‘I’m not sure we can,’ said Liv. She was left wondering if this was Shanie’s response to her asking if she’d give Fraser a good review or had there been something going on between them all along?
The next hour was quite wild where the hotel phone was constantly ringing with people asking to book a table or speak to Fraser about his relationship with Shanie Cortina. Dolly was fielding most of the calls and was taking their details if it was for a booking and saying ‘no comment’ for everything else. When it got too much they put on the answerphone.
Fraser had been hiding in the kitchen for the most part. Robbie had turned away one local reporter at the front gates and had pulled them shut in anticipation of the masses of paparazzi, which had made Fraser go a little pale and Effie squeak with excitement although it turned out it was purely a precaution and thankfully there were no photographers. Another definite benefit of living in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands.
They all convened at reception with Fraser the last to join the group.
‘At least we’ll be fully booked for the showcase dinner,’ said Dolly. ‘In fact we could probably do two – we’ve had that much interest in bookings.’
‘Slight problem,’ said Fraser.
‘What now?’ Dolly sounded exasperated.
‘I’ve just had phone calls and two text messages…’ He was frowning as if struggling to know how to finish the sentence.
‘From who?’ asked Liv.
Fraser looked at her for a moment before he spoke. ‘All my kitchen team and waiting staff. They’ve all said they’re not coming back. Every single one of them.’
‘Are they all sick?’ asked Effie. ‘Do you remember when Donald’s diarrhoea did the rounds?’
‘They’ve quit, Effie. Left. Resigned.’
‘That’s more than fishy,’ said Dolly.
‘Donald’s diarrhoea wasn’t fish; it was out-of-date Scotch eggs that…’ Effie noticed everyone was staring at her and she stopped speaking.
‘Did they give any reasons?’ Liv asked Fraser.
‘I didn’t think the first one was anything odd. He said he’d got a new job so I wished him well. But by call number five I knew there was something up.’
‘Number five?’ queried Liv.
Fraser scowled at her. ‘Kitchen and waiting staff.’
‘Got it. Sorry, you were saying?’
‘I asked her where she was going and she said Lairds and put the phone down.’
Effie gasped. ‘That’s Lizzie’s restaurant.’
‘And you think they’ve all got jobs there?’ Fraser wobbled his head. ‘Blimey, she knows how to get revenge,’ said Liv. Perhaps she could give her a few pointers.
‘Revenge for what?’ said Fraser throwing up his hands. ‘I didn’t do anything wrong. It was her and Callum who were off shagging behind my back.’
‘She’s trying to scupper the showcase dinner. That’s what she’s doing,’ said Dolly.
‘I think it’s fair to say that she has,’ said Fraser. ‘There’s no way I can get enough staff in and trained by tomorrow. In fact I doubt I can get anyone at all. That’s it. I’m screwed.’
‘We’ll help, won’t we,’ said Effie, grinning at Dolly and then at Liv.
Liv felt a wave of something unpleasant come over her as she realised what Effie was suggesting and wondered for a moment if she’d got Donald’s disorder. ‘Oh no, I can’t stay any longer. I have to get back for… um…’ What did she have waiting for her at home? She thought of her sad little single bed at her sister’s. ‘My sister! And my mum. I need to—’
‘It’s okay,’ said Fraser. ‘There’d still not be enough of us.’
‘We could stagger the service,’ said Dolly, pushing out her lip. ‘Surely we have to try.’
‘We’d definitely need Liv and even then it’s probably impossible,’ said Fraser in a small voice. He turned to face Liv. ‘I know we’ve not always seen eye to eye. Because quite honestly I don’t know what you’re going to come out with from one moment to the next. But that aside, you’re a good worker, you know the dishes and I’ll need your help if we’re even going to consider going ahead.’
