All The Small Things

128

[Jacob POV]

A few weeks later, I saw Luca making different shapes and stuff with his fingers, but I couldn't tell what they were. So I asked.
"What's that?" I asked, rinsing out my cup.
"This?" He asked, holding up his right hand with his thumb tucked between his first three fingers and his pinky. I nodded and looked at him confused.
"M in A-S-L," He said.
"Sign language?" I asked. I didn't know Luca knew any sign. My mom tried to get us to learn 'baby sign', but that's all I know.
"Ya. I know the alphabet and some like super basic ones," Luca explained.
"Wait, show me the alphabet," I requested, leaning against the cabinet.

So he did. He went all the way from A-Z and showed me cup, water, momma, thank you, sorry, toilet, the primary colors, knife, and dinosaur. As a way to help me memorize them, he wrote down the words of the signs he taught me and cut them out, using them like flashcards.
"When did you start learning ASL?" I asked as he was in the middle of cutting them out.
"I started learning it in 7th grade when it was offered as a second language class, and I've been kinda obsessed with it since. I just have to go through the alphabet sometimes to make sure I remember it," Luca explained.
"What's fingers spelling?" I asked after a little while.
"It's where you spell out a certain word, normally a name or brand or something specific," He explained, flatly. I've noticed that when Luca is actually engaged in a conversation is when he doesn't look like he's having a good time, and for the other conversations, he's too busy focusing on how to react to people properly to actually be interested.

The conversation about sign language went on for probably another 15 minutes before there was a stall in the conversation. Then Luca told me he wanted to start working again.
"Why? I mean, I don't mind, but why?" I asked.
"Cus I don't do anything productive around the house, and I need to start actually making some type of money," He explained. I couldn't read his face, so I took his word for it.
"Okay. Do you need me to help you build a resume and stuff?" I asked. It won't have to be an amazing, top-tier resume, but he does need one. I used my old school computer to type it up and was gonna print it out at an Office Depot or something. Hell, or even just send it to whoever was hiring. He didn't completely understand that on resumes, you don't want to be blunt. You have to take the truth and make it sound better than it was. For example, instead of 'I left my house at 18 and was barely stable enough to afford the hotel fee's,' you'd say 'I became fully financially independent and self sufficient at the age of 18,'. Leave out the bad details and dramatize the good.

It was honestly, mostly me typing and figuring out how to word things while he answered my questions. I filled in the blanks when I knew the answer already. But we got there eventually. I applied with him for wherever was listing online, hoping we'd get an interview at least. So, I had to start coaching him on how to do an interview.
"Okay, you don't want to lie, but you also can't be straightforward. If I ask you what are some negative habits you have. Never admit to anything bad. Say stuff like 'I'm a workaholic' or 'I hate to leave projects unfinished'. Stuff like that, okay?" I guided him. So we started mock questions.

It took a couple of weeks to get anything back from anywhere, but we got an email back about an interview for hosting. Specifically, at my fucking work. Since Kaylee quit and she worked both serving and hosting, there was a position open. And I may have put a good word in with Calvin, my general manager there.
"Baby! You're gonna do so good!" I exclaimed when he told me after I got off work. Calvin wasn't there today, so this was the first I'd heard about it. Luca giggled and hugged me, telling me it was for tomorrow.
"Go find a good pair of jeans for tomorrow so you don't freak out in the morning," I instructed him. He ran off to go set out an outfit on the top of the dresser.

When the next morning came around, he needed me to help him get dressed. He chose jeans that fit him fine so he wouldn't have a problem with them being too tight unless something overwhelmed him. They were black, so he'd be in the dress code. He also set out a black T-shirt that had the white outline of a truck over the chest pocket. I went ahead and got dressed, too, since I decided to just drive him with me. I planned to probably kill time for the first hour or so with Jane outside in the parking lot before my shift. I pulled my sneakers on as he anxiously rocked on his feet.
"Should I put my hair up?" He suddenly asked as I was tying up my laces.
"Bring a hair tie just do I can do it in the car," I told him. He snatched one off the coffee table and slid it on his wrist before following me out to the truck.

I parked next to Jane's red Toyota and unlocked the doors, sliding out of the truck. Jane was just sitting on her hood, smoking a cigarette, when she noticed me and Luca.
"Jacob!" She greeted me at first. "Jacob's boyfriend!?" She exclaimed in surprise.
"Calvin's giving him an interview as a host since Kaylee quit," I explained, standing next to her while leaning against his car. Luca ran up to me and hugged me close before Jane could say anything else.
"Calvin likes you, so I'm sure he'll cut you a break," Jane reassured him as I kissed the top of Luca's head. I saw the front door of the restaurant open, and the said general manager stuck his head out of the door while looking in my direction.
"Send your boyfriend over here," He called. I didn't argue and gently pushed him in Calvin's direction.

We waited for the next hour and 12 minutes before Luca came back out, smiling and running over to me.
"Guess he got it," Jane commented. Luca reached me and grabbed my hands, stimming and telling me Calvin was going to let him start training today.
"Is he gonna link up mine and your schedules?" I asked, popping my knuckles when he let go of my hands. He nodded as I checked my phone's time and groaned when I realized I had to clock in. Jane did, too, though.

Lucky me, we had two extra servers show up today, so I got to train my boyfriend on the basics of hosting.
"Is anyone gonna like yell at me?" Luca eventually asked after I showed him the diagram of all the sections and how many people each table sat.
"Well, they sure as hell shouldn't. Especially since you're just sitting people. But, if someone does, just don't yell back. Get me, okay?" I said, realizing I never put his hair up.
"Hang on. Let me put your hair in a ponytail," I commented, stepping behind him and quickly tying it all up.
"Jacob! Don't press up against me like that," He quietly exclaimed, his cheeks getting a little red. Did I mean to? No. But, apparently, I was pressing my dick up against him.
"Aw, I'm sorry, baby," I softly apologized. He gave me a pouty look but didn't keep scolding me. When a group of 3 women walked in, I assumed a mom and two daughters, I subtly guided him into where to seat them.

"I'm supposed to have a reservation," a man with a party of 12 said as he walked in. It was now 7 p.m., and we were closing in half an hour.
"What's your last name?" Luca asked, switching over to look for the reservation he claimed to have.
"Oh, I didn't like to call, but I'm always here the first Friday of the month," He explained.
"Um..." Luca uncertainly said, looking back at me.
"If you don't call, then we can't reserve a table. There's like a 15-minute wait until we could seat you guys," I explained, not catering to his emotions. It's late, and his party of 12, with no reservation, can suck it up.
"What do we do for 15 minutes?" He asked, suddenly catching an attitude. I made myself physically resist making a face when telling him I didn't know, but he'd have to figure it out.

He started going off at me about everything he'd ever been minorly convinced by, which made Luca tear up and scoot back closer to me. I was mostly unbothered by his yelling until I saw Luca start crying. I gently set my hands over his ears to block him from the loud noise and let him rest his head against my chest.
"Listen, do you know how busy we are Friday nights? You can't just show up and expect a table for 12, without a reservation, when all the tables are in use," I tried to explain. He huffed and told me he'd never be back before storming out, some of his party giving me an apology on his behalf.
"You're okay, baby," I mumbled as I pulled my hands away. He quickly rubbed his eyes as someone else walked in. They actually had a reservation.

When it was time to leave, I helped Luca clock out and reminded him not to forget his phone.
"Hold me..." Luca whined as we walked out. I sighed and scooped him up, starting to carry him to the truck. I got him in his seat when Calvin ran up to us after he locked the restaurant and closed everything down. We had helped him close, so now it was 8:27.
"Jacob! You forgot your check," He reminded me. I forgot that this Friday was payout day. Luca is gonna get his first check the next time I get mine since this was only his first shift.
"You did good today," Calvin praised Luca, making him smile a little. It was his 'I know I have to smile at that cause it's what's socially expected, but that's it' smile. I took my check, thanked Calvin, got in my side of the truck, and drove home to pass out. I'm go glad we're off tomorrow.