Chapter 82: Noah, Interview and Confusion.
The next day, Noah met Luna in front of the high school after classes ended.
She was wearing the high school uniform and carrying a bag with her work clothes.
"Are you nervous?"
Luna asked.
"A little."
"You don’t need to be."
"The manager still doesn’t know I’m a guy."
"By the time she finds out, you’ll already be there."
"That’s exactly the problem."
Luna started walking and Noah followed her.
The café was a few blocks from the station, inside a busy commercial area.
It wasn’t too big, but it had a clean entrance, several windows, and a simple sign.
Through the glass, Noah saw wooden tables, a long counter, and several waitresses serving.
The place only had women.
Some customers looked toward the entrance when Noah approached, and he felt several conversations stop.
Luna opened the door.
"Go in."
Noah obeyed, but when he entered, he saw one waitress stop cleaning a table, another freeze with a tray in her hands, and a third look at Luna.
"Luna."
"Yes?"
"Who is he?"
"He’s the candidate."
The waitress almost dropped the tray.
"The candidate is a guy!?"
Several customers started looking with greater interest, and Luna pointed to a door at the back.
"The manager is waiting for you."
Noah walked behind her while listening to the whispers of those present.
"Is he going to work here?"
"I hope so."
"If he does, he’d come every day."
Noah picked up his pace.
Luna opened the door to a small office, and inside was a woman around forty reviewing documents.
She had short hair, glasses, and a tired expression.
"I’m here."
Luna said, and the manager looked up.
First she looked at Luna, then at Noah, and her body went still instantly.
"Who is he?"
"Noah Reed."
"The candidate?"
"Yes."
The woman looked at the documents she had on the desk, then looked back at Noah, and then at Luna.
"You told me you knew someone interested."
"That’s true."
"You didn’t say it was a man."
"That’s also true."
The manager stood up.
"Do you want to work here?"
Noah nodded.
"Yes."
She came out from behind the desk and looked him over carefully.
"Do you have experience waiting tables?"
"No."
"Making drinks?"
"Neither."
"Handling a register?"
"..."
The manager looked at Luna.
"Why did you recommend him?"
"He learns fast."
The woman sat back down, and Noah took a seat across from her while Luna remained standing at his side.
The manager clasped her hands.
"I’m going to be direct."
"That’s fine."
"I’ve never hired a man."
"I’m not surprised."
"I also don’t know of any other café in the area that has male waiters."
Noah tried to stay calm while the manager continued.
"That could cause problems."
"What kind of problems?"
"The customers might bother you."
Luna answered before Noah.
"I’ll take care of it."
The manager looked at her.
"They could also follow him after his shift."
"I’ll walk him."
"The employees might get distracted."
Luna turned toward the door, and through the glass three waitresses could be seen watching the office, but when Luna looked at them, they all pretended to work.
"I’ll take care of that too."
She said in a threatening tone.
The manager brought a hand to her forehead.
"That doesn’t solve everything."
Noah intervened.
"I can keep a professional attitude."
"I don’t doubt you."
The woman replied.
"I doubt the others."
The answer was too honest.
The manager opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet.
"I’d also have to change some rules."
"Which ones?"
"Separate changing area."
"I could change in the bathroom."
"No."
The woman refused immediately.
"I won’t let you use the customer bathroom or the employee one."
"Then I can come already in uniform."
"That would be possible."
The manager started writing.
"We’d need protocols for customers who try to touch you."
Luna spoke at once.
"We kick them out."
"All of them?"
"Yes."
"We could lose customers."
"If they harass an employee, they have to go."
The manager looked at Luna.
"You’re too involved."
Noah tried to intervene.
"Luna just..."
The manager raised a hand.
"I understand."
Noah frowned.
"What do you understand?"
The woman looked at Luna.
"I understand that he’s your boyfriend..."
Noah’s eyes widened.
"Ah, Luna and I..."
Luna placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That doesn’t matter for the interview."
Noah turned toward her.
"Luna."
The manager nodded as if everything made sense.
"That’s why you want to protect him so much."
"But he’s not my..."
Luna squeezed his shoulder, and Noah understood it was better to stop talking.
The manager took notes.
"Having his girlfriend work here reduces some risks."
Noah tried to gently move Luna’s hand away, but she didn’t budge.
"We’re just..."
Luna leaned a little toward him.
"Focus on the interview."
The manager smiled for the first time.
"You’re a discreet couple."
Noah closed his eyes for a moment.
’It’s happening again.’
The woman checked another sheet.
"There’s another aspect."
"What?"
Noah asked.
"You could attract a lot of customers."
Noah didn’t know how to respond, and the manager started looking toward the dining area.
"A male waiter would be a novelty."
Luna crossed her arms.
"He won’t be used as an attraction."
"I didn’t say that."
"But you thought it."
The manager looked away, and Noah understood Luna was right.
The woman continued.
"It could increase the number of reservations."
"The work has to be normal."
Luna said.
"Of course."
"No special uniforms."
"Of course."
"No promotions using his image."
The manager stayed silent, at which Luna narrowed her eyes.
"Were you thinking of doing that?"
"I only considered a staff photo."
"No."
Noah raised a hand.
"Maybe we should talk about the duties."
The manager recovered her professional attitude.
"Waiting tables, taking orders, cleaning, carrying trays, and helping at the counter when necessary."
"I can learn that."
"The shift would be after school and some weekends."
"That’s fine."
"The starting pay isn’t high."
The woman mentioned the amount, at which Noah calculated mentally how long it would take to buy a computer and he still needed several months, but it was better than having no income.
"I accept."
The manager looked at him.
"Do you have your family’s permission?"
"Permission isn’t necessary."
"Legally, no."
"Then it’s no problem if they don’t know."
The woman didn’t seem completely convinced.
"Does your family know you’re looking for work?"
Noah thought of Emma, Sarah, and Ava.
"No one yet."
Luna looked at him, and so did the manager.
"That will be a problem."
"I’ll tell them when it’s safe."
The woman sighed.
"I can’t promise you a permanent position."
"I understand."
"You’d start on a trial period."
"How long?"
"Two weeks."
The manager looked at Luna.
"During that time you’ll work the same shifts as her."
Luna nodded.
"Fine."
"I want to see how the customers and the employees react."
Noah tried not to feel like a commercial experiment.
"That’s fine."
The manager held out a sheet.
"Read the conditions."
Noah took the document and saw that most of the rules were simple.
Punctuality, clean uniform, don’t argue with customers, report any incident, don’t leave the place alone after a night shift, and the last rule seemed to have been written by hand.
[NO CUSTOMER MAY ASK FOR THE PERSONAL NUMBER OF THE STAFF DURING WORKING HOURS.]
Noah pointed at the sentence.
"Was this already here?"
The manager took a pen.
"It is now."
She signed the sheet and then handed it to him.
"You start tomorrow."
Noah felt relief.
"Thank you."
The manager looked at him once more.
"I hope I don’t regret this."
Luna answered.
"You won’t."
The woman looked at the hand Luna still kept on Noah’s shoulder.
"I trust you’ll take care of your boyfriend."
Noah opened his mouth to clarify, but Luna squeezed his shoulder again.
"Yes."
Noah turned toward Luna, who kept a completely serious expression.
The interview had ended, he had managed to get the job, and he had also been introduced as Luna’s boyfriend without being able to deny it.
When they left the office, the employees were waiting for them at the counter.
They all looked at Noah, and the manager appeared behind them.
"He’ll start tomorrow on a trial period."
Several waitresses reacted at the same time.
"Really?"
"He’ll work with us?"
"What shift?"
Luna stepped forward.
"Mine."
The questions stopped.
Noah looked at the dining area full of curious customers and employees.
He had gotten the job he needed, but now he had to survive his first day as a waiter.