Read Online Backtracker by Robert T. Jeschonek - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robert T. Jeschonek
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good eatin ' . "
" Chocolate milk, huh ? " said Larry.
" Yeah, " grinned Dave. " There ' s nothing like ice - cold chocolate milk when you ' ve been sweating in front of a hot broiler for six hours. "
" They keep that back in the walk - in cooler, right ? " asked Larry.
" Yup, " said Billy. " It ' s perfect, ' cause that ' s the best place to go for a snack. You just grab one of those half - pint cartons off the rack and chug it right down. "
" Black gold, " chuckled Dave. " That ' s what we call it at the Double - Doubleyoo. "
" Double - Doubleyoo ? " frowned Larry.
" Wild West, " explained Billy. " You know, like there ' s two W ' s in ' Wild West, ' right? So it ' s ' W - W ' - Double Doubleyoo. "
" Brother, " smirked Larry. " You guys have nicknames for everything. "
" It ' s our secret code, " Billy whispered loudly. " Don ' t tell the managers! "
" Don ' t worry, " grinned Larry. " They ' ll have to kill me first, and that ' d take some doing. "
" Black gold ! " Billy said in a clownish stage whisper. " The password is ' Black gold ' ! "
" This ' black gold ' - do we get it free like soda ? " asked Larry.
" Nope, " Billy replied after swallowing some beer. " Soda, coffee, and iced tea are the only drinks we ' re supposed to get free. Milk ' s off limits, but we drink it anyway. Everybody drinks it. "
" Well, not everybody, " qualified Dave. " Just a lot of us. We ' ve gotta ' watch, y ' know? We can ' t take it too often, or the managers might catch on when they do inventory. "
" Right, " agreed Billy. " If there ' s a lot of cartons back there, help yourself, but if there aren ' t many, don ' t take any. It ' s easier for the managers to keep track if stock ' s low, so it ' s more likely they ' ll notice if some disappears. "
" Sounds like you guys have it all figured out, " observed Larry.
" Yeah, we ' ve got a system, " smirked Billy. " We ' ve been at it so long, we oughtta ' have it figured out. "
" So does everybody cover for everybody else ? " asked Larry. " I mean, aside from the managers, is there anybody to watch out for? "
" Nah, " negated Billy, sweeping a hand through the air. " It ' s like, everybody grabs a snack sometime or other, so we ' re all in it together. No one ' s gonna ' rat on you, ' cause they know they ' d only be ruining things for themselves. "
" Honor among thieves, huh ? " said Larry, a sly smile drawing up his mustache and goatee.
" Right ! " laughed Billy. " One for all and all for one! "
" So, in other words, " said Larry, " if I have a snack in the prep room or walk - in or wherever, and one of the other employees happens to stroll in and see me, I shouldn ' t worry about it. "
" Exactly, " nodded Dave. " If it isn ' t a manager, don ' t worry. Just the other day, for example, I was drinking chocolate milk in the freezer, and Peggy Kutz walked in. She just laughed, and we kidded around about it. "
" Peggy Kutz, Peggy Kutz, " muttered Larry, narrowing his eyes. " I think I may have met her. What ' s she look like? "
" Well, she ' s tall, " described Dave. " About six - two, six - three, and she ' s got black hair and glasses. "
" And a big butt, " Billy added with a cruel gleam in his eye. " A really big butt. Bigger than this table. "
" I remember now, " sparked Larry, snapping his fingers. " She was doing the salad bar this afternoon. I talked to her a little bit. "
" She ' s cool, " said Dave. " We get along pretty well. "
" She ' s okay, " grinned Billy, " as long as that big butt of hers doesn ' t knock you over. You gotta ' watch out for that thing, man. "
" She ' s the one who saw you with the chocolate milk, huh? " Arms crossed, Larry tilted his chair back on its rear legs and stared thoughtfully at Dave.
" Yep, " nodded Dave. " Like I said, she didn ' t care. "
" You sure of that ? " asked Larry.
" Oh, yeah, " said Dave. " I ' ve known her a long time, and I know she ' d never turn me in. "
" Never say never, " said Larry, raising his
" Chocolate milk, huh ? " said Larry.
" Yeah, " grinned Dave. " There ' s nothing like ice - cold chocolate milk when you ' ve been sweating in front of a hot broiler for six hours. "
" They keep that back in the walk - in cooler, right ? " asked Larry.
" Yup, " said Billy. " It ' s perfect, ' cause that ' s the best place to go for a snack. You just grab one of those half - pint cartons off the rack and chug it right down. "
" Black gold, " chuckled Dave. " That ' s what we call it at the Double - Doubleyoo. "
" Double - Doubleyoo ? " frowned Larry.
" Wild West, " explained Billy. " You know, like there ' s two W ' s in ' Wild West, ' right? So it ' s ' W - W ' - Double Doubleyoo. "
" Brother, " smirked Larry. " You guys have nicknames for everything. "
" It ' s our secret code, " Billy whispered loudly. " Don ' t tell the managers! "
" Don ' t worry, " grinned Larry. " They ' ll have to kill me first, and that ' d take some doing. "
" Black gold ! " Billy said in a clownish stage whisper. " The password is ' Black gold ' ! "
" This ' black gold ' - do we get it free like soda ? " asked Larry.
" Nope, " Billy replied after swallowing some beer. " Soda, coffee, and iced tea are the only drinks we ' re supposed to get free. Milk ' s off limits, but we drink it anyway. Everybody drinks it. "
" Well, not everybody, " qualified Dave. " Just a lot of us. We ' ve gotta ' watch, y ' know? We can ' t take it too often, or the managers might catch on when they do inventory. "
" Right, " agreed Billy. " If there ' s a lot of cartons back there, help yourself, but if there aren ' t many, don ' t take any. It ' s easier for the managers to keep track if stock ' s low, so it ' s more likely they ' ll notice if some disappears. "
" Sounds like you guys have it all figured out, " observed Larry.
" Yeah, we ' ve got a system, " smirked Billy. " We ' ve been at it so long, we oughtta ' have it figured out. "
" So does everybody cover for everybody else ? " asked Larry. " I mean, aside from the managers, is there anybody to watch out for? "
" Nah, " negated Billy, sweeping a hand through the air. " It ' s like, everybody grabs a snack sometime or other, so we ' re all in it together. No one ' s gonna ' rat on you, ' cause they know they ' d only be ruining things for themselves. "
" Honor among thieves, huh ? " said Larry, a sly smile drawing up his mustache and goatee.
" Right ! " laughed Billy. " One for all and all for one! "
" So, in other words, " said Larry, " if I have a snack in the prep room or walk - in or wherever, and one of the other employees happens to stroll in and see me, I shouldn ' t worry about it. "
" Exactly, " nodded Dave. " If it isn ' t a manager, don ' t worry. Just the other day, for example, I was drinking chocolate milk in the freezer, and Peggy Kutz walked in. She just laughed, and we kidded around about it. "
" Peggy Kutz, Peggy Kutz, " muttered Larry, narrowing his eyes. " I think I may have met her. What ' s she look like? "
" Well, she ' s tall, " described Dave. " About six - two, six - three, and she ' s got black hair and glasses. "
" And a big butt, " Billy added with a cruel gleam in his eye. " A really big butt. Bigger than this table. "
" I remember now, " sparked Larry, snapping his fingers. " She was doing the salad bar this afternoon. I talked to her a little bit. "
" She ' s cool, " said Dave. " We get along pretty well. "
" She ' s okay, " grinned Billy, " as long as that big butt of hers doesn ' t knock you over. You gotta ' watch out for that thing, man. "
" She ' s the one who saw you with the chocolate milk, huh? " Arms crossed, Larry tilted his chair back on its rear legs and stared thoughtfully at Dave.
" Yep, " nodded Dave. " Like I said, she didn ' t care. "
" You sure of that ? " asked Larry.
" Oh, yeah, " said Dave. " I ' ve known her a long time, and I know she ' d never turn me in. "
" Never say never, " said Larry, raising his
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