LITMIR.BIZ

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That meeting tomorrow. He’d have to be in the same room as Helen and Dana Sue when the memory of that searing kiss was just a little too fresh in his mind.

      3

      Karen’s heart was in her throat all during the first part of her shift prior to the meeting Helen had scheduled for two in the afternoon. Erik kept shooting daggers at her, as if he was really ticked off about something. She got the impression he’d been against the meeting. Dana Sue was trying to overcompensate by being extra nice, but the tension in the kitchen was really beginning to take a toll on Karen.

      Added to that, they’d had one customer from hell, who’d sent her meal back three times. Erik and Dana Sue had finally drawn straws to decide which one of them would go into the dining room to deal with her and take a stab at making sure she left Sullivan’s happy. Dana Sue had drawn the short straw. Free champagne and dessert for everyone at the table finally soothed the woman, but the whole exchange had ruined Dana Sue’s mood. It was now as dark as Erik’s.

      At precisely two o’clock, Helen sashayed in, wearing one of those power suits she favored, a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes that probably cost more than Karen made in a week, maybe even a month, and designer sunglasses that she didn’t remove.

      Pointedly ignoring Erik, she smiled at Karen, then turned to Dana Sue. “Where do you want to meet? It’s going to be a little crowded in your office, unless Erik has decided to skip the meeting.”

      There was a cool, antagonistic note in her voice that Karen didn’t recognize. Something told her it didn’t bode well for the discussion to come.

      “Not a chance,” Erik replied tightly, adding to the tense atmosphere.

      “The last of the customers have gone. We can sit in the dining room,” Dana Sue said briskly. “Karen, you want a soda or something? Helen?”

      “I’m good,” Karen said, too nervous to even try to swallow something while her future was at stake.

      “Nothing for me,” Helen said.

      “Then let’s get started, shall we?” Dana Sue said with obviously forced cheer, leading the way.

      “Could I see you for a minute first, Helen?” Erik asked, his expression grim.

      Dana Sue tucked her arm through Karen’s and immediately steered her through the door into the dining room. “We’ll give you a minute alone,” she said to the two of them.

      “What’s that about?” Karen asked in a hushed voice.

      Dana Sue grinned. “They had a little disagreement last night. Trust me, it’ll be a whole lot better if they work it out before this meeting.”

      Almost before the words were out of Dana Sue’s mouth, though, Helen appeared right behind them, her expression as grim as Erik’s.

      Karen leveled a worried look at Dana Sue and leaned close to whisper, “That’s not a good sign, is it?”

      Dana Sue sighed. “Not especially,” she said, frowning when Erik emerged from the kitchen right on Helen’s heels, his own expression even stormier than before.

      “Okay,” Helen said when they were all seated. “Remember, this is just a conversation among friends. The goal is to work out a solution all of you can live with. Karen’s well aware that her absences lately have put a real strain on the two of you. Karen, why don’t you tell them what’s been going on and why you haven’t spoken up before now?”

      Swallowing hard, Karen avoided Erik’s unyielding expression and focused on Dana Sue as she explained about the kids having the measles, the babysitter quitting and the financial stress she’d been under with Ray not sending child-support payments.

      “I haven’t told you before because my personal problems shouldn’t be your problems,” she said. “I know I’ve been unreliable and that it’s unacceptable. But I swear to you if you can just bear with me a little longer until I can make permanent arrangements for someone responsible to watch the kids for me, I will be here every single minute I’m supposed to be. I won’t have to hunt for someone new every day.”

      Helen held up a hand. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Karen. Let’s face it, being a single mom is unpredictable. Dana Sue, you certainly know all about that. Here’s what I suggest, especially after being here last night. Isn’t it time you considered hiring another chef, or at least some prep staff who can be trained just the way you’ve trained Karen? That way if Karen does have another one of these inevitable crises, you’ll have some backup.”

      “Why should Karen’s problems force Dana Sue to hire additional staff?” Erik demanded.

      “Because you need the help, anyway,” Helen said before Dana Sue could answer. “Karen wasn’t scheduled last night and it was crazy in the kitchen. If I hadn’t shown up—”

      “We’d have managed,” Erik interrupted. “We always do.”

      “Come on, Erik, Helen’s right,” Dana Sue cut in. “We really are understaffed for the size of the dinner crowd lately. I’ve interviewed half a dozen people for prep work and given two of them a trial run, but neither one was right for us. I really need to accelerate that search. I’ve been putting off doing anything about it, because I wasn’t sure the popularity of this place would last. That sometimes happens after rave reviews. The kitchen can’t keep up for a few weeks and then people go back to their usual routine and you’ve got more staff underfoot and counting on you than you need and you have to let people go.”

      “Hiring someone to do prep work is one thing,” Erik conceded. “But as long as we’re still counting on Karen to be here, how does that solve the problem if she bails?”

      “Another trained person can come in if Karen has an emergency,” Helen said.

      “And be paid overtime wages?” Erik asked. “How is that fair to Dana Sue? She has to think about costs, you know. And prep work is a far cry from being her assistant or sous chef. We need someone who can move into that position, now that I’m assistant manager.”

      Karen studied Erik and Helen and knew there was something going on between them that had nothing to do with her. It was clear, though, that this discussion wasn’t going to work in her favor unless she stepped in with a solution of her own. Fortunately sometime in the middle of the night she’d actually come up with one. Until now she’d been hesitant to offer it, but it was beginning to seem as if she had nothing to lose.

      “I have an idea,” she said quietly.

      All three of them looked at her in surprise, almost as if they’d forgotten she was there.

      “Go ahead,” Helen encouraged.

      “I worked with another cook at the diner ’til she had to leave. She had the same problem I’m having now. She was a single mom and her kids had to come first. Doug fired her, just the way I know you two have been debating about firing me. Anyway, Tess was really, really good, but she took a job telemarketing, so she could work at home. I know she hates it and would love to get back to work in a restaurant.”

      Erik’s scowl deepened. “If she’s already been fired for being unreliable, why would we ask for more problems by hiring her?”

      “Because, frankly, she’s got exactly the skills you need,” Karen told him, determined not to back down in the face of his skepticism. She needed to fight for herself. To do that she had to convince them to at least give Tess a try. “She’s fast. She’s a quick learner. She’s creative. She doesn’t get rattled in a crisis. And she already knows her way around a kitchen.”

      “That still doesn’t address the key problem,” Erik said.

      “Let her finish, for goodness’ sakes,” Helen snapped.

      “Well, pardon me all to hell for wondering how this solves anything,” Erik retorted, his gaze locked with Helen’s.

      Suddenly

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