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  “Damn. I had a good feeling about her.” Nic slowed the truck, flicked the indicator on, and turned into the driveway.

  “I did, too.”

  “Fuck!” Nic shut off the engine. “I don’t think we’ll ever see her again.”

  “Don’t say that,” Gabe said before getting out of the truck. “You never know what’s around the corner.”

  * * * *

  Joni walked into her boss’s office and took a seat when he waved his hand toward the chair. She had no idea what was going on or if she’d done something wrong but she guessed she was about to find out.

  “Joni, you’re an efficient worker and the customers all love you, but I’m sorry to say I have to let you go.” Gerrard Wattle leaned back in his chair, the pen in his hand rolling over his fingers as if he were nervous.

  “What?” Joni gasped, a knot of dread forming in her stomach.

  She’d just worked her ass off for the lunch crowd at Gerrard’s Restaurant and now that the rush was over he was firing her?

  What the hell?

  “Why?”

  “My nephew has just finished a hospitality course and needs work. I really hate to do this but family does come first.”

  Joni stared at him with stupefaction. She had worked at this restaurant for the last five years, taking all the overtime she could, filling in for sick staff and he was rewarding her by releasing her? Because of nepotism?

  “Gerrard—” Joni didn’t get to say anymore because he cut her off.

  “I want to thank you for the years you’ve worked here, Joni. I know if it wasn’t for you there would have been times where we may have had to close the doors. I have written you a sterling reference and have put a little extra in your severance pay.” Gerrard rose to his feet, gripped her elbow, helping her from the chair, and guided her to the door. He literally nudged her through the opening, stuffed a large envelope into her hands, and closed the door.

  Joni blinked as tears welled in her eyes. She’d helped Gerrard set up his damn restaurant, and although she mainly tended bar, if it wasn’t for her, the place never would have gotten off the ground. She was the one who interviewed and hired the staff, including the apprentice chef who now had a great reputation. And this was how he repaid her?

  Fucking asshole!

  She’d done way more than bar work. In fact, she’d been more of a manager than Gerrard.

  She’d known something was going on because every time she saw Gerrard he only met her eyes briefly and he’d never done that before. For the last few weeks he’d been acting out of the ordinary and now she knew why.

  Her chest was aching with disappointment and frustration and even though she wanted to go back into Gerrard’s office, she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself and beg for her job back. Not that it would do any good anyway.

  She’d met Gerrard’s stuck-up sister, Antoinette. That woman reminded her of a shark. When she had her teeth in something she wasn’t going to let go.

  Joni stared about the restaurant and was glad the staff had already finished with the lunchtime cleanup. She’d already restocked the bar fridges and wiped down the bar. She knew she should go into the kitchens and say good-bye to everyone, but she knew if she did she wouldn’t be able to keep it together.

  She drew herself out of the shock and hurried toward the bar, grabbed her purse, and left without a backward glance. It didn’t matter that her work colleagues had been friendly to her and she them. She’d never socialized with any of them outside of work and wondered if they would even realize she was missing. Joni doubted it very much. Gerrard’s Restaurant staff knew their jobs back to front and worked well individually as well as collectively, as an intrinsic part of a well-oiled machine. Gerrard obviously had no trouble replacing those parts.

  Joni entered her one-bedroom efficiency, dumped her purse and the large envelope on her small dining table, and headed for her bedroom. She stripped out of her black skirt, white shirt and, after turning the shower on, got in.

  The warm water rushed over her head and body, easing some of the tension in her muscles, but it didn’t take the pain in her neck or head away. She washed her hair and body and then just stood there with her eyes closed as she tried to come to terms with being unemployed.

  A sob escaped her mouth and the first tears ran down her face mixing with the water flowing over her. She tried to push her pain back but it wouldn’t be denied. She cried until she had nothing left, feeling drained and weary, and finally turned the water off.

  After drying off and dressing in her worn, comfortable jeans and a T-shirt she went to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She stared at the envelope and with a fit of pique tore it open and tipped out the contents.

  Gerrard had been true to his word and given her a great reference and when she saw the check she picked it up. She snorted with disbelief at the “bonus” Gerrard had given her. For five years of hard work he’d given her an extra five hundred dollars.

  Joni snorted and then started laughing. She laughed with incredulousness until the tears flowed again. After a moment, the anger came back and she held onto it. She wasn’t going to cry about losing her job. What she needed to do was find another right away. She didn’t care that she would probably have to work her way back up in the ranks. She was going do the best she could and one day, hopefully in the not too distant future she would be able to snob Gerrard and his bitch of a sister.

  She was the reason his restaurant had survived and grown and she would find her way to the top again. Maybe one day she would be able to buy her own place and steal all his customers.

  What she really wanted to do was concentrate on her writing. She’d written a few erotic romance books but the royalties weren’t enough for her to survive on. And although the writing bug was still there, a deep yearning in her gut, she needed to work to survive.

  Her plans were to buy a restaurant of her own and instill loyal staff to run the place, so she could write whenever she wanted. She knew she’d have to spend a lot of time finding the right people to hire so she could achieve her dreams, and also that she would need to spend a couple of years earning a good reputation for her own restaurant or bar, but those dreams seemed to be getting further and further out of reach.

  Joni wondered if she would ever attain any of the goals she’d set herself and became a bit despondent, because she couldn’t see anything she wanted to happen, happening anytime soon.

  Chapter Three

  Joni had been searching jobs online for the last few hours but so far hadn’t found anything appropriate. Of course, there were plenty of cleaning jobs and such, and although there was definitely nothing wrong with those jobs, she didn’t want to have to take just anything quite yet.

  With the money she’d been paid for vacation and the measly bonus Gerrard had given her, she figured she’d have a couple of weeks to keep looking until she found a job she wanted to do. She had some savings she’d put away over the years but she had no intention of touching that unless she was absolutely desperate. That nest egg was to be used to buy her own place or maybe even go into partnership with someone. It was her dream to be her own boss and not have to answer to anyone ever again, but now she could see that going out the door.

  She was about to give up for the day because her neck and head were giving her hell and the tension was seeping into her shoulders, too, but decided to peruse one more page.

  When she saw the heading of the first advert at the top of her page she nearly jumped out of her seat to do a jig, but she took a deep breath, pushed her nervous excitement down, and began to read.

  Hotel Bar Manager.

  Immediate start for the right person.

  Must have at least three years hospitality experience in a high volume bar environment.

  Tick.

  Must have at least two years beverage and wine service experience as well as a working knowledge of all beverage products, menu items and equipment used to perform these duties.

  Tick
.

  Working knowledge of kitchen operations and health and safety regulations is a must. As well as a professional appearance and demeanor.

  Tick.

  If you have the above requirements please e-mail your CV and cover letter to the supplied e-mail address.

  Joni’s belly fluttered with nervousness, but she was determined to send her resume as soon as possible. When she glanced at the clock on her laptop she saw it was already after five o’clock. She found her CV file, checked it over, added a few updates, and then scanned the reference Gerrard had given her. By the time she’d written her cover letter and attached the files it was 5:15. Her finger hovered over the send button and as she pressed it she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again she saw the message on the screen advising her she had been successful in sending her e-mail.

  Now all she had to do was wait.

  She knew it could take at least a couple of weeks before she heard anything if she was actually shortlisted and got to the interview stage, and although she knew she should set up e-mail alerts for jobs she was interested in, she was too tired.

  All she wanted to do now was grab something to eat, curl up on her small sofa, and read or watch TV before going to bed.

  Tomorrow was soon enough to look for more jobs.

  Joni went to the kitchen and made herself a sandwich and a cup of tea. Just as she finished eating she heard her computer ding alerting her to an incoming e-mail. She wanted to rush over and see who it was from, but trepidation had her belly fluttering with nerves, so she took the time to wash her dishes first.

  When she was done, she drew a deep breath and walked slowly back to the small two-seater sofa and coffee table. She really didn’t want to look because she had a feeling it was a reply to her job application and if it was, she didn’t think it would be good news. No one ever responded so quickly to applicants.

  She sat down, moving the curser on top of the e-mail which was indeed a response from whoever was dealing with perusing CVs and interviews. Her heart stuttered and she tried to remember if the job had been listed by an employment agency or by the actual hotel owner itself, but she was so nervous she couldn’t get her brain to function or remember.

  “Well, nothing for it, girl. You may as well find out one way or the other,” she muttered to herself and clicked open.

  When she saw she had an interview the very next day she jumped to her feet, screamed with joy, and pumped a fist into the air. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Stick that up your ass Gerard.”

  * * * *

  Nic was about to climb the front porch steps to go inside, but something was niggling at him about another waitress leaving. Toby was always so organized, but it seemed things were starting to fall apart. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t find out what was going on. He and Gabe had worked their asses off today, tidying up an acre lot which looked like it hadn’t been tended to for years.

  The only break he and Gabe had was a half hour at lunch when they met with Toby. Even though Toby seemed fine there were a couple of times when the older man seemed to just stare off into space and didn’t respond to either of them.

  That didn’t bode well with him and he’d ordered Toby to go to the doctors to get checked out. He hoped the older man wasn’t ill, but if he was, hopefully he’d sought medical treatment early enough.

  His body ached from the constant lifting and carrying of tree limbs, discarded loads of bricks and such, but it was a good ache. He loved working outdoors and although he sometimes finished the day exhausted and sore he was proud of what he and Gabe had accomplished in such a short amount of time.

  “I think we should go and see if Toby is all right.” Nic turned to face Gabe.

  Gabe paused with his foot on the step and the other on the pathway and then he sighed. “Yeah, you’re right.” He glanced at his watch. “I thought we would have heard back from him by now.”

  “Me, too.”

  “You can drive.” Nic tossed the keys over to him as he began to walk back to the truck. “I’ll call Tom and see if he can meet us.”

  “He was doing DM at the club this afternoon wasn’t he?” Gabe asked after he started the engine.

  “Yeah and then he was supposed to watch the security monitors tonight, but I’m sure Turner can get someone to cover him.” Nic unlocked his cell with the swipe of a finger and then he pressed speed dial. When he’d finished the call he glanced at Gabe. “Tom will meet us at the hotel as soon as he can.”

  Gabe nodded in acknowledgement. Moments later he parked the truck out back of the hotel.

  Nic glanced around the dim interior searching for Toby. He and Gabe had come in through the back door and since the office door was wide open he saw Toby wasn’t sitting behind his desk as usual. They stopped in at the kitchen and saw their harried chef barking out orders to the apprentices and kitchen hands, but Nic noticed there seemed to be a couple of people missing.

  Brent Prichard, their chef, glanced up and the stress on his face eased when he saw them. “Thank God you’re here.”

  Nic and Gabe moved closer so they wouldn’t have to yell over the clattering of pots and pans.

  “What’s up?” Gabe asked.

  “Toby’s been sent to the hospital.”

  “Shit! Is he okay? Why the hell didn’t he call one of us?”

  “His doctor actually called the phone here. Toby apparently has epilepsy and has had a mild stroke.”

  “Fuck! I knew there was something wrong when we saw him at lunch. I should have asked if he wanted me to drive him to his doctor’s.”

  “Why didn’t you contact us?” Gabe asked.

  Brent snorted. “I haven’t had the time. I’ve been too busy trying to keep everything running smoothly. Plus, the call only came in about fifteen minutes ago.”

  “You’re short a few hands. Where are they?” Nic asked.

  “Out trying to serve at the bar.”

  “Damn. Okay, thanks Brent. We owe you one.” Gabe nodded his head.

  “If there’s anything we can do just give a yell,” Nic said before following Gabe toward the doorway.

  “Just send my kitchen hands back,” Brent yelled.

  Nic lifted his hand in acknowledgement and hurried to the bar. He and Gabe served drink after drink and he sighed when there was a lull and decided to check the office. “I’m just going to check the paperwork. Call if it gets busy again.”

  Gabe nodded but kept filling the order he was working on.

  As Nic walked down the hallway, Tom entered the back door and after he quickly explained what was going on, Tom hurried out to help Gabe.

  Nic sat at the desk and started checking e-mails. When he saw there were a couple of hundred in the inbox he wondered if Tom had managed to put an advert online for a new bartender. He, Gabe, and Tom had compiled the ad yesterday but he hadn’t known his friend had already posted it.

  When he began reading he realized Toby must have known he was sick because the job applications were for a Hotel Bar Manager. Their manager must have signed in and changed the position being advertised yesterday afternoon. He felt bad that they hadn’t known about Toby’s illness, but he and his friends would do everything they could to make sure he was treated by the best doctors, and they would pay for all his medical expenses. Toby was a loyal hard worker and deserved their help.

  Nic vaguely acknowledged Brent when he brought him some dinner as he continued to read through e-mail after e-mail. He was at number fifty and skimmed over the cover letter to the name at the bottom. His heart flipped in his chest when he saw Joni Meeks and he drew in a deep breath. His wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and then he opened the attachments.

  The more he read of Joni’s CV, the more excited he became. She had all the qualifications needed to run the hotel and he immediately sent a reply setting up an interview for the next day and didn’t bother looking at anymore applicants. If he had his way Joni would be working for them ASAP.

  Af
ter making sure the BOM, bill of materials, was filled out and saved, he grabbed his empty plate, dropped it off in the kitchen with a thanks to Brent, and was about to hurry out to the bar but stopped to question the chef.

  “Brent, did you know Toby was ill?”

  Brent frowned and shook his head. “Nah, he was acting kind of weird, but not once did I stop and think he was sick. He wasn’t pale and even though he’s had a mild stroke none of it showed with his motor skills.”

  “What do you mean by weird? And do you have any idea why the last two bar attendants quit?”

  “I caught Toby staring off into space a couple of times and I asked him if he was okay, but he didn’t respond. Then he would blink and look around before he went back to whatever he was doing. Those episodes never lasted more than thirty seconds and I’m sorry to say I put it down to him having things on his mind. If I’d known he was sick I would have called an ambulance and you guys straight away. “

  “Don’t blame yourself, Brent. I think Toby was in denial and if he wasn’t about to seek help and he didn’t confess to the illness, there was nothing any of us could do.”

  “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It’s just I feel a little guilty, is all.”

  “We do, too, but at least we got him to see a doctor before it was too late.” Nic sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “What happened with the bar attendants?”

  “That had nothing to do with Toby,” Brent said. “One of the women was only filling in until she got married. Toby knew that and had already interviewed someone to fill in for her, but there were so few applicants he had to take what there was. Well, that turned out to be a mistake. The asshole he hired was drinking the merchandise while he was working. When Toby caught him he fired him on the spot.”

  “What about our casuals? There aren’t any here.”

  Brent shook his head. “Most of them were college students and they were great workers, but the school year finished a couple of weeks ago and most of them were graduates and have moved on to pursue their careers.”