Page 44 of Winter at Wishington Bay
I dug into my apron, pulled out the money I’d put in the side pocket for Corinne’s tables and placed it on the booking ledger.
‘There’s your tips.’ And with that I walked away. I couldn’t wait for this shift to be over.
As I stacked the chairs, Eloise mopped the floor while Corinne pretended to be stacking chairs on the other side of the restaurant but in reality did very little but keep checking her phone.
‘I’ve about had it with her,’ Eloise said, glancing up again from her chore, and waving through the window to Bob who was stood chatting to someone. He raised a hand. ‘She always wriggles out of any clear up.’
Eloise had a point, but Corinne always had an excuse or was sure to mention how close friends her family was with Ned which meant nothing was ever said to him. And, of course, when he or Carrie were on the floor, she was as hard working as the rest of us.
‘Corinne. You know my rules about phones on shift.’ Ned had appeared from nowhere and Corinne flushed beetroot at being caught.
‘Oh, sorry, Ned, but my grandmother’s not very well and I just wanted to check how she was.’
Eloise’s groan was audible. Corinne flashed her a look.
‘Is that right?’ Ned asked.
‘Yes, she thinks it might be flu and you know how dangerous that can be for the elderly.’ She flashed Eloise a look as she said this, and I could practically hear my friend’s blood boiling in her veins.
‘Cheeky cow,’ she muttered at me, under her breath.
Ned leant on the wall. ‘That’s funny because I just ran into your gran earlier on the beach and she seemed absolutely fine. In fact, she’d just been out for a dip with the sea swimming group.’
‘Oh! I… meant my other gran.’
‘The one that died four years ago?’ His tone was casual but there was no mistaking that Ned was annoyed at being lied to.
Corinne opened her mouth and then closed it again.
‘Don’t let me see it happening again. And give the girls a hand clearing up. You’re all paid the same to do the same things. No one is above it.’
‘We’ve finished now,’ Eloise stated, in return for the dig about her age.
Corinne flashed her a look of daggers, which Eloise shrugged off. Having put away the cleaning gear, we walked over to where our coats hung, and got ready to leave.
‘Thanks for that,’ Corinne snapped.
‘No one to blame but yourself, love,’ Eloise said, holding the door open for me. Corinne followed behind.
‘Hello, love. Good shift?’ Bob asked, kissing his wife. ‘Hi Soph, Corinne.’
‘Hello, Bob. You’re looking well,’ I replied. Corinne gave him a thin smile before looking back at her phone.
The man he was talking to turned round. Nate.
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‘Hi,’ he said. ‘I thought as I was already here, I could maybe walk you home?’
‘Oh, that would be lovely!’ Corinne gushed, a sharp elbow hastening me to the side.
Nate fiddled with his hat for a moment. ‘I… er… sorry. I meant…’
‘He meant Sophia, Corinne. They already know each other,’ Eloise explained, a tad too joyfully.
Corinne looked from me to Nate, and then back again. ‘Really?’
Again with surprise? Wow. Thanks.
