Respect for the King 56

Fiction by Patricia Foster. To start at the beginning, go to Respect to the King 1.

 A new computer had been purchased, and installed in the office.  Every morning, Clare sent an email to Sheila, giving details of the previous day’s takings and information about food ordered.  This enabled Sheila to keep the monitoring systems up to date, as well as satisfying her curiosity as to how things were going at the restaurant.

     Sheila was fairly certain that she would need to have a good grasp of computer skills if she were to return to work in the property business.  She had not shared her thoughts about her future with anyone else, having decided to wait until the restaurant was up and running.

       Ann Marie had been surprised to learn that Kevin was having a party, and had exclaimed, ‘You never celebrated anything before – just kept working!’

     ‘That was the old me.  Now I know the importance of marking occasions, and thanking people.  Much as I love the restaurant, it will never love me back.  At the end of the day, it’s people that are important.’

     ‘So, are you having the party so that people will love you back?’ Ann Marie asked, in a tone that was half serious, half jesting.

     ‘That would be something!  Can you imagine my family and my friends lining up to say they love me!  Maybe you’re right – deep down I want everyone to like me - but the main thing is to thank everyone.  The party is also meant to be a celebration that Respect for the King is open for business, and a chance to have a bit of fun.  After the party, we’ll all have to get down to some real grafting, for a long time.’

     ‘It seems to me like you’re already working hard.  I’m glad you want to have the party, but it does seem like extra work at a time when you’re so busy.’

     ‘We are closed for business that night, so there’s no extra cooking.  In fact, there’s less, because everyone will have the same thing – apart from the vegetarians.  There will only be sixteen of us, so it’s not a huge party.  The new lads will be working in the kitchen, so Eddie and I won’t have much to do.  I don’t expect things to go on for hours, so for some of us, it will be an early night.  Plus – and this is a big plus – all the details of the party were planned a long time ago, so there is very little thought involved.’

    ‘Details?’ Ann Marie asked, ‘What was there to plan, apart from the food?’

    ‘I had to work out who will cook, and when, and serving – all the usual things.  I’ve also plotted out a very complicated seating plan.’

     ‘You’ve tried to avoid people who don’t get on sitting next to each other?’ Ann Marie questioned, wondering if he planned to place her as far from Sheila as possible.

     ‘Nothing as boring as that, I hope.  I’ll say no more.  You’ll have to wait and see.’

When Ann Marie arrived for the party, she found that Kevin had stationed himself by the door to greet everyone as they arrived.  She threaded her way through the people standing in the lounge area, as quickly as seemed polite, so that she could inspect the tables, thinking that she would gain some time to get herself into the best frame of mind to deal with whoever would be seated next to her.

     She was surprised to find that the tables were bare.  The open plan kitchen afforded a view of Eddie, busy chopping something with a large knife.  He glanced up from his work and called out, ‘We’re going to eat upstairs.  Everyone is supposed to stay down here until we’re all assembled.  You know, sort of like starter’s orders, only its Kevin’s orders.’

     Eddie laughed, as did Ann Marie, wondering if she had ever heard him laugh before.

     There was a burst of noise, followed by laughter, and she turned to look towards the door.  Waverley had arrived, and Kevin must have said something to make her giggle.  Sheila followed her into the building, while her father-in-law held the door open.

     Kevin abandoned his position by the door, and moved among the guests, distributing cards.  Ann Marie assumed these were menus, but when she had been given hers, saw that it was a seating plan.  The diagram showed two rectangular tables, with three on each of the long sides, and one at each end, so that eight were seated at each table.

     She studied the plan for a few seconds, and thought (not for the first time) that Kevin had a strange sense of humour: she was placed right next to Sheila.  Kevin would be at the top of the table, on her left hand side.  At least he would be in a better position for conversation, sat sideways on to her.  However, Adrian would be opposite her, and he was almost a stranger to her.  She sighed, thinking that the evening could be heavy going.

As Kevin distributed the copies of the seating plan, the room fell quiet, as everyone studied their card. As everyone worked out their relative positions, conversation sprang up again, as they said to one another, ‘I’m next to you!’ and similar inanities.

Kevin herded them all up the stairs, telling them to take their places for the first course.

As they climbed the stairs, side by side, David quietly warned Peggy, ‘Don’t get too settled.’

Nobody else was as pedantic as David, at least where words were concerned, so the others were all preparing, with varying degrees of trepidation, for an evening’s conversation with two or three others.

The tables that had been prepared for the meal were those closest to the two large windows that faced the cathedral square. As the guests found their assigned places, Kevin explained to anyone that might be listening that he had positioned the tables so that they might all enjoy the view.

He had given himself a place at the head of one of the tables, facing the window. Heather had the corresponding seat at the other table, and as she sat, waiting for everyone to sort himself or herself into the correct order, she detached herself from the clamour of the room, and relaxed into contemplating the cathedral, framed with the deepening blue of the evening sky. It was sublimely beautiful.

Music was playing over the sophisticated sound system.  The volume was much lower than normal, in deference to the relaxed atmosphere.  Despite the murmer of conversation masking the music, Clare noticed that Elvis was singing "It's Now or Never" and wondered if Kevin had planned a surprise question for someone.

Kevin gave a brief welcoming speech which included an explanation that the party was to thank them all for their help and support, and an exhortation to enjoy themselves.

Wine was poured, unfamiliar waitresses arrived with food, and the group was quiet for a few minutes as they commenced eating.  Heather thought she  must say something to the woman seated to her left. It was bad luck to be next to someone she hardly knew, but it would be rude to ignore her. Chris was on the far side of the woman; it would have been so much easier if she had been next to him.

Heather had worked out that the woman’s name was Helen and remembered that she had been Kevin’s lodger. Chris must know her, but social conversation was not one of his strong suites: she would have to keep things moving.

Things were going swimmingly on the other table, and soon they were making so much noise that Heather stopped worrying that she should chat to Helen.  Kevin had asked Adrian about the football match, and this had opened a prolonged description of the event.

     Paul, seated at Heather’s table, turned his chair to better join the conversation, entering with the comment, ‘Six-one, and on German turf: who’d have thought it? Maybe in years to come the wonder of it will be lost, but right now it seems like a something out of a fantasy.’

     Adrian, still tingling with the magic of actually having been there, answered, ‘It was amazing.  If they continue to play like that, England could win the World Cup again.’

     Kevin snorted (fortunately he’d finished eating) and said, ‘About as likely as Elvis having another number one.’

     ‘If you’d been there, mate’ Adrian rebutted, rubbing it in that he had been there, ‘you would agree with me. Anyway, Elvis can’t have another number one.  I hate to break it to you, but he’s dead.’

     ‘I accept that he’s dead, but I still think England played a one-hit wonder.’

     ‘A six hit wonder.’ Eddie corrected.

     ‘Not you too – ganging up on me!’ Kevin grinned down the table, pleased that Eddie was joining in.  He then returned to his argument, ‘Dead as he may be, I say it’s more likely Elvis will have another number one single than that England will win the World Cup.’

     ‘That’s ridiculous.’ Sheila spoke firmly, giving her brother a reproving look.

     ‘Anything’s possible.’ Kevin said, and repeated, ‘Anything’s possible.  Everybody remember that.’

Adrian: accountant and Clare’s boyfriend

Amy: head waitress at Respect for the King

Ann Marie: Kevin’s ex-wife and now lover

Bobbie: Sheila’s mother-in-law

Chris: Kevin’s lodger, computer expert and Heather's boyfriend

Clare: business manager of Respect for the King

David: Heather's father

Dot: Eddie's mother

Eddie: head chef at Respect for the King

Heather: bookshop owner

Kevin: owner of Respect for the King

Paul: Sheila’s father-in-law

Peggy: Heather's mother

Sheila: Kevin’s sister.

Waverley: Sheila’s daughter (sometimes called Wavey)