Some time passed. Jamie sat without moving. Victor came from the kitchen with a platter of food, short flat noodles twisted in the middle mixed with bitter greens and tinned and fresh fish, the fresh cut in strips and rings, all in a sauce—white, not red—and spread over with finely shaved cheese. A loaf of hard crusted bread. Left all this with Jamie eating it and went again into the back, not waiting for any comment. Reappeared as Jamie mopped the platter with the last crust and took it up and placed down a plate with a chop of meat on it, the meat covered with a thin pale brown sauce and some kind of mushrooms. The meat was not pork and not beef and Jamie had no idea what he was eating but he ate and it was good. And finally Victor came back again with another platter, this time of pickled vegetables and slices of meat and cheeses and he removed the plate with the chop bone on it to the next table and set the new platter down and then sat across from Jamie and helped himself to food. And Jamie was not sure if this was Victor’s food or if he was meant to share it so he sat back and placed his napkin on the tableside and his hands over his belly. Victor looked at him and gestured to the platter and said, “Antipasto. Try some with me.”

Jamie took some up with his fingers and ate. He liked it and said so. Then both were quiet until the platter was empty. Both sat back. Jamie raised his hands up and locked his fingers behind his head. He said, “That was good. All of it. Now, I bet that was a two-three dollar meal.”

Victor lifted both hands into the air, fingers spread. “No charge. On the house. I got no work for you. I got nothing needs doing. No sweeping up, nothing to wash, nothing to carry off. Nothing needs nothing.”

“What makes you think I wanted work?”

He shrugged as if it was obvious. “You got nothing to do. Around all the time. Knowing nothing. Going where you don’t belong. Nice clothes but so. The food, that is for your curiosity. And walking back in here after last night. Either stupid or brave and maybe both. So, I give you the food. Maybe you learn a little something. It’s a favor to you.”

Jamie nodded. Took the money clip from his inside coat pocket and without ceremony or show stripped out four dollar bills and laid them flat on the side of the table. “I pay my way Victor. What you think of me, you’re only right so far. I did come back because of the food. And also because I want work. But I’m not talking about swamping this joint out or scrubbing up after you. Now, the thing is, you know what kind of work I want and I know you’ve got some of that going on. And those two things don’t add up to a job for me just like that. And you’re right—there’s plenty I don’t know. But I got a couple things going for me, things you consider enough you might find a use for. One, I’m quick to learn, to put the pieces together. Two, I’m new and don’t look like the kind of fellow’d be working with you. So. You think about that.”