by Nikki Bloom
“What?” My best friend nodded bemusedly, reaching across the table to snatch my menu. I almost asked him to repeat what he’d said. “She knows I’m not as smart as you, but I’m not a complete fucking idiot, either, right? I wouldn’t have fired her without discussing it with you, and even if I did, you’d still back me up.”
“I guess she missed the ‘President’ part of ‘President of Creative Operations.’ Either that, or she just thinks because I’m a step up the ladder and was the one that hired her, I’m the one that had to fire her. As if I didn’t see her stumbling firsthand.” I grunted softly at the amusement that thickened Evan’s tone, but the fact Irene called him was baffling. Did she honestly think to go around me? Evan and I were partners, and she was someone we’d only just met less than a week ago. Why would she think that was a good idea? “How’d you spend your morning after she left? I thought you were coming down to the realtor’s office?”
“I bumped into Madeline while she was dropping her siblings off at school.” Evan sat up at that, slapping his stolen menu on the small table to reveal a huge, shit-eating grin. Sitting back, I stretched my legs out under the table and sighed in relief. “We had a nice time. She took a nap and seemed a lot...brighter...when she woke up.”
“A nap...? I know you don’t like to brag, but...a nap?” I nodded, and Evan squinted at me with a dramatic tilt of his head. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Seriously. A nap. But she agreed to meet up again, so I’ll take that. I also managed to draw a really nice portrait of her, and she actually liked it.” My chest almost burst with pride as I smiled in utter satisfaction, and Evan’s grin widened. “Good day so far. Don’t ruin it.”
“I doubt anything can ruin it—you’re positively glowing!” Chuckling a little, I covered my mouth as heat crept up my neck, but Evan didn’t push it, thankfully. His smile softened before dissolving, replaced with his business sternness as he picked up the menu again. “Anyway, yeah. It went fine. The realtor and I signed some papers, and she’s going to contact the owner of the lot by the end of the week. I’m not expecting negotiation to last more than two months, so if you’re thinking of outsourcing the food, you should initiate soon.”
“Yeah, I’m going to head over and talk to the manager today. Madeline said his name was Ben, and that he was a bit of a dick but a good boss all around. I don’t know how open he would be or how much decision-making power he has, but I was thinking this morning that maybe we can get the House staff on board for some rudimentary demographic information.” Nodding in understanding, Evan and I spent a moment looking through the menu. This restaurant was more a soup-and-salad place, and I glanced over at the ocean only a few dozen yards away. “This is some prime real estate. I wonder how much it costs to be right on the beach.”
“It’s really nice how much range these places have. The House on the Pier is super fancy. This place is more mid-tier. There’s a bunch of nice snack shops along the beach. Really nice. Revolving doors, these places are not. I think, if things fall through at the House, you should consider some of these other places. The variety would be good, too.” He spoke my thoughts easily, and I nodded as I scanned their soup selection. The menu wasn’t long or overly complicated, which was nice. “It’d be a good idea to get an idea of the tourists from the people that work and live here though. I hope we can weed out bias. Designing this hotel in this town that’s primarily rentals, we’re gonna have to put some serious thought into how to compete.”
“Yeah. Something I was also thinking earlier—it’s not a total loss if we can’t get one or more restaurants on board with us. The lot is smack in the middle of the town, but it’s not on the water, which is the only reason we got lucky with it.” I wasn’t saying anything Evan didn’t already know, and I glanced around for a waitress. Everywhere always seemed to be packed, and I knew better than to expect a waitress hovering over me. Still, I’ve been sitting here for over twenty minutes.
“There’s only two beers on this menu and they both suck. There’s like nine hundred friggin’ wines though.” Just as Evan grumbled, a waitress materialized out of nowhere, a bright smile on her face and a bubbly disposition. My best friend ordered first, and I took a moment to really look at the menu. I’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Madeline that I just stared at it for twenty minutes. When the waitress flounced off with our orders, Evan cast me a long, curious stare before opening his mouth. “I’m glad you’re taking an interest in a woman. I was genuinely worried you were gay and secretly in love with me.”
Barking a laugh, I shook my head as Evan smirked, but he was quick to wipe it off his face. He knew just as well as I did that travelling the way we did couldn’t really constitute a relationship.
“...Honestly, I’m just gonna enjoy it. It’s summer. We’re basically on vacation. I don’t think having a fling is anything to brag about.” I didn’t care to think of where my attraction to Madeline could go, and I sat back with a heavy sigh. “We plan everything years in advance, Evan. Sometimes, it’s just nice to enjoy what’s right in front of us instead of what will be.”
“Philosophical of you. We could always...slow down.” Evan’s voice deepened with seriousness as he swiped his hand over his mouth. “I think this might be it for me. You’ve always known I don’t wanna work forever. I think, after this chain, I’m going to slow down.”
“We have competent employees for a reason.” Evan and I settled into a peaceful, contemplative silence at my observation, and I inhaled deeply and held it. We went from being best friends to best friends with a multi-billion-dollar hotel company that stretched from China to Germany to America and Japan. We owned a building in the Arctic Circle, for fuck’s sake. Granted, it was just a gag, essentially. Just to say we did.
Twelve years, we’d worked hard, and it payed off. I totally respected Evan’s desire to enjoy himself and retire.
My phone buzzed softly in my pocket, and I fished it out as the waitress came back with our beers.
‘Benny’s gonna be here at three. What do you think of my hair?’
As a picture uploaded on my phone, surprise tightened my chest at the full nude Madeline sent me. She wasn’t even wearing a towel, dripping wet, clouded mirror enhancing her ethereal, pale beauty. Her freckles were very light, and her hair clung to her cheeks and shoulders.
‘It looks better down tbh’
Smiling a little at the simple, smile emoji that she sent in reply, and I slipped my phone back in my pocket to grab my beer. If this was how things would be, I was more than happy to hang around. Madeline and my conversation earlier sprung up between my ears as I took a sip from my glass, and I hid my frown behind the rim.
“But Madeline just wants to feel like she’s a person when she only feels like a workhorse. I don’t think that’s unreasonable.” My gaze flickered to my friend as he sat up a little straighter, and I cleared my throat roughly. “I guess, in a way, it’s a lot like what you and me went through in the beginning. Working so hard it feels like a hole you’ll never reach the bottom of.”
“It’s more than I would take on. People like Madeline deserve medals or something.” Grunting softly in agreement, I flopped my head back to stare at the huge, white, fluffy clouds in the sky. This town was like paradise, but I knew it was only because I hadn’t been here long. “Are you gonna ask her out on a date? Pizza and Netflix does constitute a date, you know. I bet even just hanging around doing nothing is something she’d appreciate. I think some downtime would be nice. Maybe hit up the beach or something. If you need backup, I’d love to skateboard with those two again. Make myself feel better schoolin’ children.”
We shared a laugh at that, and Evan grinned broadly as I, try as I might, found my thoughts shifting to later today. Madeline would be at work by the time I managed to catch her manager for a conversation. Surely, I wasn’t going to ask her out while she was busy, but Sunday was a long way away.
There was plenty of time to chat Madeline up. Somewhere in the chaotic
, barreling train that was her life.
12
Madeline
Sliding into the booth at the very back of the House, I rubbed my face and swept back my hair with a tired sigh. My body screamed at me that I was stupid for taking doubles, that I needed to sit, and my thirty-minute break wasn’t long enough. Every day, I went through this, and I flexed my sore feet in my sneakers and stretched my legs under the table.
“Hey, do you want me to stay and take one or two of your tables?” Savannah sat down across from me, pushing a glass of ice water across the table, and I shook my head mutely. Concern knit her brows, and she flopped back to cross her arms over her chest. “Do you know how much it sucks that I get here after you and leave before you?”
“Please, Savannah... I don’t want to have this conversation again. I’m not cutting down my hours. I don’t have my parents to subsidize me like you do, okay?” I knew where this conversation was going; we’d argued a lot, which I didn’t really understand. Frowning when she did, I held the glass to my cheek and neck and tried not to sound too harsh. “Don’t tell me your parents would be willing to help me out either. I don’t care if they’re comfortable giving me handouts. I’m not comfortable with it.”
“Everyone needs some help— that’s all I’m gonna say. I’m not trying to ruin your day, Madds.” Relief slumped my shoulders a little, and Savannah fiddled with her phone briefly before opening her mouth again. “I heard Ben and that rich guy are still talking in his office. Do you know what that’s about?”
“Demographic something. Carter wants us to basically hand out cards for guests to fill out, and I guess they get a coupon or something in return? I don’t know. I didn’t really ask about it. He kinda blurted it out, I think to impress me, but then thought better of it and realized it’d be a better option to go wide.” I shrugged lightly, taking a huge gulp of water and holding an ice cube in my mouth. Savannah’s brows rose, a small smirk tilting her thick lips, and I talked around the ice cube. “No, I didn’t accept it. It was a handout.”
“Even if you didn’t, you work three times as much as everyone else. That’s gonna be a really nice commission. That’s how things like this work, right? It’s, like, based on how many cards your tables fill out or whatever? I dunno.” Savannah didn’t look up from her phone as she spoke, and I closed my eyes to tilt my head back and sink into the booth. She had this habit of needing to fill the quiet, even if it wasn’t warranted. Although, I kinda don’t wanna be stuck with my thoughts right now. “Even if it’s not a lot because I’m a hostess, I’m glad this town is getting a bump up and that this restaurant is involved. I always wondered what touristy people think of us when they’re not obligated to be polite.”
“Well, I highly doubt they’ll be any different on paper. It wouldn’t be too hard to figure out which came from here unless the cards were folded and put in an anonymity box or something.” Every summer, I had faces on my tops that I recognized, so the excitement about ‘truthful’ reviews wasn’t exactly making me jump. Savannah glanced up and over me, and I frowned at the sudden tension on her face.
“Here comes Benny. Good luck. I’ll text you.” She disappeared before I could even sit up, and I twisted to find Benny’s pinched, angry face coming far too close to mine for comfort. Leaning back, I tensed when he gripped the back of the booth, effectively trapping me in my seat.
“What are you doing just sitting around, Madeline? You’re not on break for another 15 minutes.” My face heated at the absolute, icy hard tone Benny used, and I clenched my jaw before I said something I regretted. I knew he was a tight-ass, but his micromanaging was getting worse. Maybe because Carter is around.
“Step back from me right now.” I spoke as loudly as I could without shouting, and Ben’s dark eyes widened when he realized how close he was to me. Several close tables glanced over, and I stood up to shuffle out of that trap and practically shove my finger in his face. “Don’t you ever get that close to me ever again, or I’ll make your life Hell, Benny. I put up with your shit because I’ve worked here forever, but you’re making it really hard to ignore your nit-picking. And my break, that I’m entitled to by law, started three minutes ago.”
“Keep your voice down—” Glaring at Ben as my fists trembled with my anger, my eyelid twitched, and he leaned back to clear his throat roughly. “Let’s discuss this in my office.”
“I’m not going. If you want to say something, say it. You have no problem yelling at me within earshot of customers, so why is now any different?” But I knew why right now was different when Carter appeared behind Ben. For a brief second, I debated making a huge scene before shaking my head roughly and sitting back down. “Go stew on it. It’s not like I’m not working until close. Again. Because I’m just such a great employee.”
“Madeline, we need to have a serious discussion about your attitude.”
“You’re not a terrible manager, but I’m not letting you push me around. I know my rights. I have worked here longer than you’ve even lived in this state. The only reason you have this job is because I didn’t want it. So, tell me again about my attitude.” Ben only grumbled, and I took a sip of my water and arched a brow in challenge. “You know what? I think I’m feeling a bit of a cold coming on. I probably shouldn’t be at work. I hope you have someone to cover me.”
“You can’t just walk out! You’re not sick! You’re just pissed about a situation you put yourself in.” Benny raised his voice again, but I somehow managed to keep myself cool. I was his only employee that didn’t bow down to his almighty bullshit, and I leaned back as he turned a dark shade of red. “I’ll write you up if you leave in the middle of your shift!”
“That’s fine. I’ve never been written up, and you need three to fire me.” My nonchalance only made Benny even more angry, and I whipped out my cell phone with a flourish. “I’ll call my doctor right now and make an appointment, if you want.”
“Fine.” Grinding his defeat through his teeth, Benny whirled around only to tense when he saw Carter watching us both. Of course, Carter wasn’t the only patron watching, but he was the ‘most important.’ Rather than dig himself a deeper hole, Benny just stormed off, and satisfaction warmed my chest. Draining the rest of my ice water, I crunched on a few cubes as I stood up and set the glass at the busser station behind the booth.
“You wanna hang out? I probably have a half an hour before the guilt makes me go home. I just have to clock out and hand over my tips first.” Carter nodded mutely, obviously still disturbed by what he’d just seen, and I untied my apron and gestured him to follow me. “How’d the meeting go?”
“As expected. What I wasn’t expecting was the aftermath. Do you usually clash so hard? In front of people?” Biting my lower lip, I hesitated, and Carter clearly realized why in the span of a few steps. “It’s because I’m stressing him out, isn’t it?”
“I think he’s stressing himself out, to be fair. You’re offering him something that only benefits him, so him going out of his way to be a dick is on him, not you. I could understand if he was trying to whip the place up because you wanted to buy it or something, and he felt threatened, but...” Shrugging lightly, I pushed into the office, and relief surged through me that Benny wasn’t in the room. Scrunching up my face in discomfort, I picked out my timecard from the pile in the drawer with tingly fingers. “He’s never gotten in my face like that... it was really...unnerving.”
“Actually, I was considering talking to the owners about buying.” I paused, and my head snapped up as seriousness dragged down Carter’s features. “It wasn’t serious, and I only considered briefly under the assumption that it’d be easier than partnering up. My plan is to have several places to service the hotel so there’s a good variety to choose from, but you mentioned that the owners are old and don’t live here, so...it’s an option for me.”
“Oh. Well, I have their personal numbers if you want me to mediate.” Punching out, I stared at the time on the machine bolted to the wall as a
sudden revelation crept up on me. “...I don’t even remember the last time I only worked one shift.”
13
Madeline
“Okay— okay. Whoever eats this piece of sushi gets five bucks.” Both my siblings were so grossed out by the idea of uncooked fish, and I chuffed out a small laugh. Pushing the single piece of sushi on a napkin across the table, Carter grinned as he held his chin on his fist. “Come on. Try it. How can you live on the ocean and have never tried sushi before?”
Neither Sophia nor Michael could even look at the piece of sushi, and I sat back to enjoy how stubborn they were. For once, it wasn’t frustrating; it was just funny.
“I’m not eating that.” Michael’s declaration made Sophia nod furiously, and Carter cast me a curious glance as he grabbed the piece and popped it into his mouth. Suddenly, both kids were competing with each other over who could be more grossed out, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s so gross! Ew!”
“Yeah! Ew!” Sophia got up and ran towards the beach, and Michael ran after her to move on to their next competition. Watching them go, I shook my head a little, but my smile fell once they were out of earshot.
“Thank you for this. You didn’t have to, you know.” Carter glanced over at me as he grabbed his drink. “I know I said we’d hang out...”
“I like kids. It’s not a problem, and if it was, I wouldn’t have offered. To be brutally honest, I did it to score points with you, but they’re really great kids. Definitely not as daunting as it could’ve been.” I nodded, warmth radiated up my arm under his light squeeze. “They seem okay given the circumstances.”
“Give them time to realize they don’t need to be on their best behavior around you. They do nothing but argue. They try to one-up each other over everything. I think Michael’s having some school issues he’s not telling me about.” Sighing at the magnitude of it all, I shrugged lightly as Carter grunted softly around his straw. “I’ve tried to stick them in therapy, but it honestly seemed to be doing more harm than good. I think the therapist just didn’t mesh.”