Two men stood at the bar, looking over some paperwork, and I prayed that one of them was the Jack Smelcer I was supposed to be meeting.
That was the name human resources had given me.
Neither of them looked up as I approached, clearly wrapped up in whatever they were discussing, and I hated interrupting them. “Excuse me.”
Both sets of eyes jumped to where I stood, and I felt a little relief when the much older one smiled at me. He had kind eyes, a mixture of brown and green and outlined with age, and even though I didn’t know a single thing about him, I hoped this man was going to be my boss.
“Can we help you?” the other man spoke, and I looked over to him.
“I’m Josie. I’m supposed to meet with Jack Smelcer this morning for my first day.”
“That would be me.” He flicked his pen in the air, and I suddenly felt disappointed. “Give me just a minute.”
I nodded and took a step back, but the other gentleman stuck his hand out in my direction.
I gripped his hand in mine just as he spoke. “I’m Mr. Clermont. It’s nice to meet you, Josie.”
Shit. This was Beck’s dad. “It’s nice to meet you too. I didn’t mean to interrupt you all.”
“You’re not interrupting.” He sounded so sincere. “I was actually looking forward to meeting you. Your father called me a few moments ago to let me know you’d be working with us.”
I bit down on the inside of my bottom lip to stop myself from screaming. Of course he had. “I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have bothered you.”
He cocked his head to the side slightly, studying me with a warm smile on his face. “It’s no bother. I’m glad I could be here to meet you when you arrived.”
I shifted on my feet, nervous because I had no idea what I was supposed to say. I doubted it was customary for the owner to come out to meet the new server. The kings rarely came out to greet the help. “I appreciate it.”
“Your father said he didn’t want you to get a job, but you’re stubborn.”
“He has no room to talk.” If my father screwed this up for me, I would be pissed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “He certainly doesn’t. He also tried to talk me out of giving you this job.”
I went stock-still because I knew what would happen next. If I hadn’t already wanted to kill my father, I certainly did now.
“But I told him he could kick rocks.”
I couldn’t stop the small snort that left me. I doubt anyone typically talked to my father in that sort of way.
“So, I get to keep the job?” I asked hesitantly as I looked between them.
“Of course, you do. Your dad is an old friend, but he doesn’t get to tell me who I can and can’t hire.”
I could have sworn there was a small shift in his eyes when he called my father a friend, but the people here didn’t feel the same for my father as I did.
They worshipped him and used his friendship to their advantage.
“Thank you.” I was sincere. My father held the power over everything in my life, and I didn’t know what would happen if he was to use that power against me. My chest felt like it would collapse when I thought of him having my mother’s house, but I would survive. It was just a house. Just things.
None of it really mattered.
Not when she was already gone.
“If you need anything, let me know.” He patted my shoulder as he walked by me, and he smelled like old leather and warmth.
He smelled like a man who had worked very hard for the things he had.
“I will. Thank you.”
I looked back to Jack, and he looked annoyed. He probably thought I was some spoiled little princess who needed her daddy to get me a job, and I hated that my father had given him that impression of me.
“This way.” He nodded his head toward the kitchen, and I followed him silently. We made our way into the serving area where everyone seemed to be waiting on him.
Jack started going over the chef specials for the day, reading them from a fancy menu in his hand, and I tried to memorize everything he was saying.
He pointed to the girl about my age who stood across from me with her long blonde hair in a ponytail. “This is Allie. Allie, this is Josie.”
She smiled at me, and I smiled back even though I could feel everyone else’s eyes on me.
“You’ll be training with Allie this week. She’s one of the best servers we have.”
Allie smiled brighter, and if anyone else cared about what he said they didn’t show it. Instead, they all looked bored and ready to get this small meeting over with.
I tried to pay attention as Jack droned on and on about the happenings of that day, but it was difficult. I was too busy trying to take in every detail about the people around me. They weren’t exactly what I had expected.
They didn’t seem like the pretentious assholes I thought they’d be.
Like the people at that party.
Well, except for Jack.
He finished talking, and I shifted on my feet. Allie waved at me with a smile that was the most genuine thing I’d seen since I arrived in this town. She leaned against the drink station as soon as Jack walked away. “Jack is kind of a douchebag.”
I snorted out a laugh. “He always like that?” I looked over my shoulder to make sure he was long gone.
“Yeah. Or worse. Don’t worry, the rest of us are cool.”
She
