Page 11 of Before the Storm
“It’s going to be a fine line with what I tell Mom.” If Phoenix told his mom exactly what he was thinking, she’d be over every day to check in with Janelle. If he told her nothing, she’d bedoing her damndest to make them a couple. But being vague could be worse because then his mom might believe he was keeping secrets and that didn’t go over well in his family.
“She’s so busy being a grandma and trying to help Hensley at the office, so she might stay out of your business,” Maverick said.
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time,” Phoenix said. “I’m going to go downstairs and see how Janelle is doing.”
“All right. I’m going to go through the morning receipts. I’ll chat with you later.”
Phoenix made his way down the stairs. He leaned against the bar and watched as Janelle hustled to help the waitresses and busboys get ready for the next crowd. He understood her job today was to impress her new boss. Make a good impression with the rest of the staff and do a good job for the customers.
She hit all three and then some.
While she carried herself with a sense that she could do any task, she didn’t exude confidence. She did look people in the eye, but she didn’t always hold that stare. Her gaze dropped to the floor or shifted somewhere else. During the initial rush, she got flustered once and one of the waitresses got short with her. Janelle immediately became quiet and apologetic for something she had no control over.
“Need anything, boss?” Jack, the bartender and one of their managers, asked.
“I’m good, thanks,” Phoenix said. “What do you think of the new girl?”
“She’s good. If I’m busy, she doesn’t mind coming back here and getting water, soda, drinks, whatever she needs. I can see one or two of the other girls getting a little pissy about Janelle taking the initiative, but we know who they are.”
“Yeah, we do. And one of them is on thin ice.” Phoenix and his brothers were close to firing one of the girls. A discussion they had yet to have. They’d had a couple of employees leave forvarious reasons, but they had yet to have to fire anyone. Perhaps Janelle was exactly what Pamela needed. “Maybe this will give Pam an incentive to do better.”
“Or be more of a bitch,” Jack said. “Sorry, boss. But you’re missing one key element when it comes to Pam. She’s crushing on you hard.”
“That hasn’t gone over my head. Trust me. And now she’s texting me privately. Something I need to deal with.” Phoenix cringed as Pam sashayed across the bar area, waving with a smirky smile that he wondered if it was supposed to be sexy. “But for now, I choose to ignore it.”
Pam had been around for a while. When she first started at Blue Moon, she’d been a decent waitress. Not great, but she got the job done. He hadn’t seen how badly she wanted to date him, which was never going to happen.
Not because she wasn’t attractive, because she was quite pretty. But looks didn’t mean much. She could be kind. She was good to the customers, which mattered. However, she was highly competitive and not always in a good way when it came to the other waiters and waitresses. She spoke too much about herself in a bragging fashion. She tended to be tone deaf in conversations, making them about herself and not the topic at hand.
Phoenix did his best to keep his distance both at work and in town. However, she managed to be at every turn. She was there if he went out with a buddy for a beer somewhere else. She strolled in with her friends if he hung late at Blue Moon when it wasn’t his turn to work. And she was always flirting with him, dropping hints on where she lived and what she’d be doing the next day.
It was gross and kind of pathetic.
“How’s that working for ya, boss?” Jack chuckled. “Because the more you avoid telling her that she’s delusional, the moreshe’s going to keep giving you that look and telling the rest of us it’s just a matter of time before she’s shedding the apron and being the boss’ wife.”
Phoenix dropped his chin to his chest and groaned. “Please tell me she’s not saying that to other employees.”
“Oh, she has,” Jack said. “And look, here she comes all smiley and weird.”
“Wonderful,” Phoenix mumbled.
“Hi, Phoenix. How are you today?” Pam leaned against the counter, smiling wide and pushing her chest out.
“I’m good. Looks like we had a decent breakfast and lunch crowd,” he said.
“Things are picking up, that’s for sure.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I was surprised you hired someone so quickly. I don’t mean to question your judgment or anything, but she seems a little green. I’ve been helping her out and I’m sure she’ll get it. But I thought you would have interviewed a few more girls.” She tilted her head. “Like a friend of mine that I told about the position who was going to come in this afternoon.”
“I’m sorry about your friend.” Phoenix wanted to burst out laughing over some of Pam’s comments. They were beyond comical, especially regarding Janelle’s work ethic. “I hadn’t realized you’d recommended someone for the position. However, it’s been filled. If something comes up again, I’ll let you know and give that person first opportunity.”
“I appreciate that.” She rested her elbows on the bar, which only accentuated her breasts. “Do you have big plans tomorrow night?”
“I’ll be working.”
“I’m having a small gathering at my place. I’d love it if you could make it.”
“It’s not a good time for me.”
“How about another night?” she asked. “We could go out for drinks and maybe a movie or something.”
