Paulee's Bistro - by John Wolf
The best of plans have their trials,
and brittle breaks the glass,
Keep the peace with measured smiles,
all doubt and fear comes to pass.
-
John Wolf
While I was putting the final touches on table six, a car hit the grand opening sign. Bam! Glass rained across the room showering me with light green chards, all the same size, like small gravel. At first, I thought Lee had turned the stereo system on and it was set too high. Then I saw a red BMW sports car come to a stop two feet from the kitchen pickup window with the top down and a startled young lady pushing an air bag out of her face.
We’d dealt with every inconvenience imaginable to remodel this place and get it open on time, so I figured, why get bent out of shape now? I leaned on the passenger door after dusting it off with my towel. “We’d planned to open this evening, but can I help you? We have a tossed chard salad – it’s new.”
“My God. I am sorry. I meant to pull out, but I must have been in drive. At least I only took out your window – Paulee’s Bistro, right?
“Was. We were planning the beer garden for next year, but hey, now that the front is open, we could move it up. Could you turn the engine off? It would be easier to talk.”
“Sure,” she said. “I am so sorry.” She pushed her door open against the squeak of a new teak chair. “I thought you’d be open at noon. I was planning to come back tonight after reading your sign.”
“Ah, that would be this sign.” I pulled the freshly stenciled sign out from under the car. The lettering was patterned by the tread of a two hundred dollar Michelin tire.
Lee Jones, my partner, ran into the room with his hands on his head, cheeks puffed out, too dazed to do anything but expel air.
I’m Paul Townsend and this is Lee Jones – Paul-Lee Bistro at your service. And you are...?”
“Linn Perkins. I’m the loan officer for your loan.” Her face split into a silly grin. She was gripping a manila envelope in her hands just under her chin. “I brought the final papers to sign.”
“Oh great. The insurance papers as well?”
“Yes.”
“Could we sign those first?”
“That would be fine.”
Lee pushed through the debris and said, “And the late opening fee? Can you waive that too?”
“Of course. Is there a clean table where we could talk,” she said, sheepishly.
I waved an arm toward a corner table. “Why are you being nice? You have us at a disadvantage here. I thought you people were like lawyers – mean.”
“This is my first job and daddy will be so upset about this. I will take the blame.”
“And who is daddy?”
“My father owns Perkins Finance. You know; your loan company.” She sat down and pulled the papers out onto the table.
Lee came to his senses. “How is he at getting plate glass replaced?”
She gained her composure and had a twinkle in her eye. “I know this sounds crazy, but I noticed you don’t have any advertising yet. I’m a photographer for the company as well as the errand girl. I could take a picture of you two leaning against the car, holding your sign. We could use that as a spoof on your grand opening . . . that will take place in about two weeks.” She giggled.
Lee’s brow rolled up like a monsoon cloud, dark and angry.
“Well, it sounds like the crazy kind of ad that would attract attention and there’s no time like the present,” I said, reluctantly. Lee wasn’t buying this yet. Lee grabbed Linn’s arm and was anything but cordial. “The glass, the cleanup, are you going to jump on that soon?” He was worrying about the fresh vegetables that were just delivered.
She turned to face Lee. “I’ll make amends. Just let me take this picture, back out of your restaurant, and I’ll get on it right away.”
* * *
A week went by and the glass was replaced, the new menus came, and the ad Linn put in the paper had people calling. Opening night was pushed up and the chef was running practice plates through the processes, resulting in a five pound weight gain for me. If the public wasn’t ready, I was. At least I had a decent place to eat now.
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Linn was trying so hard to make up for the drive thru mistake. I had to laugh each time I saw the photo, which was now a full color poster and an eight by ten picture over Booth Two. She was taking a lot of pictures for the walls. We were building a legacy and weren’t even open yet. I was feeling good about the place. But Lee wasn’t amused. In fact, he was having a breakdown over the whole affair and asked me to buy him out. How could I do that? I’d borrowed my half in the first place.
Linn and I had begun dating soon after the assault on the front window. I really liked this girl. She admitted she might have been a little giddy the day she first arrived, and that may have affected her driving skills. She loved the restaurant and she was falling in love with me. I think at that point Lee had had enough.
We were walking back to the restaurant from my place and I said to Linn, “Lee packed his stuff this afternoon. He wants out. I don’t know if I can handle the whole job without him. I thought you should know, you being my loan officer and all.”
“Wow. That will affect your credit rating. I have a suggestion.”
“Go on, wise keeper of the cash.”
“I didn’t tell you this earlier, but my father washed his hands of this project the day I destroyed your window. I put up the money myself.” She was bouncing nervously, toes pointed together, with a sun grin across her face.
“Oh, great. If this fails, I lose my business and my girl.”
“We open tomorrow night. If it goes well, we will make it work – together.” She gave me a look like an alchemist that had just turned a pile of crap to gold.
“May I could be so bold as to...”
“Ask me to marry you?” Now her look was steady as a rock with that loan officer stare.
He who hesitates is lost came drumming into my brain. “Yes, will you marry me and assume my loving debt?” I guess it was yes. She nearly suffocated me with a kiss to seal the deal.
* * *
Opening night was a great success with one little odd flaw. The menus had Paulee’s Bistro printed on them, but the gold lettering on the new plate glass window said Paulinn’s Bistro. We gave each patron a gold felt-tipped pin to make the correction and keep the menu to commemorate our Grand Opening. Sometimes great things have a doubtful beginning, but good fortune needs a good place to eat. That’s our new motto.
Once we got the books out of the red ink and into the black, Linn’s first purchase was a set of four inch steel posts lined up in front of the window, buried into the sidewalk, and filled with concrete. She didn’t want fate to tempt me, or ever have me thinking of getting a new partner.
Lee came in one night. He felt like a fool after walking out on the best deal of his life. We had to come to grips with that. Linn got out her camera, Lee and I sat in a booth, and she snapped the picture. It hangs over Booth Two to this day. The caption says, “Original owners Paul Townsend and Lee Jones.” Next to it was a picture of Linn and me at our makeshift wedding in the Justice of the Peace’s office with Lee standing there as best man.
Soon after that we ordered new menus – again. Instead of PLL Bistro for Paul, Linn, and Lee, since Lee was working for us now; we decided to call the place Grand Openings. We snapped a new photo of us leaning on Linn’s little red car in front of the freshly painted sign on the front window just before our final opening.
That’s the way good things should happen. Born out of chaos but evolving into loving friends and family, and they will, if you just sweep up broken dreams and move on.
John Wolf
Author, Poet, and Musician. I always wanted to own a restaurant.
