Holly versus Mr. Ivy by Amanda P. Jones
Chapter 17
Rhett
of kissing Holly. None whatsoever. After she’d said she needed me in that tone that tugged at my gut, my finger, without approval from my brain, had automatically reached up to brush her hair behind her ear. The second my skin had met hers, a shock of heat had zoomed into me like a comet racing across the sky. At that point, my body had taken over, and all thoughts vanished. That was the only reason I’d leaned toward Holly’s pink lips. I was a little annoyed at Darby for interrupting us because the idea of getting a taste of Holly had consumed me.
But why had I let one tension-filled moment get the better of me? We both might lose our jobs for this. And as much as I liked Holly, I wasn’t ready to risk my future—a thought that triggered my depression and anxiety. I shouldn’t have allowed myself to lose control like that.
Also, how had Holly dealt with Darby and Josh for so long? I was deliriously happy they were gone. Holly was nothing like what Josh and Darby said she was. Not that it made letting them go any easier. My hands still slightly shook from firing them. We had no time to relish their termination, though. Our employees were due to arrive in an hour, and Holly and I had a lot to do before then.
“Ready to get the party started?” I asked Holly, who sat in the tub chair she’d pulled to the other side of my desk.
She stood, brushing her hands down her sides. “No, but let’s get this over with anyway.”
“Thanks for taking one for the team,” I teased, hoping we could get back to how we had been before the almost-kiss.
One of her eyebrows rose. “Did you ever think I could do that?”
I laughed. Certainly not when I’d first met her. “Before you know it, you’ll be cracking jokes and smiling all the time like I do.”
She snorted. “Don’t count on it.”
She started scooting the chair back to the other side of my desk. I pulled it from behind and resituated it in front of my desk. I met Holly’s gaze. “I’m not so sure. You decided to be my friend and said you needed me. I wouldn’t put it past you to come around on this point as well.”
Ah, man. Why did I have to bring up the kiss?
“Don’t hold your breath.”
Phew. Holly didn’t react to my slip up. From now on, no mention of kissing was allowed.“We’ll see. I have a feeling you’ll see my side soon enough.” I winked.
We went to the dining room and pushed aside the tables in the middle of the room to create an open space in the center. The booths along the eastern wall of windows stayed clear so we could eat lunch there. Holly also helped me set up a portable projector screen, and I hooked up my laptop with the presentation queued to the first slide.
Aaron, the new assistant manager, waltzed in at the same time the catering company arrived with the taco and nacho bar we’d ordered. We had them set up right next to the bar. The aroma of smoked meat, fresh salsa, and cinnamon and sugar teased my nose, promising a delicious meal. Too bad my appetite was depleted.
What if the staff hated the program I’d used in other restaurants? What if the games were a bust? What if no one cared about making this place an upbeat, positive environment?
Plastering on a fake smile to hide my nerves, I stood next to Holly and Aaron, greeting our employees as they trickled into the dining room from the back entrance.
“Hello, welcome,” I said to Jessica as she walked in. “Have a seat in any of the booths. We’ll get started in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” She went to the back booth, where a few of the other waitstaff sat.
“Skye!” Holly cheerfully welcomed one of our newest employees. “Thanks for coming in so early on your first day. Let me introduce you to the other chefs.”
“Hello, Skye,” I greeted her with a handshake. Her pink headband looked just as cute as the first time I’d met her. “Welcome to The Boardwalk. We’re excited to have you.” I pointed at Aaron. “Before Chef Dewhurst takes you to meet everyone else, I’d like to introduce Aaron Ferguson, the assistant manager.”
They exchanged handshakes. “It’s nice to finally meet you,” Aaron said. “Chef Dewhurst and Rhett have spoken highly of you since you accepted the offer of employment.”
She raised her brows. “I guess I have big shoes to fill, then.”
I looked at Holly and held back a snort. It wouldn’t take much to outdo Josh or Darby. “You’ll do just fine,” I assured her.
Marcus walked in. “Perfect timing,” I said. “Chef Dewhurst was just about to introduce the other staff members to Skye.”
“Come on.” Holly pointed to the side of the room where the other chefs were. I frowned as I noticed the chefs staying clear of the waitstaff. It made sense they’d want to sit by the people they knew the best, but if we were to take a step forward, we needed to mingle. Maybe I should have given everyone a colored dot when they arrived and asked them to sit by the others with their same color like in preschool.
Too late now.
I turned back to Aaron. “I think almost everyone is here. I’m going to have them start eating, then we’ll begin. Are you ready for your portion of the presentation?”
I’d asked Aaron to present the incentives involved in our new program. It gave him a chance to speak with everyone and got them all used to seeing him instead of me as the head of the restaurant. Again, I took the hard part. If anyone had issues with the new review and report card system, I’d happily be the fall guy and take their griping. It gave Aaron and Holly someone to blame for the new initiatives, and when I left, they could continue to use me as a scapegoat.
Surely a few employees wouldn’t be happy after this meeting, but I hoped the majority would welcome the changes I was trying to bring about. The potential to take The Boardwalk to the next step and increase profit was there as long as everyone was on board. I’d yet to fail, and I didn’t plan to now.
I stood by the table where my laptop rested right in front of the fireplace. “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for coming in early or—for some of you—on your day off. The point of today’s mandatory meeting is to show our appreciation for all your hard work as well as explain a new initiative for The Boardwalk.”
A few whispered comments rippled across the group.
I held up a hand, asking for the chatter to die down. “Anthony Ivy has tasked The Boardwalk with some lofty goals by the end of the year. I’m confident we’ll get there as long as we come together and make this the best fine dining restaurant in the city.”
At this announcement, nervous glances were shared among the staff.
“We’ll explain in more detail after we eat. For now, grab some food and relax for a bit.” I gestured for them to start getting in line. A few of the busboys hopped up, beelining it for the grub waiting.
Aaron came to my side. We watched the crew as they chatted.
“Think they’ll be happy with the changes?” Aaron asked.
They had to. Otherwise, we’d never meet our goal. I’d kiss my promotion goodbye, and Holly would be out of here. If we weren’t fired before then. “I do. We’re not asking a lot of them.”
“I’m going to go talk with them.”
I nodded. “And that is one of the many reasons why I hired you. You’re a good manager, Aaron.”
He smiled. “Thanks.” He walked to the group of waitstaff midway through the line.
Holly sidled up next to me, her hands clasped behind her back. “My team is already happier with Skye and Marcus.”
“Good. It cements the fact that we made the right decision earlier today. Are you feeling better?”
She shrugged. “Once the party is over, I probably will be.”
I chuckled. “Well, I’m going to take Aaron’s lead and go mingle.”
“Is that your subtle way of telling me to stop talking to you and go talk to the employees?”
“I think you’re starting to understand me,” I joked.
“Maybe I do see you, Rhett,” she whispered my name.
She immediately walked away, and my eyes followed her as she went. Her black work pants hid the perfect curves of her backside. The sight thankfully had seared itself into my memory, so while I may be seeing black on her legs and rear, my mind pictured those jeans from earlier this week.
Warmth heated my insides. The memory of her soft skin from earlier today made my stomach flutter. I snapped my gaze away from Holly. What. Are. You. Doing? I’d promised myself nothing more than friendship. Entertaining my attraction didn’t help. We were in hot enough water already.
The busboys already had their plates and sat in a booth in the middle of the row. I snatched a chair from a nearby table, swinging it around, and sat backward, my arms resting on top of the backrest.
“Hey, guys. How’s it going?” I asked.
They stopped chewing mid-mouthful and stared at me.
I hadn’t spoken to them much. Not because I hadn’t wanted to. I’d been too busy with everything else. Their startled expression was expected. “I haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know any of you all that well. Tell me where you’re from and what you like to do when you’re not slaving away at The Boardwalk.”
Silence. Right at the point where it was getting truly awkward, a brave soul spoke up. “I like cars.”
See? Was that really so hard? “I do too. Restored or new?” Team new for me. My truck had cost more than I’d like, but when I’d seen it at the dealership, it had called out to me. Was that how this guy felt about all vehicles?
“Both.” He set his taco on his plate. “I’m working on a Corvette with my dad right now.”
“Sweet. What year?” I asked, ready to conjure what little I remembered about older cars.
We continued chatting, and slowly the other three opened up. Eventually, I excused myself to grab a plate of food and found another table to sit and mingle. From the start, I’d told them I had an open-door policy. I hoped after today, they’d see how much I truly meant it. My mentor at college taught me that when I truly cared about the people, they would feel my sincerity and work harder.
When everyone had finished eating, I called Holly up to lead our get-to-know-you game. My lips twitched in a smile through the grumbles from the staff. No matter their age, people would never be fond of being forced to play games.
Holly’s face morphed into her usual stern expression. It must be a habit when addressing a crowd. “In an effort to make this place a home away from home, we’re going to play a game. And don’t worry, I’m not asking you to come up with random facts about yourself.”
“Thank you!” hollered Skye.
A few of the other chefs stared at Skye, surprised she’d been brave enough to speak up. But that was exactly what I wanted.
Holly cracked a rare smile. “You’re welcome. This game is super simple. Everyone will stand on either side of this line.” She pointed to a twenty-foot piece of masking tape bisecting the floor. “I’ll read a question, and if that statement applies to you, step onto the line. The point is to find who shares common interests with you.”
I smiled, proud of the simple yet effective game she had organized. She was brilliant.
“First question,” Holly said. “Are you a night owl?”
Every single person, except for one of the waitstaff, stepped to the line. Made sense since we worked late.
“For those standing on the line,” Holly said. “Who was forced to become a night owl because of our job? Just raise your hand.”
Half the people, Holly included, raised their hands. I struggled getting up in the mornings. High school and college had kicked my trash with the early start times. Apparently, I had always been meant to have a job that allowed me to be up late.
“Clear the line,” Holly directed. “Next question. Do you like to read?”
I preferred movies to books. I stayed off to the side. Quite a few people stepped up.
“Raise your hand if you like fiction,” Holly said.
Everyone on the line raised their hand. Holly further shocked me when she said, “I love reading fantasy. If any of you enjoy that genre, come talk to me sometime. I love chatting about books.”
What? I did not know that about Holly. That she’d offered for people to come talk to her thrilled me. It was exactly the type of atmosphere we needed.
Holly’s questions went on for another twenty minutes. She asked about food, movies, seasons, flavors, traveling, and more. The best part was how after each question, the staff would look up and down the line to see who else shared their interests. Whispered side conversations broke out and laughter boomed. The chefs relaxed and spoke to everyone else more, including the waitstaff. The game was a success.
All because of Holly.
Her laugh startled me out of my trance of marveling at her skills to bring the group together. Peering at her, I grinned. Her head was back, her mouth open wide, her shoulders shaking, her hands clutching her midsection. Reggie, our fish chef, and Sam, the bartender, were standing next to her on the line. I’d missed the last question and had no idea what had caused such a reaction in Holly, but the sight warmed my chest.
Like a hurricane, the truth slammed into me. I liked Holly. This was more than attraction like I’d felt during our moment earlier today. Her grumpy yet sassy personality called out to my soul. Like a sailor toward a siren, I was drawn to her. I wanted more than friendship. I wanted to pull that petite, feisty woman into my arms and actually kiss those pink lips of hers.
Dang. I was in trouble.