“Really? We own the Goodbye Café?” Nikki squealed when she heard the news, which Barney shared as one by one everyone arrived home and filed into the sitting room. “I love the Goodbye! They have the best fries!”
Nikki immediately hugged Barney around the neck.
“Aunt Barney, you are the coolest person in the world. I love you so much! You are the best!”
“Well, I love you, too, Nikki.” Barney laughed. “And I hope your enthusiasm is contagious, because it’s a done deal as far as I’m concerned.”
“When is it ours?” Nikki wanted to know.
“Well, there are legal issues to be dealt with, but I feel I can safely say the Goodbye Café will be the property of the Hudson family within two weeks. There’s no mortgage because I’m going to pay cash. Of course, there will be inspections to be made and certificates to be issued, but we’ll work all that out as quickly as possible. Judy’s kept up with the maintenance and the kitchen inspections and whatnot, so we should be able to close on it rather quickly.” Barney’s optimism was showing.
Nikki, Allie noticed, had no trouble including herself when it came to the ownership of the popular café.
Cara had also hugged Barney after she’d been told. “What a wonderful friend you are to Judy. I’m sure she appreciates you stepping right up and making an offer. And good for you for finding an outlet for all that energy of yours.”
Allie wanted to smack her. Way to make me look like the family bitch. Which, on second thought, I probably am.
Des, on the other hand, not having had the benefit of speaking with Allie ahead of time, stared blankly at Barney.
“What?” She frowned. “No. Why?”
Allie could have kissed her. Way to take the onus off me.
After Barney went through the events at the restaurant earlier that evening, Des said, “Oh. Well. Congratulations, I guess.”
The five settled into the cozy sitting room making their plans for the café. Barney being Barney, she drew all of them into what she referred to as Project Goodbye. Allie sat in one of the wing chairs Barney recently had re-covered in a lively floral print, Cara in the other, while Des and Nikki sat on the floor in front of the love seat occupied by Barney and Buttons. On the hearth in front of the stone fireplace sat an old stone crock filled with deep blue hydrangeas from the backyard. Family photos in silver frames—several taken since Barney’s nieces had arrived in Hidden Falls—graced the mantel next to several sets of tall brass candleholders. Cara had turned off the overhead light—a small crystal chandelier—in favor of the table lamps with their deep rose silk shades.
“Of course, I’m going to need help, girls.” Barney hadn’t even tried to deny the facts. “I ran a bank for years, but I have no clue how to run a restaurant.”
“Café,” Nikki interjected. “It’s small and pretty and friendly, and restaurant sounds big and impersonal.”
“All right, then. We’ll refer to it as the café.” Barney smiled. Nikki always went to the heart of every matter, and Barney obviously thought everything the girl said was golden and brilliant. She never even tried to pretend otherwise. “So I think we need to start out this venture with everyone knowing what part they’re going to play.”
“Wait, didn’t we just do this with the theater? Des, you’re the money girl, Cara takes care of the physical renovation, and I got to do the artsy décor stuff?” Allie frowned. She knew what Barney was doing by trying to draw them all in. “And aren’t we all free to leave and go back to our lives once the theater is declared fit to open?”
Barney shot her a dirty look. “Of course. But right now you’re all still here, and you’re going to be here for a while yet, so you might as well pitch in and help an old lady out.”
“Wait, did you just call yourself an old lady?” Allie’s eyes widened. “After the lecture about never old, senile, geriatric? That was you, wasn’t it?”
“I said you couldn’t say it. However, I’m not above playing the age card when I need to,” Barney said dryly. “To continue, I’m having a meeting with Judy at the café tomorrow morning around nine. I’d like you all to be there.” Barney’s gaze went around the room, pausing on each of her nieces. “Des, I’d like you to take notes on the financial end. The expenses, payroll, how to reorder stock items. We’ll have to hire an accountant, but I think we need to know all the ins and outs first. Cara, I’d like for you to take note of the physical layout and see if there are areas that need some attention. Especially the floor.” Barney paused. “I’ve always hated that yellow vinyl floor. See if there’s anything we can do about that and how much it will cost. Ask Joe to look at the roof and the mechanics. I’m pretty sure everything’s in proper working order, but let’s get that confirmed. Also, I always thought something could be done to make the outside a little more appealing.”
A somewhat awkward pause followed. Finally, Allie said, “So what plans do you have for me?”
Barney smiled broadly. “I’m glad you asked. You’re going to be in charge of personnel.”
Before Allie could respond, Des laughed. “You’re kidding, right? You want to put Miss Personality, Miss I-Never-Met-a-Person-I-Didn’t-Want-to-Insult, Miss—”
“Thank you, Des, for breaking down my people skills so succinctly.” Allie glared at her sister from across the table.
“Sorry, Allie, but even you have to admit you . . .” Des cleared her throat. “Come on a little strong sometimes. Suffer fools, oh, not at all. Have no patience with anyone who isn’t you.”
“That’s not fair, Aunt Des,” Nikki said softly. “My mom is not like any of those things.”
“Maybe not to you, but, honey, the rest of the world isn’t her offspring.” It was obvious Des was trying to walk her words back just a little for her niece’s sake, but it was too late.
“My mom is the greatest.” Nikki got up from the floor to walk around the table and stand behind Allie’s chair, then draped her arms around her mother’s shoulders. “My mom is the best mom and I love her.”
“Love you, too, sugar.” Allie’s heart melted and dripped into a huge puddle on the floor.
“Honey, we all love your mother, but that’s not what we’re discussing here,” Des told her.
“All right. Enough.” Allie threw her hands up. “I accept the position of being the people-pleasing person at the Goodbye. But only after my painting in the theater is done for the day.” She turned to Barney. “And I want to go on record here and now that as soon as the ceiling is done, as soon as the renovations are completed, I am outta here.”
“Understood. Of course, Allie. We all know you have no intention of staying in Hidden Falls any longer than you have to.” Barney’s face was unreadable, but her voice held a tinge of resignation. “But since you’re going to be in charge of the waitstaff, I want you to learn how to use that newfangled ordering thing they have. It’s like a computer that sends the orders directly into the kitchen. I’m not sure what else it does, except that Judy said she paid a fortune for it.”
“I’ll try not to scare the help,” Allie said.
“I appreciate that,” Barney replied.
“So what exactly do you want me to do as far as the staff is concerned?” Allie patted Nikki’s hands, and Nikki bent down and kissed her cheek before returning to her spot on the carpet.
“I’d like you to interview all the employees, from the cooks to the waitstaff. I want you to analyze what they do and what we need, review Judy’s performance reviews—assuming she did them and knows where she put them—watch to see who could use a little reminder about manners and that sort of thing. I want every one of our customers to feel comfortable from the moment they come into our place. Just like our home.” Barney hastened to add, “Not that I don’t feel that way when I’m there, but I’ve been going to the Goodbye for many years, so maybe I don’t notice things that could use improvement.”
“What does that leave for me to do?” Nikki asked. “What’s my job going to be?”
“Hmmm, well, I’m not sure you’re quite old enough to actually work, Nikki. The legal age used to be sixteen but that may have changed.”
“I’ll check that out. I’m going to be fifteen soon.”
“I know, sweet pea. I’m sure we can find things for you to do.” Barney reached over to squeeze Nikki’s hand.
“I’ll do whatever you need,” she said as she typed a note into her phone. “I want to be part of it. I’ll do what no one else wants to do. I’ll take inventory on stuff. I’ll help clear tables and wash the floor. I’ll iron napkins.”
Barney smiled once again. “I imagine there will be a laundry service for such things, but we can check it out. I’m positive you will make an important contribution, and you will of course be a part of whatever we do. Always.”
“This is so exciting.” Nikki’s phone was still in her hand and she began texting wildly. A moment later, her phone pinged, and she grinned. “Mark thinks you’re so cool, Aunt Barney. He said he’ll help out in any way he can.” She looked around the room. “He’s the nicest guy I ever met. He’s so kind and thoughtful.”
Allie felt the stab of concern she always felt when Nikki’s boyfriend was mentioned. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her daughter to have a normal teenage life. She just wished she could postpone all that girl-boy stuff until Nikki was, oh, maybe twenty-five or thirty.
“He is a very dear boy. Please tell him we’ll certainly call upon him if we need him.” Barney turned back to the others. “Any questions?”
“Probably a million, but I’m still processing the fact that you’re actually buying that place,” Des said.
“ ‘That place’ represents a special part of Hidden Falls history. One I hope you’ll come to appreciate.” Barney stood and stretched. “Well, there’s that early-morning meeting tomorrow and it’s way past my bedtime. Anyone who thinks they might learn something from coming with me is certainly invited. Up to you. Good night, girls.”
“Night, Barney.” The chorus followed her out the door, leaving her nieces behind.
“Anyone else really think that invitation was optional?” Cara said.
“I think she made it pretty clear once she started handing out assignments,” Des agreed. “So I guess I’ll see you all bright and early.”
“You’ll definitely see me,” Nikki said. “I am going to learn everything there is to know about running the café. Maybe someday I’ll even run the Goodbye. Wouldn’t that be so cool? If I stayed in Hidden Falls and ran the café when the rest of you are too . . .” The word “old” hung over the table. “Too tired of doing it and want to do something else.”
Without waiting for comments, Nikki kissed her two aunts and her mother and dashed out of the room.
“There goes a future president of this fine country,” Cara said.
“She’s got that diplomacy thing down pat, that’s for sure,” Des agreed. “That last-minute substitution of tired for old was pretty damned slick.”
“Agreed, but do you really think Nikki’s going to be spending her entire life in Hidden Falls when she has the whole world to choose from?” Allie’d stood, and before Des or Cara could respond, she said, “Yeah. Me, neither. See you tomorrow, girls.”
• • •
Allie set her alarm for even earlier than usual, even though she and Nikki’d sat up talking until two in the morning, not because the weather forecast called for more record heat, which it did. She simply wanted to avoid all the chatter about the Goodbye Café and who was doing what. She promised her daughter if she finished painting that day’s section of the theater’s ceiling early enough she’d join them. But she didn’t expect the meeting to run that long. After all, she figured there couldn’t be much to talk about. You have the menu and the cooks take care of that. You take the receipts to the bank and then you write checks to cover your expenses. You figure out how many servers you need for each shift and you hire that many. You smile when someone comes into the restaurant and get them seated. She was pretty sure all that couldn’t take more than two hours at the very most, so they’d be finished before she left the theater.
She was wrong.
The section of ceiling she’d planned to work on had three major components, two of which had been badly damaged and consequently had been obliterated when the plaster was repaired. It took time to perfectly position the stencils she’d made and to paint each detail to match the original. It was tedious work, and her focus was on that bit of the ceiling directly over her head, but when she was finished, she leaned back as far as she safely could to assess her work. It was, she decided, as close to the artist’s freehand as anyone could get, and she felt a flush of accomplishment and pride. Other than her daughter, nothing in her life gave her the thrill of doing what she’d known she could do. The theater’s ceiling would be lovingly repaired, and her work would stand as long as the theater.
Or, she thought wryly, until another hundred-year storm blew shingles off the roof again.
After selecting the next day’s area of concentration, Allie packed up her supplies and started down the side of the scaffold. She still broke into a sweat and her heart still pounded wildly, much to her annoyance. She’d convinced herself that after she’d made the climb up and down several times the height would no longer bother her. She’d been at it for over a week and there’d been no sign her fear was diminishing. Hence the “don’t look down” song.
“Maybe tomorrow,” she said aloud as her feet touched the floor. She took a deep breath and headed for the exit without looking at the ceiling again. The less time she spent thinking about how far up she’d been, the happier she’d be.
It was already late morning when she emerged into an overcast day. She glanced up the street to the café. Surely the meeting was over by now. She should just go home. But there was no harm in checking. At least she could say she’d stopped by.
The hostess—not Degan today, she noted—recognized her as being a customer who’d been in several times before, so she greeted Allie with a welcoming smile and a menu.
“Oh, I don’t need a table. I was just checking to see if Barney—er, Bonnie Hudson was still here,” Allie told her.
“She and several others are still in the office.”
“Oh great. I’ll just go on back.”
“I’m sorry. Mrs. Worrell said she didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone for any reason unless the building caught fire or the cook walked out.” The hostess—a woman in her late twenties—wore a name tag, and Allie glanced at it
“Look, Ginger, I may be late to the party, but I’m part of that group that’s meeting back there in Judy’s office. So I’d appreciate it if you moved aside.”
Ginger shook her head. “Mrs. Worrell didn’t mention that anyone would be coming late.”
“Oh, for the love of . . .” Allie pulled her phone out of her bag and sent a text to Des, who immediately poked her head out and beckoned Allie, who walked around the hostess. “Honestly,” she told Des, “you’d think you guys were working on the nuclear code, or the formula for turning straw into gold, the way that woman is guarding the door.”
“She’s doing her job.” Des closed the door behind them. “Judy told her not to disturb us. We didn’t think to leave word that you might be coming. But she’s doing what you want your employees to do: She’s following her boss’s instructions. I’d think that would be a big plus for Ginger when it comes time to evaluate her. Which you will be doing sooner rather than later.”
“Maybe.”
Allie greeted Judy, then took the only unoccupied seat before accepting the offer of iced tea from Judy, who poured into a glass from a pitcher that sat on the sideboard next to a tray of baked goods. Everyone, even Nikki, had a notebook in front of them. Allie dug around in her bag hoping she had something to write on, but finally gave up. She felt like she was back in college and had just failed the first basic requirement of her first class on day one.
“So you always order from the same food distributor?” Des eased back into the conversation they’d evidently been having before Allie’s arrival.
Judy nodded. “Though in the summer and fall, I buy as much as I can from the local farms. There’s a list of the farmers I’ve been doing business with in that packet I gave each of you.”
“You must have stayed up all night putting this together,” Barney commented as she shuffled through the folder Judy’d had ready for them.
“Pretty much,” Judy admitted. “I’m concerned about getting to my dad before something dire happens, so I wanted to give you as much information as possible. Of course, you all know you can call me anytime if you have questions or concerns about, well, about anything.” She turned to Barney and touched her arm. “I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am that you decided to buy the café. I’d hate with all my heart to see it closed or to sell it to someone who doesn’t have an attachment to it, or someone who’d open something unsavory in this space. Like a massage parlor where they offer more than massages. I know that’s silly. It’s just a building, but . . .”
“It’s not silly, Judy. The Goodbye has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. This was the first restaurant my parents ever took me to.” Barney wiped an emotional tear from her face. “Gil and I had dinner here the night before he died. You can talk to anyone in town, and they’ll have a special memory here.”
“I’ll bet they’re not all good memories, though,” Nikki piped up. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been called the Goodbye.”
“Oh, that’s mostly just local gossip,” Judy said, suppressing a smile. “There might have been a few couples over the years who broke up here, but that’s all.”
“Then who decided to call it the Goodbye instead of the Green Brier?” Nikki asked.
Judy thought for a moment, then laughed. “Probably one of those who did break up over dinner.”
“We’re going to keep the original name, right?” Des asked.
“The sign out front says the Green Brier Café, so yes, we’re keeping the name for the sake of the tourists and the newcomers to town,” Barney said. “But it’ll still be the Goodbye to the locals.”
“Tourists?” Allie frowned. “Do tourists ever come to Hidden Falls?”
“Only if they’re passing through on their way to one of the lake communities, or the ski lodges in the winter,” Judy admitted.
“That’s going to change once the theater reopens.” Barney spoke with confidence. “Maybe we’ll even do something with our lake eventually.”
“Oh, like maybe a campground?” Nikki’s imagination went to work. “We could do so many cool things at a lake!”
“Perhaps someday, dear, but right now we have to focus on the café.” Barney turned to Judy. “How do you decide which waitresses work which shifts?”
Judy began to answer as Allie’s mind began to wander in the direction of her daughter. It had always been Nikki’s nature to jump into everything, feetfirst. Allie could see how her daughter would be excited about being a part of planning something like a campground that had some form of attraction. It had been on the tip of Allie’s tongue to remind Nikki she’d be back in school in California by the end of the summer, but there was no need to remind her.
“. . . don’t you think, Allie?” Barney was asking.
“I’m sorry, what?” Allie snapped back into the meeting.
“I said today would be a good time for you to meet the staff. Well, today and this evening. Judy wants to leave as soon as possible, so there’s little time to waste. I suggested that you dash home, clean up, then come on back and take the hostess shift for the afternoon and evening.”
“Oh, well . . .” Allie felt trapped. All eyes were on her.
“I’ll come, too,” Nikki told her without waiting for Allie to fully respond. “We can talk to all the people and let them know that we’re going to be the new owners.”
“I think we should leave that part to Judy, dear.” Barney glanced at her old friend, who once again had tears in her eyes. “People are going to want to know what’s going on, and I think Judy’d like to have the opportunity to explain why she’s leaving and that the reins had been passed into other hands.”
“But everyone knows you, Aunt Barney. It’s not like you’re a stranger,” Nikki said.
“True, but we’re going to let Judy handle what she wants to tell people. It’s still her place until the papers are signed.”
“I appreciate that, Barney. It’s going to be hard enough, but you’re right. Longtime customers are going to want to hear it from me.” The palms of Judy’s hands smacked lightly on the table. “So. We’ll do this. Allie, Barney’s right. The sooner you start as hostess, the sooner you’ll get to know the regulars, where they like to sit, which waitresses they prefer. That’s going to take some time, because different folks make a habit of coming on different days. And since repeat business is what a restaurant is built on, you’re going to need those people to keep coming back. Best to get to know them as soon as possible. I’ll be here with you, so I can show you the ropes.”
Allie nodded and tried not to convey the feeling that she’d just been sentenced to a form of punishment she’d rather avoid. She got up and poured a glass of iced tea, lingering over the plate of brownies and lemon squares.
Allie’d tasted a lemon square and took a second bite. They were the perfect blend of tart and sweet. “Judy, did you make the lemon squares?”
“Oh, no.” Judy turned to Barney. “You know Justine Kennedy, Barney. She married Stephen Kennedy and they moved to Clarks Summit. He died a few years ago and she moved back here to her parents’ house on High Street after they passed away.”
“I do know who she is, but I can’t say I know her, though I do recall she married Stephen,” Barney replied thoughtfully. “I wasn’t aware she did all the baking.”
“You went to school together, though, didn’t you? Weren’t you in the same grade?” Judy asked.
Barney shook her head. “Justine was two years younger. She was Justine Mitchell then. Her sister, Sharon, was in my class.” Barney paused. “Sharon and I were friends in grade school, but not so much after we got into high school.”
“Why?” Nikki asked. “Why weren’t you friends in high school?”
“Oh, some petty nonsense. Silly high school drama.” Barney dismissed the matter with a wave of her hand.
“Like, you both liked the same boy?” Nikki persisted. “And he liked one of you better and you stopped talking to each other and then she talked behind your back?”
“Something like that. It was a long time ago. I don’t recall all the details.”
Allie watched her daughter’s face as Nikki seemed to think through Barney’s high school social drama. It occurred to her that Nikki hadn’t mentioned her best friend in California, Courtney, in at least a week. Could mean something, could mean nothing. She’d have to ask, but discreetly lest Nikki feel interrogated. Allie was finding it was a thin line to walk between caring parent and prying parent.
“Anyway, Justine does all the baking except for the breads. I get those from Zehren’s Bakery. That’s all on the list I made for you. But I’ll talk to Justine when she comes in this week and fill her in on what’s going on. I’ll tell her she can expect to hear from you, Barney.”
“Great. I hope we can continue the relationship. I’d hate to have the clientele depend on me for their brownie fix. I’m afraid I’m not very good.” Barney turned to her nieces. “Girls? Any bakers here?”
“Nope.” Allie finished the lemon square.
“Don’t look at me,” Des told her.
“Granola is about all I know how to make,” Cara said. “I’d be happy to make some of that for breakfasts if you wanted, but that’s the extent of it for me. Sorry.”
“I’ve made brownies lots of times, Aunt Barney. I can make them for the café,” Nikki volunteered. “They’re really easy. The mix comes in a box and you just add water and an egg.”
“I think we’ll be wanting baked goods made from scratch, sweet pea, but thank you. And we’ll certainly keep that in mind should we have a brownie emergency,” Barney assured her. “But yes, Justine Kennedy it is, then. Judy, I’d appreciate it if you let her know she’ll be hearing from me.”
“I’m adding it to my list of things to do before the end of the week.” Judy jotted something down on the tablet, then looked up. “She usually brings in whatever she’s made twice each week. Tomorrow would be her day. Sometimes she drops things off the night before if she has something else to do, but it’s usually first thing in the morning. I’ll have to remember to call her.”
The meeting lasted another fifty minutes, and when it became apparent they weren’t going to be able to cover everything in a few hours, Judy suggested they reconvene later to finish going over the business end of things.
“Good idea. I’ve been sitting so long my legs are stiff.” Barney rose.
“Mine, too.” Judy stood at the same time. “How about we meet back here at around six, so you can meet the staff that’s working the dinner shift?”
“We’ll be here.” Barney gathered her folder and her notes and looked to the others.
“I can be back,” Cara said.
Des nodded. “Me, too.”
“Then we’re good.” Barney followed Judy from the room.
Des turned to Cara. “I thought you were seeing Joe tonight.”
“I am. He’s coming over around eight with his HVAC guy to give Barney an estimate for the air-conditioning, but we should be back by then. I can call him if it looks like we’ll be longer than that. After the HVAC guy leaves, Joe’s going to take a walk-through of the carriage house with me.”
Allie’s head shot up. “Ah, so it’s happening.”
Cara smiled. “I’m playing with the idea of maybe—I said maybe—using it for a yoga studio. Barney said she didn’t care since she wasn’t planning on using the space.”
“So you’re staying.” Allie grinned. “Looks like Barney’ll have one of her girls sticking around after all.”
“I’m not sure. I still have some reservations, but I thought maybe I should just see if the building could be retrofitted at minimum costs. It doesn’t have heat or air-conditioning and the floor is concrete.”
“I’ll bet Joe will do it for the cost of materials. Anything to keep his sweetie in Hidden Falls.” Des winked at Allie. “So when did you make the decision?”
“I haven’t, I’m just exploring the possibility, that’s all.” Cara stuffed her folder into her tote bag. “I miss yoga. I do it every day in my room or in the hallway, but it’s not the same as having a whole group. Plus I like teaching, and if I stay after the theater’s finished, I’ll need an income.”
“What about your studio in Devlin’s Light?” Des asked. “And your house?”
“I don’t know. I can’t sell that house. I never will. It was my mother’s pride and joy. If nothing else, if I stay here, maybe I’ll keep it for a summer place since it’s at the beach. The studio . . .” Cara shrugged. “I could sell that. My assistant, Meredith, has been running it by herself since I’ve been here, and she’s done a great job. I know she’d be first in line to make an offer, so maybe . . .” Cara covered her face with her hands. “I just don’t know. It’s too big a decision to make. What if no one in Hidden Falls wants to do yoga? What if things don’t work out with Joe? What if—”
Allie slipped a hand over her sister’s mouth.
“But what if you and Joe end up together? What if droves of people in town come banging on your door, begging for yoga lessons?” Allie stage-whispered in Cara’s ear.
“Oh my God, look at you, being all supportive and positive.” Des pretended to faint into the chair she’d earlier been sitting in.
“It was an aberration.” Allie grinned and released Cara and swung her bag over her shoulder. “It probably won’t happen again.”
It was an eight-minute walk from the café to the Hudsons’ house if one moved briskly, which Allie was doing in order to get ready for her shift as hostess in training and make it back to the café in time. She still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to be part of something she thought was crazy. Barney would be eighty years old in a few years. How long did she really think she’d be working at the Goodbye? But she felt she did owe Barney something more than loyalty, so she went back to the house, up to her room, and had showered and dressed in no time.
“How do I look?” she asked as she stepped into the sitting room, where the others were busy planning. She’d pulled her hair over one shoulder and had put on just enough makeup to lend a little polish. She wore a white cotton shirt with short sleeves and black ankle-length pants and black sandals.
Des looked her over. “Like the hostess with the mostess.”
“Professional,” Cara added.
“You always look beautiful, Mom.” Nikki nodded.
“A bit severe, but you’ll do,” Barney said.
“Severe?” Allie frowned and looked down at herself. “All the restaurant hostesses I’ve ever seen dress like this.”
“Maybe a pink lipstick instead of that shrieking red,” Cara suggested.
“You think this shrieks?” Allie opened her bag and took out the lipstick she’d used. “The Devil Wore Red. You think it’s too much?”
Everyone nodded.
“I have the perfect shade, Mom. I’ll be right back.” Nikki jumped up and ran upstairs.
“I’ve looked forward to the day when I’d be sharing makeup and clothes and stuff with her since she was born,” Allie told them. “Now that it’s here, I’m not ready for it.”
“It’s only lipstick, Allie,” Des reminded her. “She told me she’s been wearing lipstick for the past year.”
“Today lipstick, tomorrow stilettos.” Allie sniffed.
Nikki dashed back into the room. “Here you go, Mom. It’s called Pretty Posy.” She took the top off the tube and handed it to Allie. “It’s gorgeous, right?”
“Thank you, sweetie. Yes, it’s just right.” Allie went into the hallway and stood in front of the large mirror to apply the hot pink shade.
Nikki stood in the doorway watching. “It’s perfect, Mom. It goes on a little bright, but see, it deepens to a darker pink.”
“Hmmm. Not bad,” Allie conceded. She handed the tube back to her daughter. “Thanks again.”
Allie poked her head into the sitting room. “I’m off to my first lesson. I’m guessing today I’ll learn to say, ‘Hi. Welcome to the Green Brier. I’m Allie, your hostess.’ ”
“I don’t think you have to introduce yourself,” Des said, “but that wasn’t a bad start. Smiling when you say welcome might be a nice touch, though.”
Allie rolled her eyes and left the house, Barney’s “We’ll see you down there later” in her ears.
The entire time Allie was walking she was wondering how she’d gotten into such a situation. She’d never worked in a restaurant, not even back in her school days when it seemed everyone tried their hand at waitressing over one summer or another. She supposed she could have said no, but just imagining how Barney would react—not to mention Nikki—was enough to make her swallow her pride.
“Taking one for the team,” she muttered as she opened the Goodbye’s door and stepped inside, where Judy was waiting for her.
“Allie, thanks for coming back. I want to introduce you to the staff, and then we’ll position you right here at the front desk so you can greet everyone who comes in. Degan works the desk three nights every week but almost never on the weekends. The other nights she’s at school, so I usually take that shift.”
Allie looked around the café, where only one table was occupied, a bald man who appeared to be in his seventies who was engrossed in the newspaper’s crossword puzzle. Judy took her by the elbow and steered her into the kitchen, where she met the entire staff. The only name she remembered was the big man Judy called Chef George, the head cook, who was just starting to work on the dinner menu. There were three others who filled out the rest of the cooking staff and two young men who were at the sink in the back of the room washing dishes.
Name tags could help, Allie decided, making a mental note to discuss that with Barney. She couldn’t keep referring to the staff as the guy with the mustache or the woman with the legs that need shaving.
“Now, there’s really nothing to this part,” Judy was saying as they returned to the front of the café. “You just need to make people feel welcome and at home. But it’s important to refer to the seating chart before you take them to a table.”
“Seating chart?” Allie felt confused. What restaurant had a seating chart?
“Yes. It’s so you can balance the number of tables assigned to the waitstaff. It’s standard procedure.” Judy opened the center desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. “We do one of these for every shift. This one’s for tonight. These circles represent the tables, and you can see each one has an initial in it; the initials correspond to the staff on board tonight. See these with the M’s? Those are Maddie’s tables. Maddie is the short girl with the dark hair over there filling the water carafes at the station.” Judy pointed out the tables that had been assigned to the two other waitresses, Carolee and Penny. “You try to make sure each girl has the same number of tables, got it? So that Maddie isn’t working her butt off while Carolee is so bored she’s watching videos on her phone.”
Allie nodded. “Got it.”
Sounds easy enough. Welcome people with a smile. Each waitress gets the same number of tables. Piece of cake.
For the first hour, it was that easy. She gave the first customers a table in Maddie’s section, the second went to Carolee, and the next to arrive would be seated in Penny’s section. Allie could do this in her sleep. Hell, Nikki could do this in her sleep.
The phone rang, and Judy answered.
“Let me take this in my office.” Judy put the call on hold. To Allie she said, “You’re doing great. I have to take this call, but I won’t be long.”
“Take your time,” Allie told her. “I’ve got this.”
And she did, for three couples who came in, and a foursome. It was the single diner who almost did her in.
“Well, well. Look who up and got herself a real job.” Ben Haldeman was waiting at the desk when Allie returned after seating the last couple. He lowered his voice and whispered, “Not really suitable for a princess, but at least you don’t have to get your hands dirty.”
“Get off my back.” Allie picked up a menu, determined to ignore his digs. “Is someone joining you?”
“Is it your business?”
“It is if you’re going to want a table for two.”
“Are there tables for one?” He made a quick survey of the room. “Looks like they all can accommodate two people. Or one.”
“This way, please.” She led him to a table in Penny’s section, which was right next to the kitchen door.
“I’d rather sit by the window,” he told her.
“Sorry. That’s Carolee’s section, and right now it’s Penny’s turn.” She placed the menu on the table without further explanation. “Enjoy your dinner.”
She walked away knowing he was still standing next to the table, knowing, too, that he was watching her. Finally, Penny went to the table and filled his water glass, making what Allie assumed was small talk. It gave her a perverse sort of pleasure to know that every time the kitchen door opened, a wave of heat and cooking smells would waft in Ben’s direction. It was petty on her part—she acknowledged that—but she was fine with it. Had any other customer made the request for a different table, she would have gladly honored it.
She was still feeling the glow when the door opened slightly, and she turned to see a woman struggling to juggle several boxes and the door at the same time. Allie rushed to help, grabbing one box as it began to fall.
“Oh, thank you.” The woman was almost as tall as Allie but not quite as slender. She appeared to be close to Barney’s age and wore her short graying blond hair tucked behind her ears. Her sunglasses were still on her face when she turned to Allie. The woman paused for a very long moment, staring at Allie, a curious expression on her face.
“You’re new here,” she said.
“I am,” Allie replied. “I’m Allie.”
“Where’s Judy?”
“She’s in her office. May I tell her—”
“I’ll tell her myself.” The woman placed the boxes on the desk, and with one last glance over her shoulder in Allie’s direction, she headed toward the back of the café. After knocking twice on the office door, she disappeared behind it.
A family of three came in and Allie showed them to the table next to the window that Ben had apparently had his eye on.
She went back to the desk, wondering what was in the boxes. The one on top had foil over the contents, and she couldn’t help herself. She lifted the end of the foil and found one fat layer of gorgeous frosted brownies. She poked into the middle box and found lemon squares. “Oh, yum!”
She was just about to look into the box on the bottom when the office door opened and the woman—she had to be Justine, the baker—stormed out. She approached Allie with fire in her eyes, snatched up the three boxes, and pushed past Allie to get to the door. Allie tried to help her open it, but she shoved Allie’s hand away and balanced the boxes in such a way as to open the door herself.
Allie turned to Judy, who’d followed the woman into the dining room.
Judy rested a hip against the top of the desk. “I think you might want to call Barney and tell her to pick up a few of those boxed brownie mixes. That was Justine, the baker. She just quit and took the desserts I ordered for the week with her.”