Gratuity Not Included

Three years after high school graduation and after quitting college, childhood friends Marcelo and Barry find themselves waiting on tables at the popular Vineyard Restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL. A year earlier they had made a pact to work, save and open their own place, but Barry’s wasteful spending had derailed those plans. One evening Barry is captivated by Emily, a new waitress on vacation from her studies at Miami State, but her eyes are set on Marcelo. Soon their lives soon intertwine in the summer of 1978 – a season that would bear rewards for heroism, the bliss of romantic love, and the despair of insanity. "Gratuity Not Included" will strike a cord with every reader who has questioned the best-laid plans, has been inspired by love, or has been bound by loyalty.