Chapter 5.
The restaurant was ready. The doors would open in fifteen minutes for the evening trade. The lunch orders had gone smoothly and the mulled wine was going down a treat with the customers.
Noel had noticed Daisy’s attempt at glittering the white roses; they looked extremely average and certainly did not evoke the sparkle of Christmas. When nobody was looking, he had waved his hand over the flowers injecting a diamond sparkle to the glitter that had been sprinkled onto the white petals and he breathed new life into the heads of the roses, giving them a look and smell of newly cut flowers.
The photographer Meredith had been working non-stop during the lunchtime rush, her work was wonderful and Noel imparted a little bit of his Christmas magic on to Meredith, making sure each picture captured the essence of Christmas for every person involved. They were selling well and although Chris would never admit it, he was feeling a little jolly. Albeit, because he was making more money, but it was a start.
Noel had 12 hours to complete his mission. He was enjoying his time as a human, and noticed that both the kitchen and front of house staff were all smiling whilst they worked, despite being away from their loved ones on Christmas Eve. He was confident with his plan and confident that he could affect Chris’s sadness with a Christmas gift he could never have imagined.
****
Chris walked into the kitchen dressed in his Chef whites, ready to give his usual pep talk before service. The expression on his face was of genuine shock
“What is it Chef?” Pierre asked. It was extremely rare to see such an expression on Chris’s face. Everyone in the kitchen turned to look at the amazed expression on their bosses face.
“Dizzy Daisy has performed some sort of magic trick!”
Pierre frowned, puckering his bottom lip in ignorance,
“What do you mean?”
“Well first she gets the order wrong with the roses. I specifically asked for red roses, you know to give a Christmas feel to the flower. Not only did she get white roses, but the last I looked they were goddam awful!”
Everyone looked at each other unsure of where this was going. Noel smiled, knowing that his little sparkle had positively affected his assignment.
“I have just done my double check at the front of house, and I don’t know what she’s done to those flowers but they look amazing! I have just put the price up!”
Chris shook his head gently in disbelief,
“Who would have thought it? Dizzy Daisy came good!”
The staff chuckled at his words. Chris was not known for his good humour, or for compliments, but for a few seconds they caught a glimpse of the man that used to love life, love Christmas and laugh all the time.
“Right!” he said, returning to his usual serious self “This is the busiest night of the year as you all know. I expect perfection at all times, and I will not tolerate a messy kitchen!”
“Yes Chef!” the staff responded like a military platoon.
“Let’s cook!” Chris shouted
“Yes Chef!”
Everyone in the kitchen stood at their stations ready to cook the delights of the evening. Chris beckoned to Noel to come over to him.
“We are a waiter down in the front of house Noel, and your resume states that you are silver service trained, is this right?”
Noel nodded with a big beaming smile on his face.
“Hmmmm” Chris rubbed his chin, “You are eighteen, how, when and where did you do your training.”
“My resume is not lying Chef” Noel offered, “I am an excellent waiter!”
Suzie, one of the restaurants top waitresses swiftly entered the kitchen, slight panic on her face.
“Chef, it’s getting really busy out here. I need a waiter and I need one now!”
Chris indicated for Noel to follow Suzie,
“Do you have clothes for him Suzie?”
She eyed the tall gangly boy, who was still offering a huge warm smile,
“Yeah, I have the clothes, but does he have the ability?”
“I can assure you Suzie, I am an excellent waiter!”
“OK go!” Chris barked after which Suzie grabbed Noels arm and practically dragged him out of the kitchen.
****
The atmosphere in the restaurant was buzzing; families were seated at tables reading through the menu. Couples sat opposite each other smiling, happily enjoying the season’s tidings.
Noel discretely tended the tables, taking peoples orders and offering his opinion on dishes to the customers.
“The mussels are superb sir!” he replied to a gentleman who was deliberating over his starter, “they are sourced locally here in the bay and they are cooked in a light white wine and wild garlic sauce; sheer perfection!”
“Great!” the man replied with a rush of contentment and thanks filling his spirit “They sound delicious. I will start with the mussels, followed by the fillet steak please waiter.”
Noel gently clicked his heels together, and gave a small gracious bow to the customer.
“Will sir and madam be ordering wine?” Noel gave a respectful smile and nod to the lady
“Well what do you recommend?” he squinted at his name badge, “Noel is it?”
“Yes sir, Noel it is and I would recommend a bottle of the New Age Shiraz 2001, an excellent year and a full bodied wine that will accompany the steak perfectly.”
“Excellent!”
Again Noel nodded as he walked to the kitchen to put the order in.
“You’re good!” Suzie said as they met in the kitchen “The customers love you Noel!”
“Told you I was a good waiter” he smiled back at Suzie with a cheeky wink.
As the night moved on, Noel waited tables with complete enthusiasm and excellent knowledge of the menu and the wine list. As he glided from table to table, his infectious Christmas cheer touched everyone; people smiled, laughed heartily and expressed complete appreciation for the food they were served. The Christmas coffee liquors were selling like hot cakes and the customers were purchasing roses for their partners and framed pictures as a reminder of their wonderful night in Pykes restaurant.
“Good night sir, good night madam” Noel said cheerily to people as they left the premises.
“I can’t remember when I had such a wonderful night!” one customer remarked to Suzie and Noel and they said their goodbyes to their customers.
“Great atmosphere and great food!” was another comment.
The last couple left at eleven forty five, and Suzie bolted the door after them turning to Noel with a huge smile on her face.
“What is it about you?” she asked, unable to explain why she felt so light hearted, despite a busy Christmas Eve “Tonight was amazing, and Chris is going to be happy, well as happy as Chef can be!” she gave Noel a wink.
Noel made his way back to the kitchen to see if he could help in any way. When he arrived, all the work stations were spotless, and the kitchen staff were taking off their Chef whites and getting ready to go home to their loved ones.
“Merry Christmas guys!” Noel bellowed across the kitchen
“Merry Christmas Noel” Pierre responded with more cheer than he had ever felt in his life. “I shall see you in the morning at 5.30am”
Noel nodded, although he knew he would never walk with Pierre again as a human.
“Hey Pierre” Noel shouted as he was about to leave through the back entrance “Make sure you skype your family in Lyon when you get home. They miss you so much, and to see your smiling face will be the best Christmas present they could wish for!”
Pierre frowned, but was too tired to ask how he knew where he came from; he reasoned that he must have mentioned it during the day.
“I will Noel, I will. See you tomorrow” he gave him a swift salute and left the kitchen.
Chris’s office light was s
till on. Noel knocked on his door,
“Chef it’s Noel, can I come in?”
“Yes Noel you can.”
Noel entered seeing Chris genuinely pleased with what he was looking at.
“We have made a small fortune! That was a good idea about the mulled wine Noel.”
“Chef, shouldn’t you be going home to your family?”
Chris put the papers in his desk and locked the draw,
“I have no family Noel” he said in a matter of fact manner “There is just me, and I like it that way.”
“Well, shouldn’t you be going home to rest? You have another busy day tomorrow.”
“Now that is the truth!” he replied, tired but pleased with the outcome of the day, “Suzie tells me you were pretty good tonight”
“Thanks”
“Can I offer you a lift home Noel?”
“That would be excellent Chef” Noel nodded his head, he liked the way this was panning out.
“I live in Sausalito, that anywhere on the way?”
“Yep! Perfect!”
“Where in Sausalito do you live?” he enquired, putting on his coat and indicating they should leave the office.
“Where do you live Chef, and I will tell you if I am close?”
“Randall Drive” Chris turned the lights off in the office, as they both left the kitchen and locked up the premises.
“I can get out at yours Chef, I live but five hundred yards away from Randall Drive.”
“OK, let’s go.” Chris pointed towards his black car, “Another busy day tomorrow!”
“It’s Christmas Chef, tomorrow will be amazing!”