Big Pickle: A Secret Boss Romantic Comedy - JJ Knight Page 0,18
the sort. I understand my manager’s gone AWOL, and the only reason the walls are still standing is because of you.”
“I’m trying.” I silently add, no thanks to you. Yes, I’m too chicken to say it out loud now that I’m actually speaking with Jace Pickle.
His voice is like melted butter. “I’ve been talking to accounting, and we are working with Susan to make her medical leave official. Since she’s already been gone for six months, this opens up the management position, at least for the foreseeable future. I’d like to offer it to you, with your full title, and the full salary. Glancing at the balance sheets, it looks to be about a four hundred percent raise for you. Does that work?”
Four hundred percent raise.
He goes on. “It’ll be salaried. Based on these timesheets in front of me, you’ve been working a lot of hours. In fact, it’s more hours than Susan. So how about I throw in an extra five hundred dollars a month over what Susan was making, because you are more present than she was?”
Now my knees are weak. With that raise, I can go back to school.
Of course, I’m working full-time, which will make school hard. But I quickly run the math in my head. If I hold out for one year, I will save enough for tuition. Then I could go part-time again, at least to finish my undergrad. The master’s degree would be more. But I can think about that later.
“Nova? You still there?”
“Yes.”
“Do we have a deal?”
“Of course. And thank you. I didn’t realize you were paying attention.”
He chuckles. “Probably because I wasn’t super available. I’ll admit that straight out. I thought Susan was doing her job, and you all were holding down the fort beautifully. Turns out it was all you. I’m glad to get the opportunity to compensate you for that.”
“Thank you.”
“I’d like to talk to you a minute about Jason Packwood.”
Oh, right. Him.
“He’s more or less family, and we want to help set Jason on the right path. I probably should’ve sent him to one of my brothers’ delis, but mine seemed to be doing so well. I thought it would be the perfect place for him to learn he’s not the hotshot he thinks he is.”
“I did manage to teach him how to dice onions.”
“That’s perfect.” Jace lets out a deep-throated laugh. “You keep right on that. And since you’re uncomfortable with him on the computer, I’ve withdrawn his access. That said, if you have some tips for him and want to show him some of the shipments and invoices, particularly now that you have access as manager, that would be helpful. Perhaps the two of you together could knock some ideas around. He’s kinda wet behind the ears as far as manual labor, but he’s really sharp.”
That seems fair. “All right. I just worried he was a spy.” Even as I say the words, I realize how ridiculous they sound.
“You were watching out for us, Nova. I appreciate that. I’ll be sending some documents over by courier for you to sign for your new position. We will get you some back pay for at least the last, let’s say ninety days, and hopefully, things will be looking up for Austin Pickle.”
Wow. Back pay. “Thank you.”
The line goes dead. I sit there, still holding the phone for a good thirty seconds.
Kate comes up behind me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I turn to her. “I think I just heard from one. That was Jace Pickle.”
“What did he say?”
“He named me manager of the deli.”
Kate squeals and runs to tell the others. I look around the store like I’ve never seen it before. I know I’ve been running the place for months, but now it’s different. I’m actually in charge. And the owner talked to me. And he likes me. And he gave me a four hundred percent raise. And back pay. And a bonus.
None of this would’ve happened if Jason Packwood hadn’t walked in and been a punk. We probably would’ve gone on and on the same way we were, forever.
It might be time to face some facts.
Jason Packwood is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
9
Jace
Well, my brother likes her.
I replay parts of the conversation with Max in my head as I wait at the back door of Austin Pickle for someone to answer the buzzer.
Max gave me the rundown of his conversation with Nova, including the rather generous compensation package he’d come up with