He set the glasses on the shelf above the plates and closed the door. “Sure.”
Silence.
After a moment, he looked over his shoulder.
Gramp was watching him, eyes assessing. “You were quiet at dinner. Bad day at work?”
“It wasn’t the best.” To say the least.
“That collar on the circle blade giving you fits again?”
“No. Today was a personnel malfunction, not an equipment glitch. Martin, specifically.”
Gramp propped a hip against the counter. “What’s got his knickers in a knot now?”
Any other time, the colloquial phrase would have triggered a smile.
Not tonight.
“I have no idea. When he wasn’t holed up in his office, he was barking orders and finding fault with everyone and everything. I had to sweet talk a couple of the guys out of calling it quits.”
Gramp shook his head. “Martin’s changed a lot since I worked there. Back in his earlier days at the mill, he was friendly and eager to please, despite the fact his father was a hard taskmaster.”
“That’s how I remember him too from the summers I worked there during high school and college.” Aaron pulled some cutlery from the dishwasher and fitted it into the slots in a drawer. “But from what I’ve picked up, his personality changed after he took over when his dad retired fourteen years ago. Everyone respects his knowledge of the business and the fact that he learned it from the ground up, but the crew walks a wide circle around him.”
“That kind of tension doesn’t create a very pleasant atmosphere.”
“Tell me about it. His dad was strict, but everyone preferred working for him. Even though the business seems to be more successful than ever, turnover is much higher than it was when Mike was at the helm.”
Gramp folded his arms. “It didn’t help when Martin started keeping his distance from the townsfolk after he took over and built that fancy house. It was like we weren’t good enough to socialize with anymore, which was day and night from Mike’s attitude. That rubbed people wrong.”
“I know. After I accepted the job at the mill, I realized it was a whole different atmosphere than I remembered. I doubt all the trouble Lucas had as a teen helped Martin’s disposition, either.”
“True. The vandalism incidents, the underage drinking anddriving ... that had to be tough on the whole family. And Lucas has more or less disappeared. I haven’t seen him once since he went to Texas for college, but rumor has it all of his problems with the law were a wake-up call and he finally got his act together.”
“I hope so. But if he has, that hasn’t helped Martin’s attitude.”
Gramp reached over and squeezed his shoulder, lines of concern scoring his face. “I’m sorry you have to deal with such an unpleasant environment. Do you ever second-guess your decision to walk away from that corporate job you had in Coos Bay?”
“No.” There was no doubt in his mind about that. “Office work wasn’t a fit. I know Dad wanted me to get a college education, and I’m not sorry I have a business degree in my pocket, but sitting at a desk all day wasn’t for me.”
“You were always more the hands-on type.”
“Yep. That’s why I enjoyed my summer job at the mill. Coming back in a supervisory role felt right, even if Martin’s attitude leaves a lot to be desired.” Enough about that, though. Any prolonged venting would only make Gramp worry about him more than he already did. “So tell me about the show. I assume they filled all the behind-the-scenes jobs?”
“Yes. Katherine is directing, Shaun from St. Francis agreed to be the musical director, and Lauren Collier’s sister is going to be the choreographer. You probably know her from your childhood. Devyn Lee. You two would have been close in age.”
He searched his memory banks. “The name rings a vague bell, but we weren’t in the same class at school. Didn’t she go off somewhere as a kid to study ballet?”
“Yes. I don’t recall the full story, but it must have paid off. She has an impressive resume.” He pulled up the Helping Hands email on his phone and read off her credentials.
“Wow.” Aaron closed the door of the dishwasher. “How did they convince her to take this on?”
“She’s going to stay over the summer while Lauren recovers from her accident. I don’t know how she managed to work sucha long visit into her performing schedule, but it’s a boon for our show.”
“You still planning to audition?”
“Of course. And we need to start planting the seed with Isabel too. Are you free Thursday night?”
