linen tablecloths and napkins and were adorned with flower centerpieces. It looked like a nice restaurant. Aja could also sense ghosts of others here but focused on her work to keep her intuitive powers quiet. Her brain could barely deal with her own problems, she didn’t need others in there too.
“Who’s the new girl?” a woman with steel blue hair coifed to a hardened football helmet asked Janie. She wore a red silk dress with lipstick to match. The coral color feathered into the lines around her lips.
“This is Aja. Aja, say hi to Mrs. Poston.”
Aja stood behind Janie and waved. “Hi.”
“I hope you’re better than that last waitress. She was a lazy bore. You’ll have to hop to keep up with this crowd.” Mrs. Poston stood ramrod straight. “And no back talking either. Young people are so impertinent these days.” She looked at Janie. “I’ll have cranberry juice tonight.” She walked to a table in the middle of the room and took her seat.
“I’ll bring it right out, ma’am,” Janie said. She turned to Aja and raised an eyebrow. “Queen Bee. Don’t piss her off. She’ll have the whole place turned against you.”
As soon as Mrs. Poston took her seat, the rest of the crowd shuffled or drove in.
“Janie, have the new girl bring me my drink,” Mrs. Poston called across the room.
Janie poured a wine glass full of juice and handed it to Aja. “Don’t spill a drop. I don’t want to deal with her complaining tonight.”
Aja took the glass in two hands and walked to Mrs. Poston’s table as if she held combustible liquid. Her hands shook as she carefully placed it in front of Mrs. Poston. Not a drop was spilled.
“My right. Put it on the right side of my setting. Don’t you young people have any idea about how to set a proper table?”
Aja leaned over, picked up the glass, and set it next to the water glass. A drop, a mere smidge, plopped onto the white tablecloth. Red seeped into the fibers looking like a crime scene.
Mrs. Poston looked on with a horrified expression as if Aja had just committed a bloody murder on the linen.
“Get me a napkin. Now!” Mrs. Poston pushed back from the table.
“Oh, get over yourself, Bea. You’re going to scare this pretty girl off before she even gets started.” A tall gentleman in beige slacks and a maroon sweater walked to her. He took a cloth napkin from another table and handed it to Mrs. Poston. “Don’t sweat the small stuff, Bea.”
“Hello, Miss, I’m Dr. Brad Landers.” He held a hand out to Aja. “Welcome. I’m sure you’ll do just fine here.”
“Thank you,” she said, shaking his hand. “I’m Aja.”
“Asia?” What kind of name is that?” Mrs. Poston grumped. “You don’t even look Oriental.”
“It’s spelled A-j-a.”
“Oh, like the Steely Dan album?” Dr. Landers asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re named after a record album? That’s dumb.” Mrs. Poston waved spidery fingers in the air.
Dr. Landers winked at Aja, “I’m learning iTunes and will be happy to burn you a CD of some of my favorite music. Steely Dan is high on that list.”
“Evening, Doc, what can I get you to drink tonight?” Janie came up behind Aja.
“Since we’re having chicken, I’ll do white tonight, Janie. Thank you.” He tilted his head and winked.
“Apple juice it is, sir,” Janie said and pulled Aja along with her. “We’ll have it right out.”
Janie took Aja’s arm and dragged her along to the kitchen. “Take Dr. Landers his juice and start asking the others what they want to drink.” She pointed to a tray of pre-made salads. “Find out who wants soup or salad.”
“What if I spill again? This is a tough crowd.”
“You’ll be fine. Before you know it, you’ll know what everybody eats and drinks. They’ll love you.” Janie pushed her to the dining room, which was almost full.
Once Aja got in the rhythm of it, she served the drinks without too many mistakes. Janie had Aja dole out the salads while Janie
“Who’s the new girl?” a woman with steel blue hair coifed to a hardened football helmet asked Janie. She wore a red silk dress with lipstick to match. The coral color feathered into the lines around her lips.
“This is Aja. Aja, say hi to Mrs. Poston.”
Aja stood behind Janie and waved. “Hi.”
“I hope you’re better than that last waitress. She was a lazy bore. You’ll have to hop to keep up with this crowd.” Mrs. Poston stood ramrod straight. “And no back talking either. Young people are so impertinent these days.” She looked at Janie. “I’ll have cranberry juice tonight.” She walked to a table in the middle of the room and took her seat.
“I’ll bring it right out, ma’am,” Janie said. She turned to Aja and raised an eyebrow. “Queen Bee. Don’t piss her off. She’ll have the whole place turned against you.”
As soon as Mrs. Poston took her seat, the rest of the crowd shuffled or drove in.
“Janie, have the new girl bring me my drink,” Mrs. Poston called across the room.
Janie poured a wine glass full of juice and handed it to Aja. “Don’t spill a drop. I don’t want to deal with her complaining tonight.”
Aja took the glass in two hands and walked to Mrs. Poston’s table as if she held combustible liquid. Her hands shook as she carefully placed it in front of Mrs. Poston. Not a drop was spilled.
“My right. Put it on the right side of my setting. Don’t you young people have any idea about how to set a proper table?”
Aja leaned over, picked up the glass, and set it next to the water glass. A drop, a mere smidge, plopped onto the white tablecloth. Red seeped into the fibers looking like a crime scene.
Mrs. Poston looked on with a horrified expression as if Aja had just committed a bloody murder on the linen.
“Get me a napkin. Now!” Mrs. Poston pushed back from the table.
“Oh, get over yourself, Bea. You’re going to scare this pretty girl off before she even gets started.” A tall gentleman in beige slacks and a maroon sweater walked to her. He took a cloth napkin from another table and handed it to Mrs. Poston. “Don’t sweat the small stuff, Bea.”
“Hello, Miss, I’m Dr. Brad Landers.” He held a hand out to Aja. “Welcome. I’m sure you’ll do just fine here.”
“Thank you,” she said, shaking his hand. “I’m Aja.”
“Asia?” What kind of name is that?” Mrs. Poston grumped. “You don’t even look Oriental.”
“It’s spelled A-j-a.”
“Oh, like the Steely Dan album?” Dr. Landers asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re named after a record album? That’s dumb.” Mrs. Poston waved spidery fingers in the air.
Dr. Landers winked at Aja, “I’m learning iTunes and will be happy to burn you a CD of some of my favorite music. Steely Dan is high on that list.”
“Evening, Doc, what can I get you to drink tonight?” Janie came up behind Aja.
“Since we’re having chicken, I’ll do white tonight, Janie. Thank you.” He tilted his head and winked.
“Apple juice it is, sir,” Janie said and pulled Aja along with her. “We’ll have it right out.”
Janie took Aja’s arm and dragged her along to the kitchen. “Take Dr. Landers his juice and start asking the others what they want to drink.” She pointed to a tray of pre-made salads. “Find out who wants soup or salad.”
“What if I spill again? This is a tough crowd.”
“You’ll be fine. Before you know it, you’ll know what everybody eats and drinks. They’ll love you.” Janie pushed her to the dining room, which was almost full.
Once Aja got in the rhythm of it, she served the drinks without too many mistakes. Janie had Aja dole out the salads while Janie
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