My weird experience in Lava.

So last week, a new restaurant in Cedar Rapids opened up: Lava. It claims to be a latin-asian fusion restaurant. It's owned by the same people as Cibo, who happen to be my neighbors. I know exactly what every room in the restaurant looks like, but I've never eaten there.

Last Sunday, I thought maybe I could get an application there to be a host because they advertised that they were hiring. I drove over and pulled into the parking lot. No one was there, which I found to be a bit peculiar, because it was around 10:30 on a Sunday morning, just enough before lunchtime that some staff should be around. I awkwardly walked up to the door, assuming I would pull the handle, it would be locked, and then I could just turn around and go home without anyone seeing me. The door opened, though. I slowly stepped in and saw that it was dark aside from the light let in from all of the windows. Asking for applications is always awkward, I dreaded doing this. In my head I wanted to just turn around and go home, but my feet kept walking. I was relieved to see that no one was at the front counter and not within sight. I stood a few feet from the counter for about thirty seconds, but no one came to the front. Maybe I just wasn't heard walking in, so they were all in the back. Its a new restaurant: there's lots of work to be done. I let out a cliche impatient cough hoping that would cue someone to come and greet me. Silence. You could hear the cars driving by outside in the distance. It was time to step out of my comfort zone: "....Hello?" Still nothing. I tried again, but louder. "HELLO?" Not a soul heard me. I realized I was alone in an unlocked restaurant.
When I was younger, I often found myself wandering off and exploring. My favorite thing to explore were schools because of the unlimited corridors and staircases that could be. I've never really had a fear of getting lost or being by myself. I would just dart off with the goal of mapping out the school. I wouldn't say that I was weird, just adventurous.
So naturally, my first instinct was to walk around the restaurant. I walked alongside the bar and the small adjacent booths. It kind of looked like a rip-off of old jazz clubs. Lava is the kind of place my mom and her friends would probably hang out. The rest of the restaurant was just tables and was explored from one glance. I walked into the empty kitchen. The restaurant had only been open one night before so it was in very clean shape. The kitchen looked exactly like you would expect it: stainless steel everywhere and lots and lots of cooktops. I noticed that there wasn't a shortage of knives, which made me instantly paranoid that there would be a serial killer lurking in the building with me. I quickly ditched, but on the way out saw I cup full of pens and took one. I needed a memento of this weird event.