All She Can Take

S I X T E E N

 Sidney held open a heavy oak restaurant door as an older couple stepped out into the sun with relaxed afternoon smiles on their faces. It must be nice, Sid thought. To be able to take a lunch in the middle of the day at one of the nicest restaurants Brooklyn had to offer. She had dropped off AJ Whitney, avoided having to talk to her Mom, and thanks to the generosity of her sister was able to get an Uber back to Brooklyn. She was on a role. Now she was hitting the first stop on her I Need a Job tour.

Once the door closed behind the couple she stepped inside and made her way over to the hostess station. A moment later, a girl with tiny tattoos that dotted the side of a petite arm poking out of a flowing black tank top came over to her with a lazy smile. Sid tried to make out the little blotches of ink on her skin.

"Hi, table for one?" The girl asked just as Sid decided that they were tiny cranes on her arms. Sid shook her head as the hostess typed busily on an iPad.

"Oh, no. I'm not here to eat. I was hoping I could speak with Carmen Lopez?" Sid offered with a sweet smile.

The hostess pulled her lips in and furrowed her brow. "Carmen?" She asked.

"Yes, Carmen Lopez. She's a cook here." Sid clarified. She remembered Tomi mentioning that their friend Carmen from college was a line cook at Dubanese, a Mediterranean and Persian fusion eatery in Williamsburg's trendy restaurant row. It boasted a 4.6 Zagat rating. Sid was hoping to chat with her and see if she had an in at the restaurant. She had to get a new job so she was going to swing for the stars.

"Oh, you mean Car! The head chef?" The lady beamed with recognition but then she eyed Sid suspiciously. Head Chef? It seemed Carmen had done well for herself. She was always a hard worker and therefore a star student.

"Yes, Car. Is she available?"

"And, I'm sorry, I didn't get your name...and how you know her."

"We went to college together. She'll know who I am." She better know who I am. While Carmen was a star pupil in school, she was also a full-blown slut. No, Sid, didn't call her that. Carmen called herself that. She'd tell anyone how proud she was of her sexual prowess. She bedded guys and left them quickly once she got bored. Carmen was on a pretty good streak with it all too until she met her match during their senior year with a fine piece of man named Ryan who was only a sophomore but had the swagger of a doctoral candidate. 

The boy had her sprung! But he was a ladies' man himself and when Carmen saw him with another girl she got so furious that she vandalized his little Miata. Sid was the Resident Advisor for their dorm so Carmen came crying to her after she'd done the crime. Sidney worked to not get her expelled by coordinating a mediation between her and Ryan, working out a plan for her to pay for the damages, and gathering letters of support from her Professors. Carmen didn't get expelled and the last Sid could remember her and Ryan had rekindled something.

The gatekeeper skidded off to the back of the restaurant. Sid pulled out her phone and went to Instagram and type in Carmen's page. It would be nice to mention some tidbits about her life during their chat. Sid scrolled and noticed that Ryan didn't appear in any photos and a quick search of him showed that he's was in Bali currently with an incredibly hot model. Sid made a note not to bring that up. She'd stick to chatting about Carmen's two insanely cute puppies.

The hostess emerged a short time later and — Sid noticed sadly-- without Carmen. She held out a small business card to Sid.

"Car's a little busy at the moment but she says to please contact her. She'd love to hear from you." Her fake smile was pulled tightly against her lips and Sid knew it was bullshit. Car was brushing her off.