It was at the beginning of the summer, circa 1985, and Pete had just returned home from university. He would have enjoyed spending the entire summer lazing around and taking it easy, but he needed a job. University was expensive and although his parents helped out with the bulk of the cost, they didn't have the money to allow for anything other than the essentials. He wanted to earn some extra cash for clothing, movies, social events, and a myriad of other things that you can't get without money in your pocket. He'd written to several companies and prospective employers while he was still in school, but none had responded with a job offer.
He was just about to embark on a visit to several small businesses in the area in search of a job, when the phone rang. He picked up hurriedly and offered a terse, "Hello."
A loud, excited voice on the other end replied, "Pete! You're home from school at last. Are you going to be home for the whole summer?"
Pete recognized the voice immediately. It was John, his best friend. John was also going to university, but in another state. "John! How are you buddy?" he replied exuberantly.
"Just fine Pete! I'm doing great! I just got home last night. I thought I'd give you a call this morning to see what you've got on for the summer. Are you going to be working?"
Pete sighed, and in a voice immersed in disappointment replied, "I wish! I haven't left a stone unturned in my search, but there just doesn't seem to be anything out there. What are you doing for the summer?"
John chuckled gleefully. "I'm a happy guy Pete. My aunt and uncle decided they're going to run their old upstate diner this summer. Aunt Mable called me last night and asked if I'd be interested in being one of the servers. I jumped at the chance. I'd already tried all of the things you've tried and came up empty as well. While I was talking with Aunt Mable, she mentioned that they have a woman who lives up there who's going to be a server as well, but they'd like to have one more on staff. I told her you might be interested and I'd talk to you about it today. What do you say buddy?"
Pete was almost speechless. "Hell yeah John! I was just sitting here lamenting how sad my sophomore year was going to be when I was too broke to buy toilet paper. When do I start?"
"Umm, that's the thing Pete. We have to start right away." John replied. "Aunt Mable and Uncle Jack want to leave tomorrow so they can get things up and running for an early opening. Aunt Mable figures this will be their last year of operating the old restaurant. They've had it for years now and it's getting to be a little too much for them at their age. They're going to put it up for sale at the end of the season."
The next morning Pete was waiting on the front porch when Aunt Mable, Uncle Jack and John, drove up in a van. He stowed his bags in the back and two minutes later the four of them were off to cottage country. John's aunt and uncle had owned the small diner for the past 8 years. Each year they'd go up and run it for just the months of summer. It was located in the Northern Lakes region and they originally ran across it when they rented a cottage that was located near it. When it came up for sale a few years later, they decided to buy it. It was well located and enjoyed an excellent reputation and a high level of customer traffic. It was a small diner, seating only 30 to 35 people but it usually operated close to capacity from late June to early September. There was no competition to speak of and, as John's aunt and uncle were retiring at the end of that year, they decided to buy the little business to bolster their retirement income and give them something to do.
John and Pete were lifelong friends. They'd met on their first day in kindergarten and formed a friendship that had endured from that day right through to this particular summer. They were both 18 years old and had just finished their first year of university. They were going to different universities but had managed to maintain their friendship through regular telephone and mail contact. The two had few other acquaintances and were inseparable best friends. They had never been a part of the popular group and tended to be somewhat shy and retreating in social settings. It's likely that their natural shyness was a good part of the reason why they spent so much time together. They had a lot in common and never felt any pier pressure when they were in each other's company.
John's aunt and uncle traditionally handled meal planning and preparation and usually hired a few local kids to help out with serving duties. This year, they knew that John would be needing some extra money to help out with the cost of university and had offered him a job.
John's aunt and uncle had a one bedroom travel trailer that they slept in each summer while they were at the diner. There wasn't enough room for John and Pete, so they set up a family sized tent in the wooded area behind the restaurant. The tent was a heavy canvas model with plenty of room for the two of them and with summers by the lake being so mild, they would be quite comfortable. The tent was divided into three areas, with two smaller areas for sleeping and a larger common area for eating and relaxing. Each boy had his own bedroom and they slept on cots with comfortable mattresses.
Besides John and Pete, there was one other server. Her name was Millie. She was about 30 years old and lived in the area year around. Her husband was a trucker and spent weeks at a time on the road. She broke up the boredom of being alone for so much of the summer by working at the restaurant. She was quite attractive and had long brown hair, blue eyes, a flawless complexion, and an hour glass figure. John and Pete were immediately taken with her good looks and even more so by her stunning figure. Neither of them had been on more than one or two dates in their entire lives, so Millie never failed to get their attention any time she walked by. The two boys were virgins but it was a condition they were anxious to eliminate.
Once at the diner, it took John's aunt and uncle no time to get the little restaurant fixed up and ready for business. The gas, water and electric people showed up on the first morning and all of the stoves and fridges were running by noon. They'd placed a sign on the front lawn a week earlier, announcing that the diner would be opening and, at the same time, they placed a notice on the local radio station and in the newspaper. A lot of work went into scrubbing, polishing and cleaning over the balance of the day, but by late afternoon the little restaurant was ready for the next morning's breakfast crowd.