Page 23 of Here & There

She has to be exhausted. “You should get some rest, Shelby. It’s been a day.”

She laughs softly. “You know, Richard told me the same thing earlier. But somehow it feels better coming from you.”

I don’t know how to take that except to once again despise this man I’ve never met and simultaneously puff up my chest just a little at the idea that she likes my word over his.

When we hang up, I feel bereft.

But when I turn around, Lana’s standing in the door, an eyebrow up.

“The hell?” I say, startled.

“Who was that, boss?” Lana pulls on her apron. At thirty-eight, Lana’s my age and also a single parent, with two small girls. Like Chris, my other server, she’s a royal pain in my ass. The two of them are deeply invested in what they call Operation Find Mac a Wife. I let them have their fun since they’re so picky they’ve never actually done anything practical about their plans.

But somehow, I know they’re going to have a field day with Shelby.

Which can’t happen.

She’s still waiting for me to tell her who was on the phone.

“No one. And it’s none of your beeswax who your boss talks to.” I stride past her out of the office.

“Don’t boss me. And it sure didn’t sound like no one. I haven’t heard you sound that soft since…well, never, actually.”

I grit my teeth as I head for the kitchen, ignoring her. When I get there, I bend down to inspect the floor under the sink.

My cook looks up from where he’s pulling items out of the fridge. “Everything okay?” he asks.

“Tell me if you see a necklace,” I say.

Jed, who’s a big fuckin’ gossip, waggles his brows at Lana, who’s followed me back here.

“Yours?” Lana deadpans.

“Jesus. No, not mine.” I turn around and prop my hands on my hips. “Listen. There’s going to be someone here over the next few weeks looking at upgrading the bar.”

“Upgrading?” Lana’s suddenly serious. “You mean all the menu updates you’ve been working on?”

I scowl. “Maybe. I don’t know. Getting the place ready for Oysterfest. Just answer her questions and be nice.”

Lana and Jed exchange a look.

“She might say I’ve got redundancies on the staff,” I warn.

One of Lana’s eyebrows lifts. “She?”

I throw up my hands. “Seriously? I could fire you right now if I wanted to.”

“No you couldn’t,” Lana says. “I used to be a lawyer.”

“Well, just…stop it,” I say as I stalk past her. “And she doesn’t know shit,” I say to Jed, who’s leaning in to see what Lana might share.

It’s just a little business arrangement. Nothing more.

Nothing. More.

Chapter 6

Shelby

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