Page 6 of My Heart Belongs to You

“Nadir, you hired me to manage the lounge, so let me do it. No one else gets dismissed early, so why should I?”

“Technically, you're the assistant manager. And if this were Kenya or Peyton, I’d tell them the same thing. I need you to take it easy, lil mama.”

Summer rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Back to my original question.”

Leaning back in my seat, I told her, “Nah. You can head out. I’ll do another walk through, then lock up.”

“That’s not what I'm referring to, and you know it.”

“The answer is still the same.”

Her phone rang and an instant smile spread across her face. I assumed it was Ryder.

“Hey, babe,” she cooed, making me chuckle.

While she talked to him, I shut my laptop down and placed it into my messenger bag. By the time her call ended, I was ready to leave my office.

“He picking you up?” I asked as we walked toward the kitchen.

She nodded. “Yup. He’s coming after he picks up food from Over Easy. I've been craving their pancake platter all week.”

I pushed through the swinging doors, then held one open for Summer. We hung our bags on the hooks next to the kitchen entrance before looking over the stoves and chef stations. Running my hand along the cool, silver surface, I nodded at its shine and lack of spots or crumbs. Updating the kitchen had been my latest investment and the return had been fruitful.

We had the vibes and drink selection down pat. But to give our patrons a more well-rounded experience, we created a menu consisting of small plates. Since we were the only place in town offering tapas style servings, it became pretty popular, and soon I changed our brunch menu too.

“The place is spotless, Nadir,” Summer said while I continued my inspection.

“Did we order the new silverware?”

I forgot to remind Summer about it earlier. My head was elsewhere when I arrived. By the time I finally saw her, there were more urgent matters to discuss.

“Ordered them last night. They’ll be here the week after next.”

“Cool, cool.”

Once I was done with the kitchen, I moved to the bar and lounge area.

So far, everything met my standards.

I did a quick sweep of the room, making sure everything was ready for tomorrow. All the tables had been cleaned; chairs were lined against the wall near the bar as the floor dried. Hanging on garnet-colored walls were pictures of jazz musicians and poets. Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald were a few people who graced the walls of the lounge. The photographs were the same ones my dad had framed many years ago. No matter how many renovations and upgrades I did, I kept mementos of the original decor.

Summer remained near the bar, smirking at me when I glanced at her. I turned forward and inspected the mahogany flooring. I noticed crumbs under two tables near the stage, so I went behind the bar to grab the broom.

“Who had floor duty tonight?”

Summer pursed her lips while walking over to me. “Keep in mind, it’s only his second week.”

“Keith,” I groaned while cleaning up his section. “Sunny, you can’t protect him forever.”

Not too long ago, Mel all but begged me to give his cousin a job at the lounge. It took me a while to consider it, but thanks to Summer’s insistence on giving him a chance, I caved in and hired him. Keith had recently turned twenty-one and needed the extra income after losing an internship at a prestigious finance firm in Baltimore. I knew from his first day that he wouldn’t last long. If it weren’t for Mel being one of my closest friends, and Summer constantly vouching for Keith, I would've let him go already.

Ray’s had a reputation for having great service, good vibes, and unique entertainment. And I wouldn't let anyone ruin our prestige or my dad’s legacy.

“He’s going through a lot right now with midterms and commuting.”

“Come on, Sunny. Keith isn’t the kid we used to babysit with Mel as teens. He’s a grown man and needs to be treated like one.”

“All I'm saying is we’ve all been through some shit. Show some compassion.”