My name is Toby Vinzenni and I just turned eleven last month. Some would say that is too young to intern, but I would simply tell them that I have mad skills and they should mind their own business. My dad, and it still feels strange to call him that, says I am incorrigible and that he appreciates that about me even though sometimes it drives him crazy. He's the best dad I could ever have lucked into. We are definitely found family.
Anyway, as I said, I am in intern with Chef Igneia in The Rookery dining complex. We run twelve restaurants ranging from an automat to a five-star dining experience and Chef is looking to add a few more. She can't stand the idea that other Chefs might be in her territory. So far, Sals has allowed Chef to take over restaurants as the leases run out, but I personally feel that streak is about to end. The few restaurants that are left are owned or run by other wingers and no matter how much Sals loves Chef, she isn't going to let her run them out. I secretly feel that Chef does better with a challenger around.
So if she's all that, how did I end up being her intern? at eleven? I was hand selected. I made an order at one of her restaurants and she decided that I had a palate worth training, which I do. The internship is tough though. She has me in the kitchen doing mise en place and other tasks, but she also has me taste test at least one meal a night prior to serving in the restaurant we are in that night. Randomly she will get the chef in charge to 'forget' an ingredient in the dish I am tasting and it's my job to figure out what that ingredient is and how much should be added for optimal flavor.
I'm not gonna lie. I love it. It's exciting and I love the flavors she creates and I get paid to do it. That's about as good as it gets. It does take up quite a bit of time though and lately dad's been getting on my case to get home on time. He says if I'm not home by 7 pm sharp he's gonna have to go to Ms. Felicia about it. Felicia Hughs is the Superintendant of The Academy, the school I'm going to now.
Maybe I should back up a bit. Tony's not my biological father. My biological parents threw me out when I transformed. They have some serious prejudices about those who are transformed and they couldn't have a daughter who was a gargoyle...or really any transformed form. I was tossed out like the trash and for a while, I believed it, ya know? Then one day I ran into Tony. He took me in and reminded me that not everyone is a jerkwad. He had no reason to take me in, but he did. He even adopted me and gave me his name in order to keep me safe from those people who gave me life. I would say that they'll wish they hadn't shoved me away, but I know better. They never think of me at all. I wish I could say the same. Still, I have a great life now. I am super lucky to have so many people who love me.
Anyway, dad's getting irritated that I am getting home late. He feels that we need to have some family time and I need to get my homework done and get to bed at a 'reasonable' hour. I have a secret though. I am doing it on purpose, and I have Chef on my side too. Chef, Sherry, and I are conspiring to hook up dad and Ms. Felicia!!! Sherry Bellcraft is Ms. Felicia's executive secretary.
Now you know all the main conspirators and our plan. Now for some backstory about how this all came about!
When dad was first trying to get me to stay at The Academy, he wasn't planning on adopting me. His main goal was to get me off the streets. He tried to sell me on the place by taking me on a tour, and that's where I met Ms. Felicia for the first time. She took us on a tour of The Academy. I would have had to have been completely blind to have missed that these two were hung up on each other. It was equally obvious that neither one of them was going to make a move. At the time, I had other things on my mind, but now I have settled into life with dad, school, and my internship with Chef. It was time to help dad to find a little joy for himself outside of me. [HA!] I wasn't sure exactly how to make it all work out though.
Part of Chef's job is to cater events for bigwigs in The Rookery. I was helping one evening with finger foods for some soiree between The Rookery and local New Houston politicians. Tony was there overseeing security, and Ms. Felicia was there representing The Academy. They were all decked out. Dad was wearing an impeccably tailored black suit that fit him perfectly. In my old life, I saw a lot of society, so yes, I do know these things at eleven. Ms. Felicia was wearing a conservative, flowing gown in a shade of blue that brought out the yellow tones in her wings to their best display. There was no doubt it was a Jacqueline Harver original design and it was perfect on her and complimented not only her figure but her personality. Dad couldn't keep his eyes off her, and she stole more than one peek at him. I heard Chef making tutting noises and looked over to see a slight frown as she contemplated them sneaking peeks at each other. She turned to me, "This simply won't do. Those two need to be together."
One of my favorite things about Chef is that she never talks to me like she thinks I'm eleven. In her eyes, age is not even a thing to be considered. She talks to literally everyone in the same way. You may not like her way, but it's completely equitable. I love her for it.
"I agree," I said.
"How can we make this be a thing? I have no skills with this, but even I see that they are smitten."
"I'm not sure, Chef. I have no personal experience. We will find a way though!"
"Not without me, you won't." We heard a new voice chime in and turned to find Sherry standing next to us looking at dad and Felicia too. I knew Sherry because I had to give her a time sheet every week in order to get my paycheck. She was always smiling and friendly. I really liked her even before this.
And so, a pact was formed. We three would find a way to kick start this romance!
We exchanged phone numbers and emails so that we could stay in touch. We decided to try exposure first. The more they see each other the more likely they will be that they realize what it is that they are feeling. To that end, I had suggested to dad that he should get involved with the school in the Academy Parent Organization [APO]. I pointed out that he would have a more active role in my education, and would be able to help shape the curriculum for those, like us, who were not entirely wingers. My dad is a big softy and he has an affinity for the underdog. He really believes in equity. It makes me so proud.
He took my suggestion. That put them in each other's way once a month. I didn't attend the meetings, of course, but Sherry did and she reported to Chef and me about how it went each time. Sherry, as Ms. Felicia's executive secretary, scheduled her days. She would feed Chef and I times when meetings could happen. One day it might be when she was going to be at lunch at one of Tony's favorite places, and I would arrange for him to be too busy to make a lunch. That worked a few times and Chef would report how it went. That wasn't too reliable but they did run into each other in time to eat together once and exchanged some conversation a few other times.
I would let Sherry know when dad would make his rounds when I could find his schedule. She would try to arrange for Ms. Felicia to give tours to new faculty or prospective parents. That would work every time for a brief meet and greet. Our latest, longer-term plan was for me to work late with Chef to drive dad to go have a talk with Ms. Felicia about my internship. Dad was starting to get annoyed so that could work. The risk was that I would have to stop the internship, but Sherry and Chef both felt they could talk dad and Ms. Felicia around it if came to that. Having seen these ladies in action, I completely agree.
What I don't get is why they don't get it. I mean they are always glancing at each other and away. It's pretty cute actually. I hope they still do that when they finally figure out they need to be dating. Sherry says if this goes on too much longer we may have to arrange for them to be stuck in an elevator together. Okay, I know that's silly. Wingers don't take elevators, but I get her point. If they have to stay together, alone, for a while, surely one of them will say something, right?Chef says that maybe I should just tell him to ask her out. Huh. That's not a bad idea really. I need to get the timing right though.
Well, that didn't work out as expected! I asked dad last night why he wasn't dating anyone and ended up getting the birds and bees talk! Ew! Gross! Then I got a big long talk about how you should never have sex with someone you don't love, and how love takes time to grow between two people. D'uh!I think maybe he was deflecting, but maybe I at least put the idea in his head.
Nothing. A full two weeks and not only has the subject never come up again but there is no indication that he registered a thing. What next? Sherry says we should watch Rom Coms on Family movie night. I'm afraid though. If he thinks I am too interested I might get more 'conversation' about how to date and be in a relationship.There has to be some reason why he has never dated anyone while I've known him. I'll try asking him to tell me more about himself. Maybe that will help.
OMG! My poor dad! No wonder he works so hard to help those who are suffering or in trouble.When dad was young he lived in a horrible home. His mom was an alcoholic and his dad was always working and was cold and distant when he was around. When his mom got drunk, which sound like every day, she would smack him around and she had a habit of shutting him in his closet when he 'irritated' her. He didn't explicitly say so but I could tell he pretty much always irritated her. The kids in school also bullied him and tried to intimidate him. He said that a few times he tried to fight back, but let's be honest, dad doesn't really want to hurt anyone, then or now.
At eight, he started his transformation and he changed fast. By this time magic had been in the world long enough that everyone could tell what was going on. That didn't stop others from freaking out! As his skin started changing colors and the wings and horns grew, his school bullies started to back off from the physical conflict and move on to the verbal and emotional abuse; as did his mom. His dad walked out on them when he was nine and it all went downhill from there. Dad didn't like his mom but he still felt responsible for her, so as she became more and more distant and spent more time passed out, he would cook and care for her. Then the money started to run out.
When he was nine and three-quarters, some men showed up at the door. They wore suits and looked clean and, well, rich to his eyes. His mom sent him from the room, but he heard her talking to them. She basically sold him to them for a year's rent. He wasn't surprised really, but I think it broke his heart.
Dad went with the men with no argument. What was the point? He wasn't even ten, his dad had already left and his mom didn't want him. These guys at least wanted him enough to pay good money, and his mom would be taken care of for at least a year.
Dad ended up in a small barracks with four other gargoyles. They had a variety of skin tones and horn types, but they were all similar enough to him. They ranged in age from 7 to 12. There was Basil, the youngest, he was 7. Shasta was 9, like him. Trent was 11, and Andrea was 12. For years they were experimented on and trained in martial arts and weapons. They were well fed and cared for medically, but they were also put through the wringer and tested constantly. They were given all sorts of medical tests too. Since it was nearly impossible to get needles through their skin, they were often tied down while chisels broke open their skin so that samples could be taken. They were told it should be an honor to 'serve' their country by helping science to understand their special abilities. What total bullshit! This went on for eight years. EIGHT!
Dad said that on all changed one day when instead of their usual guards, men in blue uniforms entered their room. The 'operation' had been shut down. The kids, technically only Basil, Shasta, and Tony were still kids, were to come with them. They were transported in a big dark van without windows. Dad figured it was going to be just as bad, but when they got there they were ushered into a room with windows; sunlight streamed in. There weren't even any bars.
A woman walked in. She told them that what had been done to them was awful and immoral. She would never be able to make up for the time they had lost, but she promised she would see to it they were given great lives going forward. She said we would all get appropriate counseling, and she kept her word on that. She offered Trent and Andrea, as adults, training and/or employment for whatever they would like to do. She told Basil, Shasta, and dad that they would attend school and then they would be free to choose as well. She said that if they ever needed anything they should contact her. That winger was Sals! Dad was rescued from that black ops group by Sals! That woman is a scary, scary, rock star!And all of this goes a long way to explaining why dad never dates.
I have been thinking a bunch about dad and I'll be honest, for a bit, I felt like maybe, knowing all he's been through, I should just let it go. Then I thought better of it. Dad deserves happiness but at his age, if he hasn't figured that out by now he may not ever figure it out. I just need to show him, that's all. This one was tough because I didn't feel as though I should be sharing his story with the other ladies. I mean, that's way personal and he shared that with me. Hm. Maybe that's a sign that he's starting to let it go.
Our next plan is to get me into enough trouble with either dad or Ms. Felicia so that they'll have to actually talk to each other even if it is about me. So I am staying late at my internship and starting to miss family time. I'm gonna be honest, I love my internship, but I love family time more. It's really starting to bum me out and to make matters worse, it doesn't even seem to be working. Dad just mopes around looking sad.
Okay, I did it. I finally just got so sick and tired of the whole thing that I just said it while we were at family dinner on Friday. We always go to Together Time on Tuesdays. It was our way of getting a break during the week and it's a nice break from having to cook and clean up every night. It's set up so that each table has magical soundproofing. It's not so much about keeping the conversation private as it is keeping the volume down. It never dulls the sound entirely, it just has an upper decibel limit. Families love it!
We were sitting there chatting about school and my internship and his work. He had to break up a fight today. That doesn't happen too often, but today two people were fighting over the right of way in the air flow. Each thought he had the answer. Even though no one had gotten hurt in the near-collision, they opted to brawl about who was at fault for what had nearly happened. Dad broke them up and sent them on their way feeling a bit sheepish.
"You know, kiddo, I'm not sure I will ever understand people."
"Me neither, dad. Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, please!"
"Are you happy?"
"I'm about as happy as I can ever remember being. Having you in my life has brought about so many changes. I never thought I would have a family at all, and that if I did I would somehow screw it up. I mean, I didn't have the sort of family I would wish on anyone. If I had stopped to think about it, I probably wouldn't have adopted you, and kept living my solitary life. Just leaping in was the best thing that ever happened to me."
"Dad, I think you should ask Ms. Felicia on a date."
"What!?! Where did that come from? Why would I do that? What makes you think I should, or that she might agree?" He spluttered.
"I have seen the way you two look at each other when you don't think the other will see. I'm not the only one either. Several of us think the two of you should see how a date goes."
"Who? What others? Who all thinks that?!?"
"I'm not going to sell them out. It doesn't matter anyway. What matters is that you just told me that something you did because it felt right was the best thing that ever happened to you. I'm suggesting that maybe it would work again. Don't think about it, do what feels right."
"She's a beautiful woman who is doing work she loves and is always busy. I have little to offer her. I'm a single dad with a job that takes up a lot of time, sometimes at odd hours. Besides, what would she see in me?"
"Why don't you leave all that up to her? Give her a chance to actually turn you down before you turn you down for her. Do you want to ask her out?"
He was silent for a few minutes looking off into space.
"Yes."
I knew then that I had won. I had no idea when, or how long it would take him to do it, but he gave a simple and direct answer. He would get there eventually.
