Andy Gets a Ride
by Atonia (with a little bit of Bridgid on the end. )
It had been a bitch of a week and Andy was glad to see the back of it. He stood in the alleyway smoking a cigarette, one more hour and he was out of there, out for good. His girlfriend Lucy had left after a monumental row, his boss had cut his hours thanks to a relative being hired and his car had died. He stamped out the cigarette and entered the kitchen of the restaurant for one last time.
Andy tossed his apron and picked up a heavy backpack. He was leaving Sydney and had no idea where he was going. For once he was going to let fate take him wherever it wanted to. He took a bus to the outskirts and started hitchhiking. He got a ride to Coffs Harbor and spent a little time walking around trying to figure out what he wanted for himself. All his get rich schemes had fallen through but something Martin had told him returned to his consciousness. Find out what you’re good at and go for it. Was he crazy…he wanted to cook. He wanted his own place he’d worked in the food industry for years, he knew what it took…he just wanted a chance.
He sat down on a bench on the sidewalk people watching, he smiled seeing the guy come out of the florist with a huge bouquet of white roses; somebody sure was special in his life. He thought of Lucy again and dismissed that thought immediately; he wouldn’t be buying roses for her again. Picking up the back pack he headed down the walkway towards the motorway.
Richie came out of the florist and carefully placed the roses on the front seat. One more stop at the jewelers and he was on his way. It was his birthday and he knew Toni was planning a special dinner for him; he was planning something special too. He’d told Jim Braddock what he was planning and Jim tried to back out of dinner but Richie said he needed the moral support he and Ivy would bring. He turned onto to the highway that would take him to The Glen.
Andy looked up the long highway that seemed to be going nowhere and started walking again. A few miles lift here and there had left him in the middle of the country. He turned and stuck his thumb out again and watched as the Land Rover slowed and stopped.
“Need a lift to The Glen?”
“Ah…The Glen? Hey, anywhere is fine, thanks.” Andy noticed the roses and looked up at the guy as he moved them to the back seat, “looks like a special day for somebody.” He said
“Yeah, I hope to hell it is, where are you coming from?” asked Richie
“Sydney.”
“My name’s Richie Roberts, we moved to The Glen a couple of months ago.”
“My name’s Andy…what’s this Glen you keep talking about?”
“It’s a new community, new people moving in every day, business’s opening up, like a new start.”
Andy slid down in the seat a notch, “a new start yeah, that’s what I need. Are you a yank?”
“Yeah, from New Jersey, what do you do?”
“Right now, nothing, I just quit my job…time to move on you know…I was in the restaurant business.”
“Own one or just work there?”
“Worked there, food prep and dishwashing, whatever needed doing…someday…well I’d like to have my own place.” He glanced over at Richie wondering why he’d said that out loud.
“That’s a good dream to have Andy…anything is possible…you’re a young guy…you can do it. The Glen could use a good restaurant.”
“The Glen…I don’t know if I’ll be staying there depends on if I can find a job.”
Richie turned off the main road, “I’ll drop you at the boarding house Andy, go see Steve or Millie they just might have something for you.”
Andy got out of the vehicle and pulled his backpack from the back. He looked up at the boarding house and back at Richie, “well thanks for the ride.”
Richie handed him a card, “Good luck, hey if I can do anything for you let me know. Everybody deserves a chance Andy.” He smiled and started the Rover, yeah everybody deserved a chance and hoped Toni would give him one tonight.
Andy looked at the card and turned watching the vehicle drive out of sight. He picked up his backpack and walked in the door of the boarding house side stepping as a man and woman hurried out of the lounge. He walked over to the bar.
“Hi I’m Andy and I’m looking for Millie.”
Steve looked up from the balance sheet he was reading. He and Millie had discussed hiring someone recently and they'd planned to put an add in the paper soon. Actually two, they needed a cook and a barmaid to keep things going.
The young man standing before him had one of those faces, a face that you liked right off the bat.
"Actually, we could use some help around here. Can you cook?"
The way the man nodded with that winsome look in his eyes answered everything. "Millie can't yet. Maybe you could help her learn a thing or two. If you can start right now, you're hired."
Millie's had a new cook and she'd find out as soon as she came in from taking Brook for her walk. Things could get interesting in the Moran residence later on tonight.
