If you have ever worked in a restaurant, you are probably aware, they are a drama factory. It's been so long since I've worked in the real world that I don't know if all work places are like this- but restaurants are notorious for it. Alot of it is fueled because restaurant workers are also notorious for their after-work social life. (ok, a big majority like to party together, and they can be pretty wild at times.) Friendships and relationships form, and some fall apart.

As a manager I am strictly forbidden from "fratinizing" with our crew- so I just get the second hand stories of what so-and-so did at so-and-so's party or whatever. I am too old for this kind of crap now days, so I don't miss it too much anyway.

I don't normally share the daily drama from work here, but this is too much. I am compelled. Wecolme to another facinating episode of, "As the Lobster Turns". (I have changed the names to protect the "innocent")

We have a server "Cody", who has been living with "Josh" for over a year now as roomate. Josh use to work with us too, which is how Cody met Josh. Josh quit at the end of last summer, just a few weeks before he graduated from the University here in town. Josh was becoming less and less dependable at work, and by the time he just stopped showing up for his shifts, we were on the edge of firing him anyway. Because he was getting close to graduating, he no longer NEEDED this job, and came to work with a poor, "I-don't- give-a-crap" attitude.

And so eventually, Josh quit showing up, (no loss to us) and got an introductory level job at Catapillar- the factory that this town is founded on. He talked about his new position and how he lucked out because a family member had pulled some strings. His starting salary was $69,000+ a year.

Meanwhile, he and Cody remained roomates. They had had other roomates come and go, but finally settled on an apartment with just the two of them. Cody has maintained his job with us, and has been a good employee.

I drove by the restaurant Thursday night, and noticed a UHaul parked out back. I had stopped across the street for gas, and stood looking at the Uhaul as I pumped. It reminded me of my own upcoming need for a truck. I assumed it was a guest's. It was not.

I came in to work today and got the low-down.

Cody came home Thursday afternoon as the landlord was moving all their things to the curb. Apparently, Josh had not been paying the rent for some time. He would stop into work when rent was due, collect it from Cody, and pocket the money instead of paying the landlord.

I naturally asked, "what was Josh doing with this money, when he was already making so much?" Well Cody was asking the same question. So when Josh found out that he was busted- he went into hiding. He wouldn't return any calls, and would only text message with Cody.

Cody decided to get in touch with Josh's parents. Cody was understandibly angry and not going to be avoided forever- he wanted answers. He got them.

Josh was not only never employed by CAT (he had been leaving the house every day as if going to work for almost a year, and had went suit shopping with one of our female servers at one point), but he had never even finished a full year at our local community college.

Josh's parents had been giving him money to live on, and had no idea he was living this lie with Cody. Apparently Josh has a history of being not-so-stable, and was thought to be taking medication to help. No one is sure if Josh has been taking it or not at this point.

I can not imagine what it is like to live with a person for over a year and have almost everything you know about them be a lie.

I can also not imagine what it is like to do the things Josh did. I hope that he is able to get his life back under control, and I hope that this is- at some level- a relief that keeping up all the lies is over with.

***

Just another day at the races.

Kristen