Holly versus Mr. Ivy by Amanda P. Jones
Chapter 16
Holly
itself into knots since Tuesday morning. First, it was stress over coming up with a new menu. I had a few recipes I’d held onto from my pre-Mom’s-illness exploratory phase that I’d forgotten about until Monday night. But no one liked them. My chefs and I went back and forth for hours deciding what the new menu should be.
I still preferred to test each item before officially adding it to the menu, but the chefs and Rhett all agreed the new selections would be better than the rarely ordered offerings we had now. The Monday the week of Thanksgiving, the new menus would arrive, and hopefully people would order and like what we’d come up with. If not, we’d just wasted a ton of time and money, which would not help us reach our goal.
Once we settled the food, my stomach decided to take on the next worry plaguing me: firing Darby and Josh. I’d eaten hardly anything except toast and tea the past two days because my nerves were doing a number on my digestive system. I’d gone through way too much toilet paper lately.
As I sat in my office, my hands went clammy and my stomach clenched. Rhett should be here any minute. Originally, I’d said I could handle letting Darby and Josh go on my own. That I wanted Rhett in the room, but would do all the talking. At this point, I’d be lucky to even get a word out past my constricted throat.
I jerked my head up at the sound of knuckles tapping against my office door and looked up to see Rhett, who held a small bouquet of cream, rust, and gold dahlias, ranunculus blossoms, and aster flowers.
I tipped my head to the side. “Who are those for?”
Rhett stepped fully into my office, placing the vase tied with cream and burlap ribbon on my desk. “You. I figured with everything going on today, you could use some preemptive cheering up.”
Warmth oozed from my chest and seeped down to my toes. He’d already brought me (well, the staff) donuts, and now flowers? I loved my friends, but I never gave them this many presents. “Is your love language gift-giving?”
Wrinkles creased Rhett’s forehead. “My what, now?”
Heat seared across my face and neck. “I didn’t mean to say you love me,“ I squeaked. “I was referring to…you know what”—I waved a hand in front of my face—“just pretend I didn’t say any of that. Thank you. That was very kind of you.”
He eyed me with furrowed brows. “Are you okay?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I’m super nervous.”
“I know.” He sighed. “I’m not looking forward to today’s meetings either. But I’m here. I’ll do whatever you need me to, okay?”
I stared at my keyboard, noting the glossy spots where my thumbs tapped the spacebar. “I feel like I should be strong enough to do this, but I’m chickening out. Sorry for asking you to be the bad guy, but will you do it? Will you tell Josh and Darby they’re being let go?”
Rhett sat, one ankle resting on his opposite knee. “Yes. And don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t willing to do it.”
“You don’t think less of me for not scrounging up the courage?” A part of me was upset with myself for not being able to set my feelings aside and do what needed to be done. It further proved I sucked at being a manager. Letting these two employees go was for the better. I knew that. I truly did. So why did the act of firing them sting?
“I think I’d be more concerned if you weren’t struggling with this. No one, unless you’re a sadist, enjoys ending someone’s employment, even if they are crappy at their job. The whole thing sucks. But we have the party to look forward to right after. Skye will be there.”
I frowned. “If you think a party will cheer me up, you don’t know me at all.”
Rhett’s lips quirked up. “You’re right, it’s more torture. At least you have flowers to look at.”
I studied the bouquet in front of me. Wherever he’d purchased them from had done an excellent job with the arrangement. It screamed fall, and I loved it. “You really didn’t need to bring me anything, but thank you. They will definitely help me get through today.”
“I’m to provide an update to my uncle after the party.”
My stomach clenched. Thank goodness Rhett had to deal with him and not me. “What will you tell him?”
“We’re doing our best, but it’s too soon to say one way or another.”
Ugh. We had to meet our goal. Executive chef positions didn’t open up often, especially not so close to my house. If I lost this job, the prestige I’d fought for, it would crush me. “Will it offend you if I say I’m not his biggest fan?”
He snorted. “I’d lie and tell you he isn’t so bad once you get to know him, but I won’t. He’s good at what he does, but he’s not the most personable. Family gatherings with my dad’s side are very formal affairs with plenty of arrogance and self-importance. I’m used to it because they’re my family, but few people can handle the expectations.”
Yikes. Rhett’s paternal family sounded like rich snobs. “Are your parents like that?”
His head waffled. “My dad can fall into the trap when he’s around his brother and parents, but when we’re alone, no. He’s more down to earth and just wants me to be happy and a contributing member of society.”
My lips twitched as I fought a smile. “So no running off to join the circus?”
Rhett smiled. “That wouldn’t support a family, so no.”
Did Rhett want a family someday? “Well, I for one am happy your dad crushed those dreams of yours early because I need you today.”
Rhett’s entire face lit up. He cupped his ear and leaned toward me. “Can you repeat that last part, please?”
I rolled my eyes at him, secretly enjoying his teasing. “I’m happy your dad crushed your dreams?”
He wagged his finger. “No, the other part.”
I scooted my chair back and stood. “I’m going to go wait in the kitchen for Darby to get here.”
Rhett stood and blocked my path, his arms folded across his chest. “Say it and I’ll let you go.”
I copied his stance. “The magic word is please. Please move, Rhett.”
We entered a staring contest. The irises in Rhett’s eyes grew. The flecks of amber around his pupil stood out against the rich brown, like his eyes were caramel and chocolate, dancing together.
“Say it.” His words were low. Gruff.
Heat rippled inside my stomach. “What do you want me to say?” My words were husky. Not a tone I’d thought myself capable of.
“You need me.”
I licked my lips, totally lost in the angles and lines of Rhett’s facial features. Drowning in them, committing each dark eyelash, each freckle, each tantalizing detail to memory. There was nothing I couldn’t do—wouldn’t do—in this moment. He had me trapped in his spell, and I gladly acquiesced. “I need you,” I said hoarsely, meaning every word.
Rhett’s breath hitched. His arms dropped to his sides, and he took a step closer to me. Following his lead, I dropped my arms as well. No rational thought came to me. No blaring alarms that this was wrong or bad or that we were crossing lines that could get us fired. I was too drawn in by him.
I slowly reached my hand toward him, my eyes never breaking contact with his. Our fingers laced together, like it was the most natural place for them to be. A bolt of lightning raced up my arm, into my chest, where it caused an explosion of heat.
Rhett’s other hand came up to my face, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. His fingers traced along the shell of my ear, lingering like he didn’t want to drop contact with my skin. I leaned into his touch, relishing the feel of his warm hand as it spread tingles across every inch of my skin.
Rhett’s face slowly drew closer to mine. I held my breath, waiting to see if he would close the gap. Were we actually pursuing the chemistry sizzling between us? My heart continued to go crazy in my chest as I started leaning into Rhett, ready to meet his mouth halfway. Because all I wanted was Rhett. To see if, despite my control-freak ways, someone could fall for me. That they would see there was more to me than my schedules and to-do lists.
Millimeters before our lips met, Darby’s grating voice said, “Of course you think you’re above the no-dating rule, Chef.“ She said my name with derision.
Rhett and I jumped apart like the other had leprosy.
Dang it!
What had we been thinking? Oh, that’s right. My brain stopped all thoughts whatsoever and hadn’t registered the enormity of the stupid mistake we’d just made.
Rhett ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath in the process. “Darby. Hello. Thanks for coming in. Let’s go to my office.”
My heart turned to stone. I closed my eyes to stop the tears pricking behind them. We were firing Darby because of her work and attitude. I already dreaded the task and the outcome because Darby would not make this easy.
But now?
I was terrified. Terrified Darby would turn us in to Anthony. Could we let her keep her job in exchange for her silence? No, Hols. That’s not who you are. You don’t bribe someone to save your own skin. You own up to your mistakes.
And what a huge mistake it was, even if I’d desperately wanted that kiss. Which was ridiculous considering I’d told myself he had to stay in the friendzone. Guilt swirled inside me. I’d asked Rhett to fire Darby for me. What if Darby thought he was doing it because I’d forced him to? Or he’d only agreed to fire her because she thought we were dating? It was my idea to let her go, but now? Who knew what assumptions she’d make?
What a horrific mess.
Part of me prayed Darby would be so upset she’d lost her job that she would forget all about Rhett and me almost kissing.
Darby sat across from Rhett and me with a scowl on her face. I was used to the way her lip curled up on one side, nostrils slightly flared, brows meeting in the middle. What had Rhett done to deserve that look before we’d—he’d—spoken?
“Thanks for coming in early,” Rhett said to Darby.
I sat on my hands, my lips glued shut, fighting back nausea, my gaze darting between Darby and Rhett.
“What’s this about?” she snarled.
“The reason I became general manager is because the owner of the company had some changes he wanted to make. Unfortunately, some of those changes involved the staff. We appreciate the time you’ve given at The Boardwalk, but your employment is being terminated. You’ll be offered two weeks of severance pay as well as health insurance until the end of November. We’ll also give you a recommendation if you’d like.”
“What?” she shrieked. “You can’t do this. You can’t fire me for no reason. I have rights!”
Granted, this was unexpected for her, and no one liked losing their job, but why would she want to stay? She hated it here. Hated me. The Boardwalk was being generous by giving her health insurance for another month, and I didn’t know who planned to write her a recommendation, but Rhett hadn’t cleared that offer with me, so it had better be him. It would seriously be a stretch of the truth for any kind words about Darby to come out of my mouth. But if it kept her quiet…maybe I would conjure up a few niceties.
“I assure you,” Rhett said in a calm tone, “we know our rights as an employer, and our offer is considerate. I’ll escort you to the kitchen to collect any things you may have there.”
Darby turned her fiery gaze to me, stabbing a finger in my direction. “This is all your fault, you stuck-up witch! You’re terrible at your job! A rat off the street would manage the kitchen better than you do. You must have slept your way to your position because everyone who works here knows you didn’t earn it. No one becomes an executive chef as young as you did. And after that display I just walked in on, my point is proven.”
Rhett shot me a quick questioning look, like he wondered if I had earned my job by means other than my qualifications.
I gave him a disbelieving glare that showed how much his lack of trust hurt. Of course. Why wouldn’t Rhett believe Darby after what had just almost happened?
Rhett’s face morphed into one that conveyed he believed me and he was sorry he’d questioned me.
I most definitely had NOT slept my way to the top. My professor in culinary school who had sexually assaulted me had wanted me to sleep with him on an ongoing basis, but I would never willingly offer my body in exchange for a position. Tears stung the backs of my eyes. I blinked furiously, trying to get her words out of my head.
Rhett, seeing my reaction, abruptly stood, his fists clenched at his sides. “That’s enough, Darby,” he snarled. “My generous pay and benefits are about to be revoked. You will cease speaking this moment and clear the building. If I see you back here again, I’ll call the police.”
Darby spat one last unflattering word in my direction before seething to Rhett. “You’ll regret this.”
The only thing I regretted was keeping her in my kitchen as long as I had and that she caught me almost kissing Rhett. Both mistakes I had to live with.
“Let’s go.” Rhett led Darby to the kitchen to collect her knives.
Staying in Rhett’s office, I let the tears fall. I’d known Darby would make this ugly, but I hadn’t prepared myself for the resurfaced pain of what had happened to me in college. I swiped at my eyes and nose with a few tissues I pulled from the box resting on Rhett’s desk. How was I supposed to lead the group in get-to-know-you games with red, swollen eyes and a Rudolph-like nose? Like a spineless yellow-bellied toadfish, I wanted to beg Rhett to handle Josh’s firing on his own.
Ten minutes later, Rhett returned. I kept my head down, my gaze on the tissue crumpled between my fingers on my lap. He plopped in his chair, spinning so he faced my side. “Well, that sucked. I think she can kiss that letter of recommendation goodbye.”
I winced at his use of the word kiss. Would Darby tell Anthony? Were my days numbered at The Boardwalk?
Rhett tapped the armrest of the chair where I sat. “Are you okay? She said some cruel things.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Holly,” he said with such tenderness, my heart skipped a beat. “You know she lied, right? She was angry and spewing accusations.”
I was glad he knew she hadn’t been telling the truth. “What are we going to do, Rhett? We just handed her grenades to end both of our careers.”
When he didn’t say anything, I turned my head the slightest, allowing a glimpse of him through my peripheral vision. His brow was furrowed and his lips were pursed.
Finally, in a defeated tone, he said, “I don’t know. We shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry for crossing that line. I was caught up in the moment, but that’s no excuse.” He squeezed my shoulder before standing. “Hopefully Darby will leave it alone. We weren’t actually kissing, so there’s nothing to report to my uncle. Anyway, Josh should be here soon. I’ll wait for him out in the hallway to give you a moment of privacy.”
“Thanks.” I agreed we shouldn’t have done that, but did he say that because he didn’t like me and felt bad about leading me on, or only because of the risk to our job security?
The reason he said it doesn’t matter, Hols. The fact remains it shouldn’t have happened.
If Rhett didn’t even know how to solve this potential issue with Darby talking to Anthony, we were done for. Goodbye, financial security. Goodbye, executive chef position. Goodbye, working close to home. Goodbye, James Beard Award.
The severity of our situation piled on top of the dread I had for firing two employees. I hated that I wasn’t strong enough to do this on my own. In Ralph Breaks the Internet, all the princesses joked how everyone assumed a man had to enter their story in order to save them. When I’d watched it, I had been all for the girl power. Women totally ruled the world. We could do anything. And yet, here I sat in Rhett’s office with tears in my eyes and my heart in pieces because I had been scared to begin with, and when someone attacked me, I’d turned to a man to deal with it instead of standing on my own two feet.
I was torn between more self-loathing that I couldn’t even be a champion for myself, let alone other women, and wanting to prove my worth. I’d never relied on a man before, but it was easy to let Rhett, who’d graciously offered, take the hard parts of my job from me.
Rhett had shown me time and time again how to be a good manager. How to rely on others for help. To be a team. He would do anything I needed because he cared. He’d proven that from the day he’d started working here. If Rhett, who also hated firing people, who also might be at risk of losing his job, could summon the courage to do the hard things, then I could too. I’d be brave and show Rhett and everyone else that I did know how to do my job, and do it well.
I would fire Josh, not Rhett. If I started to melt down during the confrontation, Rhett would have my back. But at least I would try instead of sitting by and doing nothing. Letting Josh and Darby go had been my idea, after all. It was time I followed through on my convictions.
Just like the princesses, I knew when to treasure the men in my life and when to take matters into my own hands. This one small step, though terrifying, was me taking control (which I loved).
Swiping under my eyes and nose, I rushed out of Rhett’s office. He was playing on his phone in the employee break room, which was right next to Aaron’s office at the very end of the hallway separating the kitchen from the offices.
“Thank you for everything so far today,” I said as I walked into the small room. “I want to do Josh’s exit interview. I’ll give you an elbow nudge if I need you to take over.”
Rhett slipped his phone in his suit jacket pocket. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I don’t think he’ll be as awful as Darby.” And I was trying to prove I could do this. That just because Rhett had offered an easy out didn’t mean I had to take it.
“You got it.”
And that right there was one of the many reasons why I really liked Rhett. He didn’t try to talk me out of it or tell me he had this. He believed in me. Accepted my decision and then supported me. I offered him a small smile. “Thanks.”
The back door banged, and Rhett and I met Josh in the hallway. “Thanks for coming in early, Josh. Let’s go to Mr. Ivy’s office.”
He eyed us suspiciously. “Okay.”
Once we were all seated, I sat up straighter and kept my tone polite but firm. “The owner of the restaurant has requested changes be made at The Boardwalk. It’s one of the reasons Mr. Ivy was hired as the new general manager. Part of the changes also involve the current staff.”
You can do this. “We appreciate your time at The Boardwalk, but unfortunately your employment here has ended, effective immediately.”
The color drained from his face, but he didn’t say anything.
I swallowed hard. “You will receive two weeks of severance pay as well as health insurance until the end of November. If you need a letter of recommendation, we will provide one upon request. For now, we ask that you collect your personal items and leave the premises at once.”
“Why me?” His tone wasn’t mean or defiant. More perplexed.
I almost laughed. Was he serious? Uhh, because you’re a jerk?
How did I phrase this politely? Sorry for using you as the scapegoat, Rhett. “Mr. Ivy and I have been observing the staff for the past six weeks, and we both agreed letting you go was the best move for you, as well as The Boardwalk.”
“I’m good at what I do,” he stated.
I steeled myself against a verbal lashing like Darby had unfurled at me. “You are, which is why I’m confident you will have no problems finding a new position elsewhere.”
His eyes hardened. “You’re still not telling me why I’m being let go. I want a reason.”
Fine, if he wanted to know, I’d tell him. “Your attitude toward your superiors isn’t conducive to a positive working environment.”
He leaned forward in his seat, his voice steely. “I’m being punished because you can’t handle criticism? If anything, you should be the one being fired, not me. You’re the cold-hearted scrooge who is so uptight she won’t even allow us to talk. Are you that afraid of people voicing their opinions about you?”
Not as bad as Darby had implied, but man, it didn’t matter how many times I heard those words. They stung.
Rhett scoffed. “If you think insulting Chef Dewhurst is the way to keep your job, you are sorely mistaken. And your ‘criticisms,’ as you claim them to be, are rude, judgmental, and unnecessary. If you want to make it in this industry, learn to show respect.”
His chin lifted at a defiant angle. “I show respect to those who earn it.”
Rhett stood. “I feel bad for you, then. Chef Dewhurst is one of the best chefs I’ve had the privilege of working with. If you can’t see that, I’m afraid your career in the food industry will be short-lived. Also, a word of advice? Disrespecting others isn’t a weakness in them, it’s a weakness in you. Now get out.“ He pointed at his office door.
Having a friend by my side wasn’t terrible. I was grateful Rhett had stood up for me. Yes, I would have liked to rip Josh to shreds, but then my professionalism would have been in question, and I appreciated that he didn’t approve of Josh’s disrespect for me.
Josh stormed out of Rhett’s office, flipping up his middle finger as he went.
Rhett sighed. “I’m going to make sure he leaves. I’ll be right back.”
I was completely drained. The toll of working myself up over what had to happen and then doing it, on top of that almost-kiss, had left me like a limp doll. I craved my bed and a good book. Unfortunately, I still had the party and the usual restaurant shift to get through. Caffeine was most definitely needed—and chocolate. Good thing I had both stashed in my bottom desk drawer.
Rhett came back into his office, his cheeks flushed red. “Good riddance to the both of them.”
“Thanks again for helping me—and for supporting me.” Pride at handling most of Josh’s dismissal swelled within me.
He smiled softly. “Always.”
Forget the caffeine boost. Rhett’s smile did it all on its own.