Page 1 of Back Room Host

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Juri

I anxiously gnawed on my thumbnail, fixating on the vibrating phone resting on the table in front of me. I recognized the number and knew this call held the power to determine my future. Out of nowhere, the waiter materialized, placing an empty coffee cup on his tray and nudging my water glass aside. With a damp cloth, he swiftly wiped away the crumbs. Perplexed by his sudden need to clean my table, I turned my head to regard him.

“Are you … uh … Aren’t you going to answer?” he asked.

“No.” I had a bad feeling about the call, and apparently, it was written all over my face because the young man smiled with amusement.

“Are you expecting your death sentence? It can’t be that bad.”

I noticed the mole on his chin, and as he raised his brows, my gaze got lost in his storm-gray eyes, which had the same color as the sky outside. My prolonged and unabashed stare seemed to unsettle him because he threw the cloth on the tray and cleared his throat.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” He quickly retreated behind the bar.

My phone continued vibrating.

Just get it over with.

I answered the call, pressing the phone to my ear. “Hello?” My heart rate raced as I held my breath.

“Juri? Hey. It’s me. Peter Keller.”

“Hello.” My voice dropped an octave, and I didn’t sound as confident as I had intended.

“So, I’ve discussed the situation with the management, and we’ve concluded that we can’t continue the contract with you.”

The news hit me like a hammer blow. My legs felt weak as the room spun around me. “But …”

“It’s not possible, Juri. I’m sorry. Our company stands for traditional values, and your side job …”

“What I do in my free time shouldn’t matter at all. Besides, it hasn’t affected my work in any way so far.”

“I’m sorry. We’re terminating the employment immediately. Since you’re still in the probation period, we’re releasing you for the last seven days.”

“What?”

“Please come by on Tuesday to collect your personal belongings and hand over the key. We’ll provide you with a reference letter by then. It will help you find a new training position.”

“Who’s going to hire me after this?!”

“You’re good, Juri. We’re confident you’ll find something. And my personal advice to you: Use this time to reconsider your lifestyle. With your history, you’ll have a hard time in the job market. We’ll see you on Tuesday. Come by around noon.” And with that, he hung up.

For a fleeting moment, it felt like I was free falling. Then, the force of gravity slammed back, enclosing me from all directions. Once again, I was back at square one. I had invested so much hope in this cooking apprenticeship, only to have my past once again thwart me. Damn it! And I hadn't even done anything illegal. It was just a casual drink with a client. If I had known I'd run into my boss there, with a male escort by his side, I would have chosen a different bar. But fate had other plans. My client happened to be an acquaintance of his, and passing off as his son wasn’t an option. Two bosses and me, a male escort. It was foolish of me to hope for anything better.

I still held the phone to my ear, paralyzed. After a moment, I slowly moved the phone away and stared at the display. Ican’t believe he just hung up. Anger surged within me until the pressure became unbearable, and I exploded.

“Fuck you!” I shouted into the phone, drawing the attention of the entire café. People looked at me in horror from all directions, except for the blond waiter who stood behind the counter, smiling. “What?” I shouted in a challenging tone, hoping everyone would go back to minding their own business. “Damn shit!” I slammed the phone down and rubbed my face with both hands.

The apprenticeship was my ticket out, and I was confident I would become a good chef. I had stumbled upon this apprenticeship almost by chance. Who would have thought they would be so rigid, and company policy would ruin everything for me?

That’s illegal, isn’t it?

But it didn’t matter anymore. Even with an excellent reference, it would be difficult to find a new apprenticeship, especially if you were let go during the probation period.

I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. It started raining outside, and the day was as gloomy as it hadn’t been in a long time. I had spent half the afternoon here because my nutrition class at school was canceled. Everyone had been looking forward to the weekend, but I knew I still had a phone call with the head chef ahead of me.

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