Page 19 of Neat
I sighed, taking a moment to splash water on my face before I left the bathroom in search of Logan. He was just setting his clipboard down in his office from returning from the tour, and when he turned and found me standing in his doorway just as I had that morning, he gave me a soft, sympathetic smile.
“You okay?”
He could have gloated — God knows if it were me in his shoes, I would have — but instead, he stood there with his hands in his pockets, his shoulders folded, eyes sad like he’d just kicked a bunny.
LikeIwas said bunny.
I shook my head, swallowing down what was left of my pride before my eyes met his again. “Logan, I—”
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!”
My words were cut off by my Uncle Mac blowing past me into Logan’s office, eyes murderous, face red and puffy as he slapped a thick stack of papers down on Logan’s desk.
“A tour of twenty-five, and every single one of them demanding a refund. I had to give out free shot glasses from the gift shop in an effort to stop them from ripping our distillery a new asshole on Yelp reviews,” he fumed, pointing a finger directly at Logan. “I need an explanation, and I need itnow.”
Logan stood straight, chin high and chest broad as he addressed my uncle. “Mac, this was all my fault. I thought Mallory was ready, and I let her lead the tour. I th—”
“It’s her sixth day on the job, and three of those days were spent in orientation, for Christ’s sake. What were you thinking?” He didn’t wait for Logan’s response before he continued his rant. “Ofcourseshe wasn’t ready, and you knew better than to let her do more than pour the whiskey at the tasting, let alone lead a full tour.”
“Yes, sir,” Logan agreed. “I thou—”
“I don’t need any more excuses,” Mac said, holding up a hand to silence him.
“Uncle Mac,” I said, stepping in to defend Logan. It was my mess, after all. “This wasn’t his fault. I insisted on leading the tour. I know more about this place than almost anyone, and I didn’t want to shadow. I was bored.”
“Ohno,” my uncle cried dramatically, hands framing his face. “You werebored? Well, we can’t have that.”
“You’ve made your point,” I deadpanned.
“Have I?” He took a step toward me then, and his eyes slipped to my navel, brows screwing together. “What in the hell are you wearing?” He turned on Logan again. “You let her lead a tour dressed likethis?”
Logan opened his mouth, but just shut it again without responding.
I knew it was taking everything he had to not throw me under the bus.
I knew it was taking everything in him to take that verbal scolding from my uncle without standing up for himself.
“Look, I don’t have time to listen to whatever it is that’s going on here,” Uncle Mac continued, gesturing between me and Logan. “But you just lost us money, and I have zero tolerance for that. Get your shit together and don’teverlet me hear about someone in your group requesting a refund ever again. Understood?”
Logan and I both nodded, Logan’s eyes on the floor and mine on his, begging him to look at me.
“Good.” Mac glanced at Logan once more before heading toward the door, and he shook his head at me as he passed. “And for fuck’s sake, get her a proper uniform.”
I flinched when Mac left the office, slamming the door behind him and leaving me and Logan alone. I let out a long breath, shaking my head as I crossed the space between us.
“I’m so sorry, Logan. You were right, I wasn’t ready to—”
“I think we’re done for the day, Mallory,” he said, not giving me so much as a glance as he rounded his desk and took a seat, a frustrating sigh leaving his lips.
I should have left it alone, but I just stood there, waiting.
Logan picked a pen out of the cylinder on his desk, writing something on his clipboard and effectively ignoring the fact that I was still there.
“Logan, please. Talk to me.”
“About what?”
I scoffed. “Come on. I know what I did was immature, and I’m sorry. I just thou—”
