Mac filler chapter

Why is it that when you hire someone, train them up, they then, sometimes, turn around and stab you in the back.

We have trained a few chefs from apprentice up that have then gone on to open their own place or worse still, been headhunted by other restaurants. It's annoying. Tony, our head chef, suggesting we lob their balls off, but I don't think that's legal.

"It's not legal, well not in California!" I'm sitting eating a sandwich in the main kitchen while Tony has his daily grumble. I don't mind, I usually feel the same. "It's money isn't really. If we could pay them more...."

"Well you pay me great, and you treat us great. That is the best thing. Christmas, we can bring our families and all have fun together, there isn't much of that anymore" Tony speaks over the head of a junior who is chopping his own weight in vegetables "You" Tony taps the lad on the head with his elbow "You be good for this lady she will be good to you, ok" The lad nods and looks up shyly smiling at me, he has a great grin.

"Monsol down the street keeps wanting to sneak in and check the place out. He will I'm sure of it, but let 'im see how the big boys do it!!" I hoist a sandie in the air as I whoop then its swiftly swiped by Alice as he walks by "Hey thief!"

Stevie's here" Alice smiled as he leaned over munching my sandwich in my ear.

"Cool to still use the stuff in the muso room?" I tapped the counter top with my hands, getting better with the beats all the time. Alice nodded and I made my way through to the main doors.

"Hello, Hello, hello there!" I hugged Stevie, kissing her cheek and shook Mick Fleetwood's hand, turning it in to a hug when Stevie let me go. He is so tall I have to tip toe to reach his shoulder. "Where's Lindsey and Christine?"

"Lindsey's on his way but Chris is ill. So we have a slight problem" Mick was dragging a load of drum equipment in and I help with the stool and cymbals. "No harmony's meaning half the set"

"Bugger. Well that's ok, it was only arvo slot for you to have a run thru anyway right?"

"I thought..." Stevie sidled up beside me and nudged me with her hip "We thought-you"

"You what?" I looked at them both blankly, for a moment or two then realised "No, no, no!! I gave you a gig, I'm not in the gig!"

"Come on luv" Mick put the snare down and banged a beat out on the door to the room five or so foot above my head, he's really tall! "I've been teaching you drums for a couple of months now, you sing the stuff every time, you can't help yourself Bethy"

"I might sing the stuff but I'm no good at it now! Oh, and before I forget, don't tell Moon you have been tutoring me, I'll never hear the end of it" As soon as I said that Mick had me over the barrel.

Bugger.

Mick smiled brightly at me and I rolled my eye's. "I was only ever 'on call' back up for Alice when someone was sick or dying, never up front. Anyway... I'm working"

"Where is Moon by the way" Stevie laughed and pushed past me mighty jovially may I add. 

"Go change we can't have a dag in Fleetwood Mac, now can we" Mick smiled and I smacked his arm, a drumstick bopped me on the head, then he pointed towards my apartment door. He had me.... I took off to find suitable attire, Stevie following quickly behind to veto my clothing choice.

"No, No and no" Stevie chucked more of my wardrobe in the pile on the floor and I laid back on the bed. I was beat, she would dress me and there was nothing I could do about it. "Wear this and put that over the top" A top was taken out of her overflowing bag, it was black with long sleeves and a fringe around the bottom and it laced up the front like a corset, my white singlet allowed for modesty, my white jeans and she teamed them with my black knee high boots and a soft black beret style hat she dug out of a side pocket. Her bag was like a witches caldron she kept bringing things out, where they were hidden, I have no idea.

So, there I was, middle of the afternoon, singing with Stevie.

Me trying to live up to Christine in her lead vocal songs.

There wasn't a big crowd so that helped but it did seem like every other minute one of the vampires would come trudging up to the doorway, have a peek in and spot me.. and enter, arghhhh!

Alice, also, was happily making it his business to direct them into the room... to ensure no one missed the spectacle. A few raised a glass of salute in my direction.

This afternoon Elton was wearing a fur coat and Ringo Starr stopped in, no sign of Lennon or May though, thankfully.

I was heckled for another song by Alice and dutifully ignored him. He had turned around to call another person toward the room anyway. Our miniscule amount of early afternoon patrons were now outnumbered by Vampires, who took up tables all around the room, legs over backs of chairs, boots on tables or, like Moony, slouched half asleep on the sofas in the corner. John marched in sans May holding a scotch and coke up in a high toast and promptly sat down with Ringo and Elton chatting.

"Ok, you lot" Mick waved a drumstick around and got everyone's attention "One last song, any requests?"

Alice yelled out "yep 'Schools Out' you'll need more mascara though!" then he began hysterically laughing at his own joke.

"I'm not playing your shite Cooper! Righto 'Dreams' it is and as a special treat.."Mick twirled his drumsticks "..a new drummer" Mick then pushed his stool back and Stevie and I watched the ruckus going on in the room. Ringo and Moon were both shaking their heads firmly in the negative "Not you two daft boozos, her" Mick pointed at me and I nearly fell over.

"Go on, show 'em luv" Mick walked over and handed me the drumsticks and I slowly moved ever closer to the kit, he helped me adjust the seat and positions of the kit as he was so lanky I would never reach the pedals and kick.

The room seemed to collectively move forward to the front in one wave. It was mostly illusion because only Alice and Keith actually stood and walked forward, everyone else just sat up more or leaned over the chair in front of them with obvious interest.

No one knew I could drum or that I had even been learning. Harry and Micky shifted and sat next to John's table, all men present leaned on elbows to see what I would stuff up.

"Please make welcome Miss Bethany Cooper in her drumming debut and co-singing of... 'Dreams' " Mick nodded and counted me in. I settled into the rhythm and tried to relax. Stevie smiled her alluring smile singing her haunting lyrics and me sat concentrating so hard to not forget any beat and- or my backup vocals.

We got to the end and there was silence, Mick looked from me to Alice and back again. John stood up alone and slow clapped at first then the room stood up with him and gave us a great round of applause. Mick grabbed me out from behind the kit and Stevie and I curtsied and bowed regally, the rest of the line-up joined in laughing.

"That was fantastic, little sis!" Alice pulled me roughly from the stage into a bear hug. The proud brother pointing to me "This is my sister!"

"Wow my first fan! Thanks Al" I gave him a kiss and started walking out of the room. John put a hand out to stop me.

"Where are you off to, your fans await" John cast his hand around the room "Don't you want to sign your autograph on their buttocks!"

"Please, save me from the visuals that conjures up!" I smiled at him, waving a hand to the others sat around the table "Someone has to run front of house and push the drinks. See ya"

He had my hand still and finally let it go "Ok BJ I'll let you off autographing this time. Off ya go- see you later ok?" Smiling I strolled out of the room back to work.

Johns POV

"Does she ever stop?" I was still sat at the table, Alice plonked down on the chair to my left shaking his head.

"No. Not since? I don't know, she likes it. Keeps her sane she says. Bloody hell she can drum!"

"You didn't know?" Elton smiled over his gin and tonic pushing up his glittery star glasses.

"Not an inkling. Surprises at every turn that one" Alice spoke but looked straight at me for that last aside "Why don't we order some grub and move to the room, ok fellas"

We stood around talking about ordering and picking food from the menus though most knew the meals by heart. The security guy was in BJ's ear about something and she wasn't happy but she turned to move to the bar and get on with the line we had made for her.

"Hey Rings what would you like mate" BJ smiled at Ringo and he returned the grin, she was so different when she let her guard down the smile bright and cheerful.

"'Ello luv, I'll 'ave fish and chips and some salad, ta. Good job before eh, it's a hard thing to drum and sing" Ringo looked at me to remind me of all the times he sang his tunes. I nodded then rolled my eyes, he'll pull me up for that later. He always does.

"Give us the same please Beth" I spoke a little too loudly apparently and heads swivelled.

"Beth now, is it" Harry leaned on the bar, then hovered in my face as if to see if there was any hanky panky going on, apparently, he thought not "Nahhh"

I winked at Beth and walked off with Ringo upstairs. The night patrons where filtering in and two old Beatles in one room was too much for some.

The night wore on and I swore I wouldn't drink too much but in the end, Ringo and Elton wore me down. I started acting like a clod even putting a panty liner on my head. It was still there when Beth walked in.

"There she is. And she has drinks!" Alice slapped her hard on the back and I saw her winch, her eyes hovering on me then she rolled them upon seeing my head ornament. "Bring Mikey back a blanky luv he's falling asleep again" Everyone laughed at Mikey dribbling in his drink.

"You lot really should have a breather" Her eyes bore into mine and I felt like an idiot, I pulled the ladies liner off my head fast. "No, no John don't take it off on my account..." Beth wandered round the table toward me and Elton. She leaned over, with one hand on the table in front of me "Not when you're on your monthly forage in LA" Pulling the offending item out of my hand, she squashed it into my lap "perhaps you should try it lower this time mate"

All the table laughed and my light switch, switched. I saw red. As Beth made her way out, I jumped up to have it out with her, not stopping til the voice of reason spoke up...

"Cut it Lennon, see if you feel the same in 10, yea" Richie, his Liverpool accent cutting into my washed out, liquored up thoughts. "Sit down and have a drink with ya brother"

I sat, Ringo always had my best interests at heart.