Masha Johnson cursed under her breath as she stood in front of the Greek restaurant. Where was she? Around the entrance to Little Italy? Across the street lay another restaurant with a big flickering yellow sign reading Alveare. The smell of it had wafted across the street, drawing in curious tourists like a bug zapper. It was little wonder the place she now stood in front of only had a few patrons. It mattered little though, because she was craving a Greek Salad, and it had better be worth the mile she had walked to get it.
She was greeted by the soft tinkle of a bell and a cool blast or air as she walked inside. The others didn't seem to even bother with a glance in her direction as they typed away on their laptops while discussing business with people on the other end of their cellular phones. The cashier, the willowy shaped woman with incredibly frizzy red hair seemed to glare at her as she closed the distance between the counter and herself.
"The hell're you staring at?" She quirked an eye brow at her while she chewed at her lip. Masha stared at her with annoyance. What was with that expression? All she wanted to do was eat some Greek Salad, but noooooooooooooo, instead the cashier had to stare at her like she was an insect. The lady smirked slowly.
"Lookin' for work kid?"
Kid? Who's the kid? Sure, she looked a little on the young side, but still! "I'm nineteen, first of all. Second of all, no. I just want something to eat."
"Then why didn't you say so! People these days just don't know how to speak up."
Are you serious? Masha stared at the woman blankly. "I was TRYING to be POLITE."
"Well bein' polite gets you nowhere nowadays kiddo. Just tell me what you want."
"A Greek Salad."
"15 bucks."
"WHAT?"
"I said 15 bucks. You gotta problem with that?"
Oh my god. She was about ready to screw the bimbo's head off and stick it on the handle of the nearest mop she could find. She only wanted a salad.
"That's a bit overpriced for a salad!"
"Well, we only got three people working here and we gotta pay them somehow."
Whoa, only three? The look of surprise she had melted away into a smirk. She smelled opportunity.
"Only three people huh? Sounds tough." She leaned against the counter in a leisurely manner.
"You bet it is. We got two people cooking and me. Though I don't know whether to thank God for the amount of customers. It's all that Alveare place's fault. They even got a freakin chain!"
"You ever tried advertising?"
The lady quirked an eyebrow at her."Does it look like we're made of money?"
Ah, she had a point. This sort of place that had few customers and fewer customers meant less money. Less money meant fewer employees, which leads to desperation, which leads to easier jobs to get.
CHA-CHING.
"You guys could use a waitress, too."
"Ah ha! So you are lookin' for a job!" Masha averted her gaze from the inch long nail that the woman currently stuck closely between her eyes.
"… Perhaps."
"Hired!"
"WHAT!" Her head whipped back to stare at the woman in front of her. She was mad, very, very mad to give her a job, just like that. The woman scurried back to where the kitchen was with excitement.
"Ma! MA!"
"WHAT?" A shrill voice screeched from the back of the restaurant causing Masha to wince.
"There's a girl back here who says she'll waitress for us!"
"Eh? What's that?" An elderly woman slid into view, whipping a hairnet off her bright frizzy red hair. She thrust her head out to observe Masha, eyes squinting over at her. "She's not Greek." Way to point out the obvious Captain. She resisted the urge to drag her hand down her face then and there. "She is a very thin girl, no good."
What?
-.-..-.-.-.-.-..-.
"Hey Luck, didja hear?"
"Hm?" He let the newspaper he was currently reading fold over slightly to so he could see his brother's face. The headline's were nothing special, just more news about the war currently waging overseas.
"Apparently that Konstantine fellow has been wandering around our territory lately."
"Is that so?" He blinked. "Whatever for, I wonder…"
"He's been asking around for somebody. Some girl that came here recently from what people have been telling me."
"Ah, is that so? I don't think it's anything to be concerned about. Konstantine hasn't caused any sort of trouble for us in the past, why would he now?" Luck watched as his older brother's mouth opened and closed and he rifled through his mind for an excuse.
Berga's face fell, though he knew Luck was right, he was disappointed at not being able to dish out his own brand of justice. [1]
-.-.-..-.-..-.-..-
Despite her immediate rejection, the cashier, whose name turned out to be Maria, managed to convince her mother to let her have the job. The old woman gave in, but still displayed disapproval at Masha 'non-Grecian' body structure.
She was promptly thrown a fitting work uniform and was told to come in every day at Five o'clock.
"Oh, and…" Maria proceeded to chew her gum for a minute before continuing, "Days off… well, you'll have to talk to Mama about that."
And thus began the rest of the life of Masha Johnson, waitress extraordinaire… kidding.
And thus Masha began her minimum waged job as a waitress, much to her own displeasure.
Masha excused herself and left the restaurant, beginning her thirty minute trek back to her apartment near Mulberry Street, squeezing herself past the thick crowds of tourists.
"You got a job?" Luck currently stared at the uniform in her hands as she fumbled for her apartment key. The two met up when she entered the building and began their usually discussion of how their days went. Masha quietly reminded herself to ask him what exactly he did in the working world.
"Yeah, it's kinda low paying, but it works I guess."
"As?" He raised a thin eyebrow at her.
"A waitress. I'm going to work at that Greek restaurant near the entrance to Little Italy."
"Oh? That place across from the Alveare?"
"Oh! You know it?" She was overjoyed, but didn't know why.
"I go there sometimes. Perhaps I'll see you there." His vulpine eyes narrowed slighted as he smiled at her. Once again, a happy feeling overwhelmed Masha as she slid her key into the lock.
"You probably will, I don't think my new boss is going to cut me any days off anytime soon." She grinned sheepishly at him as they bade each other farewell for the night.
As their doors closed, the figure hiding on a lower level of the stairwell narrowed their eyes before creeping off.
..-.-.-.-.-.-..—
[1] Because Berga dishing out his own branch of justice means excessive violence... and Kon's to pretty to get hit.
Dear lord! I actually finished this!
I am terribly, terribly sorry for the late update. I have few excuses, such as, my sisters wedding was the weekend after I posted the last chapter, and I got a new video game so I was kinda playing that this whole time. Another is that this was kinda difficult for me, a probably still will be regarding Masha's waitressing job seeing as, though I am 18, I have never worked a paying job in my life.
And yet another is that, I suffered a recent episode of subsequent depression. College is drawing near, and I was stressing myself over what I pictured myself doing in the future, only to find I can't picture myself doing ANYTHING in the future (yeah, I'm one of those people) and the fact I have never have thought myself worthy of existing (thanks to being frequently picked on until I was 14) There's no need to worry about me, after crying on a few shoulders, I've been feeling a lot better.
Anyway, thank you to the 2 other people than my editor who have reviewed/commented on my work. It helps with the motivation –thumbs up-
Also, a quick note, I actually found a way to get to know Little Italy, not very good, but I get the basic idea… it's called GOOGLE MAPS. XD
Though it does take a while to load, I got a good view of Mulberry Street (I was actually secretly hunted for the Carragioso, too bad its fictional, it's supposed to be in some alleyway off of it. Curses…)
So yeah… Masha has a job now and the Gandor's have noticed Kon snooping about. I didn't exactly go into the multiple point of view thing in this chapter, mainly because I was unmotivated but partially because I wanted to save most of what I had planned for this chapter, and use it in the next.
For you Konstantine fangirls, yes, he will pop up in the next chapter. Technically he did pop up in this one… *shifty eyes*
Masha: What do you mean minimum wage!
It's how all us young people start off. Get over it.
Masha: I will never… get over it. And that hag called me skinny!
Greeks are Greeks, it's just how they are. Get ov-
Masha: Say get over it again, I DARE you.
No thanks, if I die, you have no future
Masha: Uh… I hadn't thought of that…
Of course you haven't, now then. The disclaimer if you will.
Masha: Ashj does not own Luck or Berga Gandor or any of the other Baccano characters, she does own Masha, Konstantine, Maria, and her mother… oh yes, and the plotline… technically
Review if you please, it would be very nice motivation. If nooooooooooooooottttttt, well let's just say Goose will have a field day staring at you like a creeper.
