Three hours passed in a flash. I was dragging, after not having my usual latte with almond milk to kick-start my morning. It’d take a double shot of espresso to get me through the lunch rush, maybe a triple shot.
“Isla!”
Falina’s sharp voice startled me. What now? I would love to yell,leave me the hell alone,but she was the manager and head chef, and I needed this job.
“Yeah?” I returned as any obedient and respectful employee would do.
“Can you train in a new server?”
Half a dozen pairs of dark eyes looked back at me as I bit my tongue until I tasted blood.
Breathe, just breathe.
On top of doing my job and Keri’s, Falina wanted me to train a new server? Hell no. She needed to find someone else. What did I look like, Supergirl?
“Sure,” I replied before I said what was on the tip of my bloody tongue. Because dammit, I needed this job.
I couldn’t afford to piss off Falina. She was a fair boss, hard-working, and took no crap from anyone. And not once had she chastised me in front of the staff when I ran late the way she did the others.
Falina was kind of like my savior and she was also Alba’s older cousin.
When I was down on my luck and pregnant, Falin gave me a job, even though I didn’t have an ounce of experience.I’d worked my tail off to prove myself, and Falina had rewarded my efforts.
When Pippa was born, Alba helped me and volunteered to be her babysitter when I needed to go back to work. I didn’t know how I would have made it through all my challenges without Falina and Alba.
In a little over a year, I went from server toChef de Partie. Fancy, right? Not really. It only meantstation chef.Soups and salads were my specialties, and I assisted the catering manager, Dudley, during events.
Ten minuteswas yelled and repeated at least six times throughout the kitchen, so everyone knew West End was opening soon.
I checked my phone in case Alba had texted, but she hadn’t. No missed calls.Perfect. I could relax and not worry about my lovebug.
Heading to the front beverage station, I made the double shot I desperately needed.
“Hey.” Falina emerged out of nowhere. Her stealthy ways of seeing all, knowing all, and appearing out of thin air creeped me out.
“Hey…” I blew on my cup.
“A quick rundown on the new guy.” Falina sucked in a breath, retying her blonde locks into a tight bun. “Jon is a friend of a friend. Go easy on him. He’s never worked in the food industry before.”
“What?” I gasped and choked on my espresso, tearing up as the scalding liquid burned my throat. Jon didn’t have any experience. This day just kept getting better and better.Not!
Several curse words ripped through my head, again. This time, I’d love to unleash them on Falina.
“I know, I know. That’s why I asked you to train him. You’re a born teacher.”
I rolled my eyes. Ever since I had the baby, everyone called me a born teacher. Patient and nurturing. It was all crap. Teaching and managing people were not my forte. I was a shy introvert. That was what made being an interior designer so perfect for me. Most times I worked alone.
“Why did you hire him?” I asked out of curiosity. There had to be a good reason for her to take on someone with no experience.
“We could use the help. Case in point: Keri. And Jon needs the money. He completes his residency in the fall, and no one will hire him with his limited availability. I felt bad. Sue me.” She shrugged nonchalantly.
Sue her? I might kill her.
“He’s a sympathy hire.” It wasn’t a question, because I knew Falina. The woman had a gigantic heart. It was why she’d hired me, someone who didn’t have experience.Dammit.
“If that’s what you want to call it,” she tittered. “It’s done. Now deal with it.” Falina’s ice-blue eyes cooled my temper. She was too damn sweet to be angry at, even if she was a hard-ass at times.
“And you’re starting him on a Friday. That’s insane.”
