Page 12 of Before the Storm
Jack let out a slight snicker, followed by a cough, and then he pounded his chest and cleared his throat. With more gusto than necessary, he cleaned the countertop.
“Let’s step outside for a second.” Phoenix pointed toward the outdoor patio. He stuffed his hands in his pockets because no way was he going to do the gentlemanly thing and guide her through the room. He did, however, open the door when he got there. It wasn’t the first time that Pam had asked him to go out, but this had to be the last.
“It’s so pretty out here.” She gripped the railing. “One of these days I’m going to live on the lake. It’s so picturesque.” She turned. “I bet you get amazing sunsets at your place.”
He wasn’t about to entertain that conversation. “I asked you out here because I need to make something perfectly clear and I didn’t want to do it in front of an audience.”
“I totally understand. Nothing worse than workplace gossip.” She took a step closer, resting her hand on his biceps.
Jesus. Was this chick for real? “No. I don’t think you get it.” He moved back, raking his fingers through his hair. “I don’t want to make this awkward or uncomfortable for you. However, I need you to stop flirting and asking me out. I’m your boss. I don’t date my employees. And for the record, I wouldn't be interested even if you didn’t work here. I’m sorry if that seems harsh. You’re a nice person, but we don’t have a connection.”
She narrowed her stare and folded her arms across her chest. “How would you know if we’ve never seen each other outside of Blue Moon?” She reached for his arm again. “One date. How could it hurt?”
He jerked his arm. “Pam, I’m not going to say this again. You have to stop this, especially at work.”
“I get it. You’re worried about what everyone else will say. We can keep it out of the workplace. No one will have to know. At least not right now.”
“No. That’s not what I’m saying.” He did his best to rein in his frustration. The woman didn’t listen. “Nothing is ever going to happen. We’re never going to go out. Ever. We need to keep things strictly professional. Now, let’s get back to work.” He waved his arm toward the door.
“At work, I can do that.” She held her head high and strolled back into the restaurant, swaying her hips.
“Good Lord,” Phoenix muttered. He waited a good three minutes before he followed, making his way behind the bar.
“She’s still smiling. I’m not sure you’re getting through to her,” Jack said. “As a matter of fact, she looks like she’s glowing.”
“That’s not funny.” Two tables in the main dining room were occupied and one person sat at the end of the bar; otherwise, the place was dead. Then again, it was half past three. In about twenty minutes, the early bird group would show up and the rest of the night should be a steady flow of customers.
The beginning of a new season always brought a sense of excitement. Blue Moon had become one of the most talked about restaurants in the area. They were known for good food, great music, and an even better ambiance. He and his brothers had done exactly what they had set out to do, and they made a nice profit doing it.
So why did he feel as though his life wasn’t where he wanted it to be? It was a question that had plagued him for the last few months.
Janelle strolled in his direction. She’d picked up a waitress apron and had been cleaning tables and setting them up for the dinner rush.
“What do you think of Blue Moon so far?” he asked.
“I love it.” She smiled. “I’ve met both your brothers. They seem cool and very helpful.”
“I should warn you that they live on my street and always show up unannounced.”
Her eyes went wide.
“Oh, don’t worry. They won’t go near the apartment. But you will see them in and out of the main house. Along with their wives and children.”
“How many kids do they have?”
“Maverick has two. Ashley is three and Cole is a year and a half. Nelson has a newborn little girl named Lilly.”
She pulled the rental agreement from the apron. “I had a chance to review this on my break and I wanted to ask you an awkward and uncomfortable question.”
“All right.”
“How many hours can you give me? Because I’m a little worried about the rent based on the hourly wage.”
“Shit. I must have given you the summer lease and not the yearlong one.” He took it from her hands and scanned the short document. Total lie, but he didn’t give a shit. “Yep. So sorry. I had two different monthly prices depending on what kind of rental I got. Summer leases are insane here and I could probably get double that if I tried. So, we can knock five hundred off the rent.”
“Are you sure?” She jerked her head. “That’s a lot of money.”
“Positive.” He snagged a pen and scribbled the new price. “As far as hours go, I’ll do my best to schedule you a full forty a week. But until Veronica goes on maternity leave, I can’t guarantee it.” He held up his hand. “But if you’re willing to bus tables, wash dishes, or whatever, I can call you when someone phones in sick or we’re short for whatever reason.”
