Page 33 of The Charming Checklist
“You’re supposed to go on your break,” Max ordered. “Now, Brian.”
“I’m just supposed to leave you two amateurs back here?”
“You have to,” Max said. “It’s the law. And Sam will be back soon. Go. I can handle this.”
“No, you can’t.” Brian removed his apron and saluted. “But what the heck. Here, Ava. Do your best.”
Ava tied the apron on which was at least two sizes too big for her. Max turned to her in between working on an iron skillet. “You get out of here too. I’ll be fine.”
“I can’t go. I’m not leaving you. You’ve got an unruly and hungry crowd out there. You don’t want a mob.”
“They can always gohomeand eat if they want faster service. Or drive through the Golden Arches.”
“I know you don’t mean that, seeing as that might slowly put you out of business.” She rubbed her hands together and wondered what she should do first.
Washing her hands seemed like a great first step.
Valerie and Debbie were grabbing plates from under the heating lamp so quickly it was soon empty. Best get to working on another order. She picked one off the carousel. Fortunately, this looked like Valerie’s clear and neat handwriting.
“Easy. This is just an order of sweet potato fries.”
“I mean it. Get out of here. I don’t have time to argue with you,” Max said.
“I’m not going to leave a friend high and dry. You need me, Max. It’s okay that you can’t admit it.”
Ava looked for the bag of frozen fries in the freezer and the refrigerator. No dice. Meanwhile, Max had finished the skillet platter and was working on a steak.
“Um, Max? Hmm. I can’t find the sweet potato fries in the freezer.”
Hand on her back, he steered her to a plastic covered container of freshly cut sweet potato fries in the refrigerator.
“Oh, nice. Gosh, no wonder they always taste so good.” She found the fry basket and stuck some in, then lowered it until she heard the sizzle. “Okay. That’s done.”
“I don’t have insurance to cover you back here.” Max took another slip of paper from the carousel. “Get out.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t sue.”
“Ava, damn it.”
“This is all my fault. I blame myself.”
“How’s that?” He had time to quirk a brow before he set the steak on a plate, then headed for the salad fixings.
“If not for you trying to cheer me up, we wouldn’t have been on the boardwalk last night. You wouldn’t have seen Nick and that woman. Last night I should have talked you into giving Nick another chance. Then you wouldn’t be in this position.”
“I regret nothing.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t reject my help then.” She went hands on hips.
“Ava!” He came around her so fast that he nearly knocked her down. “You forgot to flip the timer. These are ready.”
Oh lord of the fries! They were indeed ready. “Sorry. I won’t do that again.”
With what she imagined to be great restraint, Max didn’t bite her head off. “That’s okay. It took me a few hours to get into the swing of this.”
“You’ve been here all morning? When doyouget a break?”
“The boss doesn’t get a break.”
