Sorry for not posting for a while. I've just been very busy with other projects and physical issues which have left me with little time. FYI - I've added a post that lists all the characters in these stories. Whenever I mention someone new, I'll be sure to add that along. In the mean time, the link is in the menu on the right side of the page ("The Cast of THE WAITRESS FROM HELL).

I never thought I saw real cruelty until I witnessed what happened this one particular day. Eric is a nice guy and really gets along with the staff - especially the Mexicans. He is always helpful and respecting of them (and everyone else) and he is a good guy to work with. Of all the people I've worked with over the years, I thing Eric is the most honest and loyal. It would be a pleasure and an honor to work for someone like that.

The only problem is that Eric has a very bad back. Injured it years ago when he was in a car accident and has had a series of operations on it since. We all know that he has this problem and we are careful not to have him do any of the heavy lifting, or physical jobs.

About 6 months ago, Eric was limping slightly and when I asked him what was wrong, he simply said his back was out and he was hurting. I suggested he go home, but he felt he could hold out. But throughout the day, you could see him suffering. Finally, at about 1:30 (his shift ended at 3), he turned to me and said he was done for the day. THE BOSS was there and he told Eric to go on home.

I didn't expect to see Eric the next morning, but there he was. He was still in bad shape, but he confessed that money was tight and he couldn't afford to stay home. Besides, it was payday and he needed his check. I told him I would deposit it for him when I left work (for some reason, he doesn't trust direct deposit). But he wouldn't hear of it. So he stayed. I wished he would have stayed home instead. Had he done that, we could have called Danny to cover for him. Instead, because of his pain, I was forced to do his and my job (Eric really couldn't do more than answer the phones).

I was off the next day, but when I came back two days later, Eric wasn't there. Apparently, he needed a couple of days anyway to heal. But he was back on Thursday and he actually looked better. He said he was still very sore, but he was at least upright. Still, he was walking very gingerly.

But what happened next was shocking. Eric went into the kitchen to get something and Freddie*, one of the Mexicans in the kitchen, thought it would be funny to smack him right across the back. Eric fell to the ground afterward in agony. Marco picked him up and when Eric asked him why he did it, Freddie answered "I din do nuttin." Marco gave Freddie a dirty look, but Eric was furious. He began to yell at him and Freddie just turned away from him and muttered something under his breath.

I was stunned. I've also had problems with Freddie in the past, so I knew my talking to him would do no good. But I did have some choice words with Marco. About 30 minutes later, Eric was standing near me and this time Manny - the Mexican bus boy (a nice guy, but a few bricks short of a load) - walks up to him and smacks him hard on the back, while asking him how he was. It seems that Freddie put Manny up to it.

Well, Eric walked gingerly to a table and sat down and you could see the tears welling up in his eyes. It wasn't his pride that was hurting, but his back. Manny rushed over and begged his forgiveness, but Eric was in way too much pain to care.

But that wasn't the worst part. As soon as Diane (you knew she would make an appearance) saw Eric crying (well, whimpering is more like it), she started to call him a "baby." Every time she walked by him, she would say something like "is the little baby ok?" or "oh, did the little baby get a boo-boo?"

You see, Eric is a gentle guy. He doesn't say mean things to people and he can sometimes come across as weak. But he isn't really. Soon, Eddie (Eduardo) was copying her (Eddie is a waiter and is friends with Diane. He works when he feels like it and often takes her side in conflicts. He can be very lazy, though. But is often easy to get along with. He speaks English far better than the other Mexicans, which s why he works out front).

I had enough. I had hoped that THE BOSS (who was sitting right there) would have put a stop to this, but he was just not paying attention. So I told him what was going on and THE BOSS turned to Eric and told him to go home!

That's it? Go home? How about "SHUT THE FUCK UP?" How about "stop acting like a 2-year-old?" Better yet, how about firing Freddie???

"Go home." And he did. And he never came back. Eric realized that working there was hazardous to his health. It took him 3 months to find another job, which unfortunately did not pay as well as this one. I was surprised that he didn't file a lawsuit against THE BOSS and the diner. But knowing Eric, I guess I shouldn't be. But I do miss him. He was a good guy to work with.

*of all the Mexicans, he is the most stereotypical. He is lazy, mean and fat. THE BOSS has threatened to fire him more times than I can remember. But for some reason, he just can’t do it. He is also Marco’s brother-in-law. That may have something to do with it.

The customer is always right, even when they are incredibly wrong.

In all my years in this business, I have always worked with one principle; that the customer is always right. Now understand, in an obvious situation, where they customer is either inappropriate (in their speech), inebriated or physically violent, there are exceptions.

But generally, since our business is to serve our customers, the way to a successful business is understanding this principle.

However, THE BOSS doesn't always see it this way. Over the past few years, THE BOSS has given coupons for a free kid's menu item (burger, hot dog, pizza slice or a few other items), an order of fries and a small drink. The coupon is given to kids who bring in a report card with all A's and or B's as a way to reward the local kids educational excellence. It has been a very popular promotion because not only does it give us nice press, but it brings in whole families, many of whom order additional food.

The wording on the coupon states that each holder is entitled to "a free kid's meal of their choice, fries and a small drink."

However, this one customer was unhappy. She demanded that the drink should include milkshakes and floats. Granted, the coupon doesn't specify that it is a fountain drink. But when she placed the order for her and child, she asked for it. When she got the bill for the meal. she blew a gasket. Because I was working counter, I tried to explain to her that the coupon was just for a fountain drink. But she was furious.

So, understanding that the customer is always right, I told her that I would deduct the cost of the milkshake. However, she should understand that for the future, the drink that comes with the coupon is a fountain drink.

But THE BOSS, when he found out, was very upset. He went into a long lecture to the staff about how much every little thing costs and when you give that lady a free milkshake, everyone else will want one.

In response, I suggested that we write on the front marquee that the drink given with the promotion is a fountain drink. To me, that seemed to be the logical conclusion. But THE BOSS would not back down and for the rest of the day, he fumed and screamed at everyone over this. Finally, at around 2:00, I decided I had enough and I plopped down the $2.50 difference between what the drink costs and what he charges for a milkshake.

Unfortunately, that just seemed to give him more ammunition for his lecture. So I guess I learned that the customer is not always right in THE BOSS' world.

With this in mind, I had the absolute worst customer I ever had. She walked up to the counter and asked for a salad to go. Not a problem, so I asked her what kind of salad she wanted. She responded with, "just start throwing in whatever you have and I'll tell you of it I want it or not."

Now understand, we have a salad bar and she could have just as easily helped herself to what she wanted. But when I told her that she said that some of the ingredients she wants aren't at the bar. When she told me what she wanted, I thought I would scream.

Aside from the usual lettuce, tomato, olives, cucumbers, feta, mozzarella and chedder cheese (among other things), she wanted lo mein, chopped meat, chopped turkey, chopped eggplant, tuna and grilled onions.

I informed her that we do not offer that in the salad bar, or even in a salad we create on our own. I have no idea what the price of this would be and simply we don't offer it. But she wouldn't hear of it. According to this crack pot, we make it just like that every time she comes in.

Now, as G-d is my witness, I have never seen this woman before in my life. I told her that I don't know who could have made this for her, but it certainly wasn't here. She then wanted to speak to the owner. But THE BOSS wasn't anywhere to be found. Besides, if I let every crack pot call THE BOSS he would never have time to run the diner. Still, she refused to leave without either her salad (which she also claimed costs $6.50 - considering our ceaser, chef, taco, spinach, pasta, tuna and fruit salads each cost $9.00, I knew she was lying) or until she spoke to THE BOSS.

In the mean time, she took it upon herself to inform everyone who came up to the front how we lied to her and won't serve her.

Finally, I got in touch with Jack, who told me to tell her if she doesn't leave, to call the police. Of course, the last thing we need is a police presence. Talk about scaring your customers away. But what else could I do. So I told her that we do not carry what she wants and if she didn't leave, I would have no choice but to call the cops.

It took a while, but she finally left. Three days later, she returned and acted as if nothing happened. While she wasn't as ornery (or demanding) as she was the other day, she certainly wasn't pleasant. Still, I wish I had her arrested. For no other reason than to set a precedent.

editors note: these stories are true and really happened the way I am describing. The only changes are the names, locations and background of the main participants, in order to protect the innocent and to keep from getting sued for slander. The premise is also filled with certain inaccuracies, but the day-to-day stories are factual.

I don't work Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays. Part of being on government disability is that I'm only allowed to earn a certain amount of money above what the government pays. At first, I felt like a drag on society - how dare I expect other taxpayers to support me? But soon, I realized that the money (if not all of it, certainly a large amount) was really just what I put into the system for all the years I did work full-time. The reason we pay a social security tax is for the benefit of the elderly and disabled, right?

Therefore, I'm stuck at working up to 30 hours a week.

So when I arrived at the diner on that particular Monday, Diane had been in charge for 3 days. So far, it appeared, the place had not suffered for it (yet). A few minutes after I arrived, Diane came in and immediately went to balance the books from the night before and set the registers for the day. Unless there was some sort of emergency, that was her only responsibility aside from her waitress duties.

At our diner, the wait staff has a few responsibilities when they arrive. They must make sure the tables are all set, the menus are all clean and presentable, the silverware has been cleaned and they have enough supplies for their jobs. From 9 am (when we open) until 11, we only need two of the wait staff. From 11-3, we have 5 (or 6, if we are expecting a large party), from 3-5, we are back at two people and then 5 or 6 for dinner and close.

Since Diane is in charge, she must be in the early shift at 8 (to open at 9). Of course, given her extra assignment (which takes about 15 minutes maximum), when 9 am came around, Diane was ill-prepared for the day to begin. Certainly, someone who cares about their job and the other employees would see to it that they allot themselves enough time to do their job - regardless of their additional responsibilities. But of course, that isn't Diane.

But she was in luck. Mondays are generally the slowest mornings of the week and heavy rains kept the crowd away. This allowed Alan (the other male waiter, who is 21 and in college) to cover for her.

No sooner did I think it would be a quiet, easy day that the ceiling about the front register began to leak. It wasn't the first time this happened and it always occurs when the rain is really heavy. Of course, Diane freaked out. Actually, she froze. Alan came over to tell her about it and she walked over to it and...froze. It was if she was not comprehending. So I went into the kitchen, grabbed a bucket and placed it were the leak was dripping. It wasn't that bad, but it was annoying.

The morning progressed and the rains did not let up. Suddenly, at around 11:30, it began to feel very warm and stuffy in the diner. None of the customers noticed anything, but those of us in the front sure did. I checked the thermostat and it was showing its normal 68 degrees. But still, we in the front started to sweat. After about 30 minutes, one of the Mexicans came out and said that it was oppressively hot in the kitchens. While it is normally warmer in the kitchens than in the front, there was a marked difference. Plus, it seemed much more smoky than normal. Something was wrong.

After a few minutes, we discovered the problem. One of the three main exhaust fans stopped blowing. So Danny, who was working counter with me, went out and told Diane the news. Her response was "what the f*ck do you want ME to do about it?" Danny answered "aren't you in charge?" To that, Diane retorted "fiiiine." So she walked back into the kitchen and asked one of the Mexicans what was wrong.

Two minutes later, I heard loud yelling coming from the kitchen were Diane and Marco - the head chef - going at it. Apparently, Diane told Marco to send one of his guys up to the roof, where the fan controls are, to see what was wrong. Well, for one thing, it isn't there job and for another, being in charge or not, none of the guys in the back will ever lift a finger to help Diane. Aside from her horrible treatment of me, she royally pissed them off about six months ago when she called Cesar (one of the Mexicans) a "f*cking wetback."

When I tried to break it up, Diane hissed at me,, "what the f*ck are you doing back here. Don't you have something to do, or are you going to be crippled all day long!"

With that, I walked away and let the Mexicans deal with her.

But the problem wasn't going to solve itself and after another another 30 minutes, Danny asked her what was going on with the fan. Diane turned to him and said, "how should I know?" So, being the senior employee with the most experience, I chimed in and said to her, "why don't you call Jack and ask him what to do. To that, Diane spat, "why don't you?" I responded that SHE was in charge and it was HER job.

30 minutes and a lot of sweat later, I called Jack and told him the problem. He immediately called the service company and they said they can not come out for at least three days. So Marco brought out an old oscillating fan and we suffered in the heat.

On Tuesday, we had another problem. When Michelle went into the back to retrieve napkins, she spotted a rather large rodent. She wasn't sure it it was a mouse or a rat, but she knew it scared the crap out of her.

The diner has been very lucky over the years that we have never really had a rodent or bug problem. When we do gets insects, it's usually right after a heavy rain. But rodents have not been an issue. The only way they can get in is if there is a hole somewhere. Since I learned my lesson about asking Diane what she wants done, I immediately called our regular exterminator and told him to get someone out there right away.

About an hour later, the exterminator showed up and did his work However, Diane was furious. How dare I call and not clear it with her first? Well, I explained, I didn't think a mouse was something she wanted to deal with, considering how busy (cough, cough) she was. But as soon as I said it, she got right on the phone with Jack demanding I be fired for insubordination.

It took me at least 10 minutes to stop laughing at her. But that only made her more angry. A few minutes later, I saw her sitting in the front lobby with her arms folded. When Michelle asked her why she wasn't working her tables, she retorted, "Since S (me) things I don't do anything here, I'm not going to do anything at all!"

Ok, I know what your thinking. I must have commented on her inability to do her responsibilities. But I assure you, I never said anything of the sort. What I did say (when she was calling Jack) was that I took it upon myself to call the exterminator because she was obviously so busy. Granted, I said "obviously" pretty sarcastically, but still.

Ah, just another day in paradise...

I want to start out by saying there are days when Diane treats me better. But for the most part, she seems to take a great deal of her sourness out on me. I personally believe that it's because I'm not only the oldest one here, but also, I make more money than she does. Part of the reason is my longevity here. But another, more vital reason is that I'm capable of filling in for any job that's needed.

In my tenure here, I have waited tables, kept the books straight, created and managed the inventory, delivered to customers and have even spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen, preparing meals. Unlike most of the "kids" who are either waiters or counter-persons, I know what each job entails and how to do it.

From what I can assume, Diane looks at me as either competition (I'm guessing that means she wants to be in charge, although it has been awhile since I've filled that role), or perhaps it's a racial thing. As an African-American - born and raised in Tennessee (I don't think I mentioned that), I have seen my share of racial intolerance. While Diane has never insulted my racial makeup, she does treat me quite different than the other lighter-skinned employees. Now that I think about it, she does tend to belittle the Mexicans in the kitchen. But I also think that's because she's just a mean bitch.

Well, a few days after "the incident," THE BOSS decided to leave town for a few weeks. Since the summer is our busiest time, it was a curious choice. However, he came in the diner and announced he was going to Europe for three weeks, claiming he had long wanted to visit his ancestral home in Scotland (no one had any idea he was Scottish). He told us this on Thursday and by Saturday, he was gone.

Before I continue, I must make mention of another player in the story - Jack. When THE BOSS first was approached about buying the diner, he was already considering early retirement from his career as a CPA. Tired of the endless hours in a stuffy office, he liked the idea of a change, but he wasn't sure his wife - Sharon - would. THE BOSS was a regular at the diner and when the former owner mentioned it was up for sale, he contemplated running it himself.

THE BOSS was not a wealthy guy. But he had a nice savings account. Sharon - his second wife (his first wife left him on their 2nd wedding anniversary, following his arrest) - was a big spender and often complained that he didn't bring enough money home. In order to buy the diner, THE BOSS knew that he would have to somehow come up with the money without Sharon having a fit. Luck arrived the next week, when an old friend from Berkeley, Jack heard about the idea and said he needed an investment. So within the week, papers were signed, hands were shook and their partnership began.

The best part of the agreement - for THE BOSS, anyway - was that Jack had his own successful business and had no desire to hang out in a restaurant all day. Although, judging from the girth around Jack's waist, you wouldn't think so. But although Jack was rarely around, his wife - Maryanne - was constantly sticking her nose into everyone's business.

It seemed that Maryanne was bored and needed something to do. The thing is, Maryanne thinks exceptionally highly of herself and is unafraid to remind the employees who she is and who pays their salaries. Often, when she calls, the staff has to pick straws and the loser has to get the phone. She rarely speaks to anyone as an equal and seems to get off on making us uncomfortable. It therefore, didn't surprise me when I found out Diane and her often went shopping together.

This, of course, upset our other waitress, Michelle, who happened to be Jack and Maryanne's daughter. Michelle was actually a very pleasant young lady, but what very shy and intimidated (gee, I wonder why?). But more than anything else, Michelle seemed to be an embarrassment to her mother. Jack hired her for the diner because he truly loves his daughter and wants her to work an honest job, in a safe environment. But from an early age, Maryanne had no interest in her daughter's happiness and often referred to her as "my little mistake." And it ate her up whenever her mom would cozy up to Diane.

Anyway, THE BOSS decided to take off and in the past, when he's gone away, he either left me in charge (basically, it just means checking the books in the morning and making sure they add up and also making sure the inventory is current) or Jack would come in. However, I had planned a trip to visit my family in Memphis for a few days and wouldn't be back till the next week. So, instead of either asking me to reschedule (which I'd done before), or called upon Jack to fill in, THE BOSS, inexplicably, gives the responsibility to Diane.

When word spread that for the next three weeks Diane would be in charge, I was certain we would either have a mass exodus of staff, or a homicide.

It wasn't very long before we almost had both...

Tuesday started out just like any other day. I arrived a little before 8 (we open our doors during the week at 9 am) and one of the Mexicans was already there. Apparently, someone made reservations for a lunch party of 25 people and something they had pre-ordered for the occasion takes a few hours of preparation. This item, Slow Cooked Norwegian Salmon, really is slow cooked.

Within the next 30 minutes, the other kitchen staff and one of the bus boys arrived to set up the chairs and make sure the place was ready. The salad bar needed to be made, as was the coffee, rice and lace settings. Most everything else is done the night before, right after closing.

By 9 am, the entire morning staff had clocked in with two exceptions - Diane and THE BOSS. It wasn't that uncommon for THE BOSS to arrive late, although he generally arrived at the same time I did, so he could go over the books from the night before and set the two registers. As for Diane, it seemed she was becoming chronically late. The big problem with this was had it been anyone else, THE BOSS would have not stood for it. But lately, Diane seemed to be getting away with it.

About an hour later, Diane showed up and said not a word of apology. Although we only had 3 tables occupied and the other two waitresses were more than capable to handling things (plus, the more tables they work, the better their tips at the end of the day). But I could see that in Lori's face a growing resentment. This was strange because Lori, a 21-year-old who only started about 4 weeks prior, seemed to be the sweetest person in the world. She loved working at the diner and had a smile for everyone. The customers loved her not only because of her demeanor, but because she was quite pretty and petite. Personally, I just thing she is a doll.

The other waitress working that day was Michelle, who was the daughter of one of THE BOSS's best friend. Short, plump and rather unattractive, Michelle was nonetheless a nice, unassuming 26 year old. She had been engaged when she was 21 to a guy who ended up sleeping with her maid of honor about 2 weeks before the wedding. The depression that followed never really went away, and she gained a tremendous amount of weight. It took serious therapy just for her to be able to take a job again. But she swore off ever finding love again and really keeps mostly to herself.

Also working the floor was Danny, a 19-year-old college drop-out who hasn't found his place in the world just yet. His father died when he was 6 and his mom has raised him, as well as his four siblings as best she could. THE BOSS wasn't going to hire him at first, but his mom gave such a sob story, he felt he had no choice. But as luck would have it, the kid is a good worker.

About 2 hours later, THE BOSS showed up looking very worn. I couldn't tell if he hadn't slept, was feeling sick or was just very stressed. Immediately, he called Diane over to bring him a cup of coffee. When she did, he asked her to join him and motioned to Danny to cover her tables. After about 15 minutes of what appeared to be a very hushed conversation, THE BOSS announced that he was going home to rest. I just took it to mean he wasn't feeling very well.

At around 2:15, THE BOSS called and asked for Diane. At that moment, she was waiting a table. I do believe it was only the third table she deemed worthy all day. Regardless, he told me to have Diane call him immediately - that it was very important. A few minutes later, she waltzed into the kitchen, made some wise-ass crack about the "whale" at table 11 and when I gave her the message, she called him back. A couple of moments later, she grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

An hour and a half later, she returned looking quite disheveled and had a huge grin on her face. Lori asked her what was up and all she said was "now, I got him!" But she wouldn't elaborate. A few minutes later, THE BOSS arrived back at the diner and also looked "different." Looking back - now that I know what happened - I can say he looked very guilty. But at the time, I didn't know what to think. I was still under the impression that he was sick. But now that it was after 3, my shift was over. I went to clock out and I overheard Diane telling Lori that THE BOSS's wife "would not be very happy if she found out" and "I plan to use this to my advantage."

I went home not knowing what to make of this until I got a phone call from Eric, another counter-person who came in after I clocked out. Eric is a 34-year-old, married man, with 2 kids and a wife who is a rather popular attorney in town. He used to be a day-trader until the market crashed after 9/11 and was a house-husband until his youngest started back to school. In the summer however, he works a couple of nights each week, just to keep himself sane.

Eric had a question - what was wrong with THE BOSS? I asked him what he meant and he said that THE BOSS was sitting alone in one of the booths and was just sitting there. I mentioned to him that I thought he wasn't feeling so well and so he walked over to him and asked him what was up. Well, I guess because the guilt got to him, THE BOSS spilled the beans and said he asked Diane to bring him some Tylenol because he had a headache and his wife did not allow him to keep any medicines in the house. But THE BOSS admitted that he really asked her over so he could flirt with her, which was one of his favorite things to do. His wife was having her hair done and having lunch with her friends and so he knew she would be gone all afternoon.

Well, he wasn't sure how it happened, but before he could stop himself, they were locked in an embrace and she was kissing him. Keeping in mind that he is 64 years old, having a cute 24 year old girl kiss you is just about a dream come true - unless you are nauseated by her, like I am about Diane. Anyway, according to THE BOSS, they ended up having sex. But when it was over, instead of feeling great, he began to feel guilty and upset. Diane, on the other hand was quite calm and seemed very satisfied - not sexually, but it seemed she was much more smug that usual.

Well, as it turned out, THE BOSS asked Diane to forgive him and never mention it to anyone. But then, instead of comforting him, she turned on him and said "are you nuts? What's it worth to you? You think you can just rape me and expect to get away with it???" At this point, THE BOSS began to cry and plead with her to "not do this." But Diane walked away and said "see you at the store!"

When Eric told me this, I just about dropped the phone. How dare she? I mean, I have had many disagreements with THE BOSS, and I know he has always had a wandering eye. Plus, he was playing with fire here. But I know the man and rape is not in his agenda. Then I remembered what Diane said to Lori when we clocked out and I began to fume. I immediately ran back to the diner where I saw Eric still sitting with him. Diane was not there, thank goodness. We sat and talked about it and I absolutely believe that he was not the one who did the seducing. Diane knew exactly what she was doing and why.

But now it was time to learn the consequences of his actions...

Introduction

I'm a 37 year old man who, because of a small brain injury, is forced to worked part-time while on permanent disability. I've been working at the same restaurant for 13 years and about 2 years ago, my boss hired Diane, who quickly became his favorite.

Diane is 24 years old, originally from France and not very popular among the employees in our western Tennessee cafe. She is especially vicious to me. This started almost right away when for some unknown reason, the boss (a 60-something, former hippy from Berkeley) decided it would be a good idea to inform Diane just how much money I earn.

Of course, being 24 and having no life experience whatsoever, she naturally believed she deserved to make what I earn, even though I've been in this business for 22 years and been with this diner for 13. Because of my brain injury (the cause and effects are not important, other to say that my short-term memory is sometimes a problem as well as recurring problem of blood pressure and headaches), I chose to remain part-time, pulling in about 25 hours a week. This caused me to step down from a manager job (which I held for 6 years). But instead now, I work the counter and cash register.

Diane is 5-3 and is petite. She isn't married, although she has a live-in boyfriend. It come to no one's surprise that her boyfriend has so far managed not to pop the question. I can only assume he likes her body for sex, but no one could like that personality. Of all the wait staff we have (we employ 7), she is the least popular by far - at least according to the tips and complaints we receive.

But Diane is either oblivious to this, or she simply doesn't care.

The boss, as I said, is around 60 or 61. He spent his formative years in California and graduated from Cal-Berkeley in the late 60's. While he claims he has a degree in business management, I think it's more likely he spent his four college years studying "how-to-beat- the-man 101." He has never strayed from his politics and makes Meathead (from the old show "All in the Family") look like Alex Keating (Michael J. Fox's conservative character in "Family Ties").

The boss has been married twice. His first wife left him in 1971, after he cheated on her with a prostitute and was caught by the police in Memphis. They had met at one of those "peace, love, dope" protests in college and I guess she grew up and decided she wanted someone who wanted to be monogamous. In 1982, he met his next wife. He was now older, wiser and wealthier. His wife however, was not. She was a former beauty queen from Tulsa who lost most of her looks, but kept the body and the desire. No one would have predicted the marriage would last, but they are going on almost 30 years now.

But the boss has always had his eye out for young, attractive women. His admitted privately to having multiple affairs and we wonder if his wife really knows, but is just happy he's paying the bills and leaving her alone.

About 3 months ago, Diane and the boss started running errands together. At first, it wasn't too suspicious because he often took one of the wait staff with him when things were slow in the restaurant. But these little treks out seemed to take more and more time and some of us were beginning to make comments. But it wasn't until one fateful Tuesday that all of our suspicions came true.

To be continued...

The Players

S – Narrator, 37-year-old, African-American who works part-time because of a permanent disability. Been working here for 13 years.

Diane – a 24-year-old waitress who is originally from France. 5-3 and petite.

THE BOSS – 61 years old and very, very liberal. Married twice, 2nd time in 1982 to Sharon.

Sharon – a big spender and often complained that he didn't bring enough money home. She was a former beauty queen from Tulsa who lost most of her looks, but kept the body and the desire. No one would have predicted the marriage would last, but they are going on almost 30 years now.

Lori – a 21-year-old waitress who only started about 4 weeks prior, seemed to be the sweetest person in the world. She loved working at the diner and had a smile for everyone.

Michelle – the daughter of one of THE BOSS'S best friend. Short, plump and rather unattractive, Michelle was nonetheless a nice, unassuming 26 year old. She had been engaged when she was 21 to a guy who ended up sleeping with her maid of honor about 2 weeks before the wedding. The depression that followed never really went away, and she gained a tremendous amount of weight. It took serious therapy just for her to be able to take a job again. But she swore off ever finding love again and really keeps mostly to herself.

Danny – a 19-year-old college dropout who hasn't found his place in the world just yet. His father died when he was 6 and his mom has raised him, as well as his four siblings as best she could.

Eric – a 34-year-old, married man, with 2 kids and a wife who is a rather popular attorney in town. He used to be a day-trader until the market crashed after 9/11 and was a househusband until his youngest started back to school. In the summer however, he works a couple of nights each week, just to keep himself sane, but he quit a few months ago when he realized he’d never win.

Jack – is THE BOSSES partner who needed the investment. He is married to Maryanne.

Maryanne – thinks exceptionally highly of herself and is unafraid to remind the employees who she is and who pays their salaries. Often, when she calls, the staff has to pick straws and the loser has to get the phone. She rarely speaks to anyone as an equal and seems to get off on making us uncomfortable.

Marco – the Mexican head chef. He is in charge of the Mexican crew.

Freddie – of all the Mexicans, he is the most stereotypical. He is lazy, mean and fat. THE BOSS has threatened to fire him more times than I can remember. But for some reason, he just can’t do it. He is also Marco’s brother-in-law. That may have something to do with it.

Manny – is a Mexican bus boy. He is a nice guy who follows the pack and is a little less than smart.

Eduardo (Eddie) – is a waiter who is friends with Diane. He works when he feels like it and often takes her side in conflicts. He can be very lazy, though. But is often easy to get along with. He speaks English far better than the other Mexicans, which s why he works out front.