CHAPTER THREE
He hadn't gone home with anyone the night before, but once again he was late. He just couldn't get out of bed anymore; it was like he had nothing to live for. He was thankful that he had managed to get in before Irvine though, god knows what the new manager would have done if Squall had arrived later than he had.
"You're late again Squall." Samuel smirked coldly, he had been feeling particularly vindictive since the day before when Irvine had bumped him from Maitre' de to simply a waiter.
"I'm sorry." He apologised instinctively, wincing in disgust. Why was he apologising to Samuel of all people?
"You will be, I'll make sure that Mr. Kinneas hears about this."
"I'm sure you will Samuel." Squall sneered pushing past the snotty boy on his way to the kitchens; he had better get to work if he didn't want to be fired.
Five minutes after Squall arrived; Irvine walked into the restaurant. He had spotted Squall enter the place as he was walking towards the harbor, he knew that Squall had been late and he assumed he would have to have a word with the other boy, though he wasn't particularly looking forward to it.
"Good morning Samuel." Irvine greeted the waiter cheerfully; he was in a particularly good mood this morning.
"Good morning sir, I feel it is my place to inform you that Mr. Leonhart was late this morning, once again."
"What do you mean once again?" Irvine asked interested despite himself, this wasn't the first time Squall had been late then.
"Well sir Squall is late every morning, not by much mind you, only by about 10 or 15 minutes, but it's every morning. I think it's time something was done about it." Samuel informed him, puffing out his chest importantly.
"Thank you for the information Samuel, will you please tell Mr. Leonhart I'd like to speak to him?" Irvine asked moving to sit in a corner in the back of the room.
"My pleasure sir," the waiter smiled in a particularly vindictive manner.
"Squall, Mr. Kinneas would like to see you." Samuel called joyfully poking his head into the kitchen.
"Thank you Samuel," Squall told him coldly, face completely calm.
"I'd like to see you get out of this one." The other man sneered quietly, so that only Squall could hear him.
"I bet you would," Squall whispered just as quietly, though his voice had a particularly chilly edge to it. He slammed past the waiter and quickly walked to the table in the back corner. He wouldn't let Samuel know but he was really worried about his job.
"Mr. Leonhart," Irvine began professionally, " Samuel has told me that you were late this morning, and that it's a regular occurrence."
"Yes sir," Squall answered quietly unable, or unwilling, to explain himself.
"Do you have an excuse for your behavior?" Irvine asked quietly, he hated being in this position, but he was trying to make a successful business out of the restaurant for his parents.
"No I don't sir," Squall told him coldly, looking at the other boy impassively, if Irvine was going to fire him, then why didn't he just do it?
Irvine could hear his parents' voice in his head as he regarded the young man before him. //There is no excuse for tardiness, especially every morning. First time is a warning, second time is another warning, and third time is dismissal. Never show favoritism; all your employees will lose all respect for you.// His father would tell him.
"Alright Squall, here's what I'll do. I'm gonna give you you're first warning, if it happens again another warning. You only get two, but if it happens a third time I'm gonna have to let you go." Irvine told him seriously, wincing at the coldness in Squall's grey eyes.
"I understand Mr. Kinneas," Squall agreed quietly, in a hard voice, before returning to the kitchens.