Her Scream in the Silence (Carly Moore #2) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,5
them in and handed in the ticket for the guys’ pies. I waited on another table, then picked up the pie order and headed back to Franklin’s table.
“Here you go, gentlemen,” I said in a friendly tone as I set the plates in front of them. “Would anyone like some coffee? It’ll warm you up before you head back out in the cold.”
Billy looked up at me. “What’s gonna happen to you now that Lula’s back?”
“Don’t you worry about me, Billy,” I said, forcing a smile. “The good news is that Lula’s back and everyone’s happy.”
Franklin frowned and got up from his seat. “That coffee sounds pretty good, Carly. How about I come back and help you get the cups?”
Franklin knew I was capable of bringing it all out, but I wasn’t surprised he wanted to follow me. “Ruth will put this to rights,” he said under his breath as we walked to the back together. “Don’t you worry.”
I shook my head and willed my eyes to stop stinging. “We all knew I started out as a temporary replacement.” I turned and offered him a tight smile. “I was lucky this lasted as long as it did.”
He leaned closer. “This is bullshit, Carly. You work circles around that girl. She lollygags around, leaving Ruth to pick up the slack.” He straightened back up and shook his head. “It ain’t right, and Ruth won’t get rid of you to keep her.”
I placed a hand on Franklin’s arm and held his gaze. “It’s gonna be all right.”
But I had to wonder what Max would do. I wasn’t sure there was a right answer here. Lula might not be a great worker, but the patrons loved her, and their loyalty mattered to the establishment.
Max stomped out of his office, Lula following on his heels, and stopped in front of me. “Carly, can I speak to you in my office?”
I shot a quick glance at Lula, who kept her gaze on the floor. That wasn’t a good sign.
“Sure,” I said, pressing a hand to my stomach to quell my nerves.
I trailed behind him into the room I was sure used to be an oversized closet at one point. He grabbed his office chair and turned it to face the door.
“Have a seat,” he said, gesturing toward it.
I did as he instructed, saying, “Nothing good ever came out of those three words.”
His lips were pressed into a thin line as he shut the door and sat on the edge of the desk, staring down at me. “I’m takin’ Lula back.”
My head bobbed as my mind raced. What would I do for work?
“I don’t want to, but I’m between a rock and a hard place, Carly,” he said in frustration. “Half of my customers love her to pieces.”
“I know, Max,” I assured him. “They were worried I might be taking her place, and we both assured them I wasn’t.” I gave him a tight smile. “I can’t be makin’ a liar out of the both of us.”
“The thing is,” he said. “I doubt she’ll stick around. The girl has serious wanderlust. She’ll be here for a month or two and run off again. I don’t want to lose you in the meantime. I know it’s not fair to ask, but would you stick around anyway? I’ll have to cut your hours, but I’ll be sure to have all three of you work on Monday and Thursday nights. And I’ll put you on Wednesday lunch shift. We both know that’s the best one.” He grimaced and leaned forward. “There’s just not enough business for three full-time waitresses.”
Didn’t I know it.
“What choice do I have?” I said with a chuckle. I doubted any other employment opportunities would present themselves. I was still living with Hank Chalmers, helping provide him with medical care and cooking his meals in exchange for room and board, so at least I didn’t have many bills. The only regular expenses I had were the gas it took to get to work and back—Wyatt had fixed up Hank’s car for me to use—and food that I bought for the household. I could make it work.
I stood and put my hand on Max’s arm. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe Wyatt can help you out.”
My back stiffened. “I’ll be just fine,” I said in a tight voice as I dropped my arm.
His brows lifted. “Are you and Wyatt havin’ problems? I haven’t seen him around this last week.”