Cannoli

It started on a really off day.

It was a Saturday, and I was late for work…because it was Saturday. I was on dinner shift, so my roommates were getting ready to party. I got locked out of the bathroom, where my uniform was, while one of them showered. So I ran into work and clocked in fifteen minutes late- my only tardy this semester.

I picked up an apron and headed over to where the schedule was posted for the day.

….I couldn’t find my name.

So I ran into the office, and talked to the scheduler. As I was explaining my situation, I realized what an idiot I had been. I had looked at Sunday’s schedule…and it was Saturday. I didn’t know how to tell the scheduler that without sounding like an idiot, so I made up lame excuses. “Well, maybe I didn’t look hard enough, I am really tired…”

She got up and checked the schedule. “Here’s why you didn’t see your name, you’re over in Envy today.”

“…Envy is pasta, right?” Envy is the toppings bar.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

So I went out to work…but I headed over to Swirl, the dessert bar, instead. Over there, I was confronted by one of the full-time workers, wondering where over there I was supposed to be working. I repeated my position over and over, and he kept arguing that there was no such thing. It took me a full minute to process the problem. “…this isn’t Envy. Right. I knew that.” I apologized profusely, and tried to explain that this day wasn’t exactly going my way. The guy gave me a sympathetic look. “Don’t go anywhere yet.” He walked over to a tray of cookies he had just pulled from the oven, and handed me one. “Since you’re having a bad day,” he explained.

I was hesitant to take it. “Will I get in trouble?”

He turned to a student manager that was walking by. “See this cookie? I am FORCING her to eat it. So don’t get mad at her.

The manager nodded and resumed whatever she had been doing. The guy was still holding out the cookie. I took it and quickly stuffed it in my mouth. It was quite good. I gave him an awkward hug and ran off to Envy- the right one, this time.

Since then, desserts have been kind of a running joke between me and him. Every time I see him, I ask him what’s for dessert, and if he’s going to share it with me. And…he does. One day, I saw him making the cannoli cream for the crepe bar, and asked him about it. After the commons closed, he took me out to the dessert bar, and scooped some leftover cannoli onto a chocolate chip cookie. IT. WAS. AMAZING. He follows his own recipe for the cannoli, he told me.

It keeps happening now. I joke about dessert bar stuff, and he comes over with cannoli and big spoons and tells me to eat it. Nobody seems to mind, for some reason. There are usually managers around, but they don’t say anything about it…

And then on Tuesday, I was cutting food for prep, and suddenly he’s standing next to me. He’s carrying a container of chocolate mousse, and he’s got a big spoonful which he is sticking in my face. I was startled. I hadn’t seen him that day, and hadn’t had the chance to joke about desserts.

“I need someone to taste this!” he said. “Do you want more?”

…so I guess I’m the dessert taste tester now…not complaining. Not at all.