Danny & Jules

Danny carefully stacked the cups into the dishwasher tray. An even number of them fitted along the side so he made sure to angle the handles at precisely 45 degrees to the right. That was part of the Rule for cups. Danny was always careful to follow the rules about numbers because knew bad things would happen if he didn't take proper care.  He knew other people didn't know about the rules and couldn't see what was obvious to him but he didn't mind that they thought him crazy as long as they let him do what was needed.

The worst of the evening rush was over now which meant that the floor staff would have some time to chat with him at the hatch where they dropped the dirty plates and bowls for him to wash. Most of them didn't say much. They thought he was slow or stupid because of the meticulous care he always took over his work and would barely meet his eye. Jules was different. She'd started two weeks before and on her first day had greeted him with a smile. Since then, she'd taken time to exchange a few words with him every time she dropped off more dirty crockery. Had Danny seen that film on TV last night? What did he think of the soup today? Ordinary, mundane conversation but Danny yearned for each brief exchange. 

When the sign on the restaurant door turned to closed shortly before midnight, the atmosphere inside changed. Shouted jokes heard over the clatter of chairs being put up on the table relieved the tension of being in the public eye all day. Pots, pans and grill tops began to appear in the washing up queue. Danny sighed and searched the pile for another teaspoon. He couldn't put the dishwasher on with only eleven teaspoons in that section. The rule said twelve. He could hear the sound of the floor cleaner out in the main restaurant and knew again that he would be over an hour later than everyone else in finishing. Deciding it wouldn't be cheating, Danny fished among the clean cutlery and found a spoon to add to the total before sliding the tray under the washer and pulling down the hood.

Just as he turned to put the frying pans into the wash, odd numbers with handles to the left, even to the right, the kitchen door opened. Danny turned, expecting it to be the manager coming to tell him to hurry up as he wasn't paid for anything after 2AM but instead it was Jules. She had changed out of her uniform into jeans and a black t-shirt which fitted her tightly. Danny could see the top of a tattoo peeking out just above the level of her jeans.

"We're going to get some beers. Do you want to come along?"

"Can't." Danny nodded towards the outstanding washing.

Jules chewed her bottom lip a moment, then threw her bag into a corner and grabbed an apron.

"Shove over. I'll help."

It took them about a quarter of an hour to finish up, Jules stacking the dishwasher, Danny furtively making sure the number rules were followed with a correction here and there before running them through. Danny was nearly breathless with her nearness and treasured every moment of it. 

They joined the others at the late bar part way into a round. Jules was greeted cheerfully when the arrived but faces changed to politely suppressed surprise when they saw Danny following her to the table. He turned to Jules, wanting to make some excuse about it being later than he thought and that he should leave but she stuck a bottle into his hand and smiled so he took a deep breath and a mouthful of beer and sat down. By last orders he was still there, beer bottles carefully arranged into an equal-sided triangle on the table. The flash of lights that indicated closing time jolted him into realising how late it was and he took his leave and stood up to go. Jules asked him to hang on a moment and walked out the door with him.

"Could you walk with me to the taxi rank?" she asked. It was out of his way and he felt dizzy and nauseous, but Danny would have swallowed his tongue rather than say no. When she linked her arm in his, he felt it was worth it. They swerved around drunks together and stopped for a while to watch a guy do limbo under a flaming pole. Danny tried as best he could to stand on the right sequence of paving but he didn't normally drink and didn't want to let go of Jules so he couldn't be sure that he had managed it. He wanted to fret more about that but couldn't seem to bring himself to care. When they finally got to the rank and queued, he pretended he would wait for the next cab and let Jules take the one that had just arrived for which she rewarded him with a spontaneous kiss on the lips.

See you tomorrow, she mouthed from behind the car window.

Danny woke up the next morning with his head pounding and a terrible taste in his mouth. His eyes felt gummed together and it was painful to open them. When he did, there was nothing there. Cold hit the pit of his stomach. It had happened again. He'd missed something or gotten a rule wrong and it was all gone. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began to recite the fundamental rules. Last time he'd managed to go further than before. This time he was sure that he could make a world where he and Jules would be together.