We still haven’t found a replacement sous-chef. I thoughtthe KP might be promoted, but he’s only been working with us since Easter and Bill needs someone with more experience.
Tyler is over by the stereo when I walk into Seaglass, and Beach House is no longer filtering out of the speakers.
‘Don’t mess with the music, please, Tyler,’ I call as Arcade Fire’s ‘Ready to Start’ begins to play.
He looks annoyed. ‘That shit was so dull.’
‘It’s in line with the chilled vibe we’re going for,’ I argue, feeling twitchy at his song choice as I walk over to the bar.
‘I thought you liked rock.’
He’s so confident for an eighteen-year-old. He doesn’t even seem to care if he gets an order wrong or mucks up while pulling a pint. Yesterday he put so much head on a pint of beer that Luke asked if he wanted a Flake in it. But he just takes it all in his stride.
‘I’m not in the mood for it right now. Can you change it back, please? Or put, I don’t know, Cigarettes After Sex or The xx on?’
He huffs. ‘Or something from this decade,’ I hear him mutter, selecting another artist entirely.
At least it’s not rock, so I let it go. I’m going to have to pick my battles with this boy.
I look past Tyler to see Tom standing by the partition wall to the bathrooms. He gives me an amused, knowing look, and then returns to the kitchen.
‘How’s Tyler getting on?’ Tom asks later that night.
‘On the whole, pretty well. He needs to speed up a bit, but I think he’ll get there.’
I spent ages training him that first morning, but Libby and Luke have helped too, although Kwame has no patience for him after he dropped his precious cocktail shaker on the floor.
‘Did I imagine it or did Michael say that his brother is famous?’
Urgh.
‘You don’t have to tell me.’ He good-naturedly waves away the question when he sees the face I’ve pulled.
‘No, it’s fine,’ I reply dully.
Everyone else has cleaned up and gone home, but he and I have found ourselves having a last drink together in the sofa area upstairs, where the festoon lights are casting the room in a warm glow.
I’m in no rush to get home and he’s apparently in no rush to go back to his room at the inn.
‘He’s not really famous as such. But he’s had a few hit singles with someone who is. He’s a songwriter.’
‘Ah. Michael said his songs were on the radio. I assumed—’
‘He did use to be in a band and then he put out a solo album with an indie label, but all he ever really wanted to do was write, so now he works with other artists.’
‘Anyone I’d have heard of?’
‘I don’t know what sort of music you listen to. You never played any while you were staying downstairs.’
Which made a welcome change.
I decide to stop being cagey because, really, what’s the point?
‘He co-wrote Brit Easton’s new album.’
His eyebrows jump up. ‘Okay. So a big deal then.’
‘Do you follow celebrity gossip?’ I ask reluctantly.
