The diner was quiet, the kind of place where the hum of the ceiling fan was the loudest sound in the room.
Ethan sat in a booth near the window, his coffee cooling in front of him.
A breeze wafted in from the open door, carrying the faint scent of freshly cut grass from the park across the street.
It was a rare moment of peace after a whirlwind of a week.
Ethan pulled out his phone, the cracked screen glinting in the afternoon light. He scrolled through his messages, scanning the responses to the ads he'd posted yesterday.
The week had been a turning point. After making over $7,000 in seven days, he knew it was time to expand — and to do that, he needed help.
Running a single truck had nearly killed him; managing multiple trucks would be impossible alone.
So, he'd taken the plunge. The system had recommended it, after all, highlighting the qualities to look for in potential employees: reliability, adaptability, and a love for good food.
He glanced at the stack of printed vests sitting beside him. They were simple, with the logo of his food truck — a stylized taco and burger — emblazoned on the chest, they were also on the trucks he refurbished and the first one he owned – he had done all of that yesterday as well.
He had paid for them yesterday, eager to make his new hires feel like part of something real.
The interviews had been a mix of nerve-wracking and enlightening. Each candidate had brought something unique to the table, and Ethan had done his best to act professional, despite his old phone sitting awkwardly in his pocket like a dirty secret.
The first was a woman in her thirties named Kara. She had a no-nonsense demeanor and years of experience working in restaurants.
Her sharp wit had caught Ethan off guard, but her practical nature was exactly what he needed.
Then there was Danny, a fresh-faced college dropout with a passion for cooking. He had talked nonstop about flavor profiles and the "art" of grilling, his enthusiasm almost contagious.
Finally, there was Luis, a middle-aged man with a calm presence and a background in logistics.
He had worked as a delivery driver for years and seemed unflappable, which Ethan appreciated.
Each of them had been recommended by the system, and so far, it hadn't steered him wrong.
Ethan scrolled through his notes on each candidate, nodding to himself.
He remembered how he'd handed each of them a printed recipe sheet at the end of their interviews, his handwriting scrawled in the margins with little tips and tricks he'd picked up over the past week.
"These are the recipes we use," he had told them, his tone firm but friendly. "Stick to them, but don't be afraid to add your own flair once you've got the basics down. I want this to feel like more than just a job for you."
Kara had given him a sharp nod, Danny had grinned ear to ear, and Luis had simply said, "Got it."
Now, as he sat in the diner, Ethan let out a small sigh of relief. It felt good to have a plan, to feel like he was finally taking control of his life.
The waitress approached his table, a notepad in hand. "Need a refill?" she asked, gesturing to his coffee.
"Yeah, thanks," Ethan replied, sliding the mug toward her.
She filled it with a practiced ease, the rich aroma wafting up as the dark liquid swirled in the cup.
"You seem deep in thought," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Just thinking about work," Ethan said with a small smile.
She chuckled. "On a Sunday? That's dedication."
"You could say that," he replied, taking a sip of the fresh coffee.
As the afternoon wore on, Ethan kept going over his plans. Tomorrow would be the start of something new — not just for him, but for the people he had hired.
He had already assigned each of them a truck. The system had highlighted the best locations for the trucks to operate, and Ethan had spent the better part of yesterday mapping out routes and schedules.
It wasn't just about selling food anymore. It was about building a business.
By the time Ethan left the diner, the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, casting the streets in a warm, golden glow.
He walked back to his apartment, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the quiet.
When he got home, he tossed his phone onto the couch and grabbed the stack of recipe sheets he had printed out.
"Time to make this official," he muttered, sitting down at the table.
He spent the next hour carefully writing out instructions for each of his new hires, detailing everything from food prep to customer service.
When he finally finished, Ethan leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes.
It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.