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Show 59. "Yeah, I know. But I didn't arrange this. He's coming," JD gestured helplessly, "I don't even want to talk to him. So what do I do?" Mr. Gillispie shushed JD and steered him toward the kitchen. "If he's coming here to eat, you'll have to see him. If I say you can't, it makes me look like a bastard and the restaurant gets a black eye. I tell you, JD, any more of this and it'll be cheapper for me to replace you." "Well, it hasn't been all that bad for business," JD reminded him with a grin. Immediately he wished he hadn't said it. Mr. Gillispie's look was as cold as iced crab. "Take half pay tonight. Ask Jerry to when cover and you can quit fever you damn well please. Remember, this is the last time. I won't put up with it." JD hurried back through the kitchen and fed the dirty plates into the dishwasher, his blood pressure steadying a bit now that it was over. What a lot of crap I take, he thought, to have a car to drive. And after that was paid for, college. He wondered if it was worth it. There were two men already seated singly when he returned to the dining room. The one nearest the door looked like he belonged in Wyoming. The other was wearing a brown business suit and expensive shoes, but Sylvie was taking his order so JD couldn't see the man's face right away. In a few minutes he'd be too busy to worry. Once a month the ranchers met in town with the Co-op for a standing order of steaks and fries; it was always a big job afterwards to hustle the mess out to the kitchen and re-arrange the tables. JD felt the closer man's eyes on him as he worked. He knew he was being sized up. Then, Sylvie stopped him just inside the swinging kitchen doors and confirmed it. "It's the bimbo in the brown suit." "You sure?" "He asked which one was the Anderson boy." "What am I supposed to do?" JD asked. Sylvie gave him a little shove back toward the dining room. "Work, remember? No lollygaggin'!" The ranchers at the long table had risen to leave. JD set up his tray and started stacking the dishes. Now the man who had asked for him seemed too busy with his salad to notice what JD was doing. Later on, having coffee, he produced a copy of the Denver Post and sat reading |