely become a popular restaurant in no time at all. I give Westerville's a five-star rating for food, ambiance, and service. It doesn't get better than this.
Blaine sets down the newspaper. "I don't know what to say. The review gives us the highest praise."
Kurt nods. "I've been reading his reviews since January, and this is undoubtedly the best review he's given."
Elliott claps and cheers. "Oh my god, we'll have a line of people wanting to taste the steak and fries and Wimbledon Trifle tomorrow night."
Beiste stands up. "It's time for us to go home. It's going to be wild tomorrow, and we all need a good night's sleep."
As Kurt and Blaine walk the short distance to MacDougal Alley, Blaine thinks out loud. "We should definitely hire singers for the live music. There could be two scheduled performances a night to coincide with the meal services. Perhaps we could provide picnic hampers to go for the weekends. On Sundays, we could open a bit earlier and serve brunch. There are so many ideas that I have."
Kurt affectionately rolls his eyes at Blaine. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves after the first night. We need to take baby steps. We need to figure out how to turn over the tables without rushing diners and make sure that both the luncheon and dinner are successful."
Blaine checks their hips. "But a guy can dream?"
"Yes, especially when all our dreams are coming true."
Author's notes
The song Rachel sings is "Keep the Home Fires Burning" performed by John McCormack (1917).
Many thanks to my fantastic betas - Fearlessly, Lilyvandersteen, Dblmalfunction. I made the last-minute edits and performed the final proofreading by myself, so all mistakes are mine.
SpaceOrphan18 recently held The Ultimate Klaine Trope Tournament on Tumblr. It probably won't surprise you that 'Fake Dating" was the winner. Delightful-Fear on this site casually mentioned that they kinda wanna write a story for each of the 26 'winning' tropes in the first round. I dared them, and they are now posting the fics. They have clumped most of the tropes into about five stories. The ones posted so far have been wonderful. Please check them out.
I'm HKVoyage on Tumblr.
Next up: The Healy brothers are not happy with Westerville's success.