Page 3 of Summer Waves

“But Tony said you would hook me up with a job,” Jacob replied.

Tony, my younger brother, who also happened to be Jacob’s best friend, was going to get an ear full when I saw him again. Tony and Jacob were beach bums. They ate, slept, and breathed surfing. They didn’t care about anything else. Now, here’s the kid asking for a job at my high-end restaurant.

“How are you going to work with long hair? No guy in my restaurant has long hair. They all have short hair like mine.” I pointed to my hair. It was a half-inch on the sides and one to two inches on top.

“Cut my hair?” He paled.

His black hair wasn’t in dreadlocks like most beach bums. His hair came down a little past his shoulder and looked brushed. However, I didn’t like long hair. Never had. I was raised in an Italian family and long hair was a big fat no, which is why Tony and his long hair weren’t allowed at my parents’ house or any family gatherings. My house was the only house family-wise that Tony was allowed to come over to.

“Yes. I can’t have someone who looks unkempt working in my restaurant. You need to look nice. You want people to see you and want to come inside. Not look at you and worry that you’re going to pickpocket them.”

Jacob rolled his eyes.

“I’m not a thief,” he muttered.

“I know that, but some upper-class couple won’t know that.”

“Basta, basta,” Jacob said, holding up his hand.

“I thought you didn’t speak Italian? Why are you telling me enough is enough?” I growled.

“I don’t speak it fluently. I just know that saying because my mother and grandmother are always saying it to me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. My mother and grandmother were notorious for saying that to me when I was growing up. Hell, they still said it whenever we did get a chance to talk on the phone or see each other in person.

“I’m glad my misery is funny, Giovanni,” Jacob sighed.

“Look,” I said letting out a deep breath. “Why don’t I start you off in the back doing dishes or something. Then if you decide to cut your hair, I’ll move you out front so you can be a host or waiter.”

“Really?” he shot up out of his chair. “Like seriously?”

“Yeah. Seriously, but I’m only giving you one chance so don’t mess it up,” I pointed a finger at him. “You mess this up and I won’t do another favor for you or Tony.”

“You got it. Deal!” He thrust his fist into the air like he had just won the Olympics. He was jumping around like an idiot, too. I’m sure any of my nosey neighbors were watching him through my living room window.

“You have to calm down. Seriously.”

Jacob did one more fist thrust into the air, took a deep breath, and then sat down on my loveseat across from me. The stupid smile on his face was still there, but at least he wasn’t jumping around like a baboon anymore.

“You can start tomorrow night,” I informed him and grabbed my phone to message Robert, the night-shift manager about the new hire.

“Really?”

“Really,” I nodded and typed the message to Robert.

“Can I ask for one more favor?” he asked shyly. I groaned and lifted my eyes from my phone. He half-ass smiled at me.

“What now?”

“Well, I don’t know if you remember my sister Bethany or not…”

I thought long and hard about Jacob’s sisters. I only really knew two of them, and I avoided them like the plague– Tatiana and Serena. I knew of Angelina but didn’t recall Bethany.

I shook my head.

“Really?” he seemed surprised. “Like seriously?”

“Seriously,” I groaned.

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