By Joshua Ryan
Chapter 22: There Are Many Interesting Jobs in Food Services
Terry was the busboy who trained me to be like him. The biggest things I had to learn were:
- ALWAYS keep your boots clean and your shirt buttoned all the way up. That’s how people can tell you’re a servant at the King George Hotel.
- Keep your eyes on the floor and your dunce cap firmly on your head.
- Be invisible. You are nothing, get used to it.
- Wait till the guest is finished with a dish, then snatch it fast.
- Say Sir at the start and finish of anything you need to say to a freeman.
- Waiters are freemen. Always obey the waiter.
- Speak only when spoken to. If you start talking, you will be punished.
- If you take a tip, you will be punished.
- If you violate any rule, you will be punished.
- If anybody thinks you violated a rule, you will be punished.
- Any food remaining on a plate and any liquor remaining in a glass will be reported to Ned, the boss slap in the kitchen, for recycling to the basement.
And number 12: Be grateful that you’ve got this job. A lot of slappies don’t have it so good.
Lance is in bed, naked. The bed covers lay across the lower part of Lance’s body, leaving his chest exposed, as he listens to the rain falling on the roof. His uncovered arm moves from his side, sliding over the edge of the bed. On the floor is Sean, laying on his side facing away from the bed. The boy wears a thick two-inch leather collar, a pair of Lance’s lace-up Wesco Jobmaster boots, spiked leather codpiece and leather chest harness. His ankles are bound in leather restraints that are locked together. Leather restraints on Sean’s wrists keep his arms together before him.