Chapter 2 – Jesse
“What’s wrong, Jesse? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”
I shrugged and told him that I was fine. I wasn’t about to tell him about the news that I’d just received. That was the very last thing that I wanted to do. While I liked flirting with Scott, I knew that I was just something to keep his mind busy for a while. I didn’t have any false hopes that he actually wanted to be with me.
So instead of baring my soul, something I might have needed, I just made the man some breakfast. That was what he was there for, or at least what I told myself so my silly brain would stop making something out of nothing.
“It’s going to be a pretty day today. I hear that it’s supposed to be mid-seventies.”
Scott wasn’t really listening. He was spending far too much time looking at my face and trying to look deep into my eyes. I wasn’t going for it. His blue depths had too much of something in them. It made it hard to think, and that was the very last thing I needed right then.
Hurrying up, I boxed up his breakfast and ignored the feeling that came over me as he stared at me. I don’t know if he knew he was doing it or if he knew how disconcerting it was, but I just did my best to ignore him.
“Was there anything else that I could get for you, Scott?”
He nodded that there was and I waited for his request. I had a feeling it was going to be something I was not willing to give up, and if his gaze was any indication, I shouldn’t even have asked.
“Go out with me, Jesse.”
Smiling, I just shook my head that I wasn’t going to. There was a part of me that wanted to say yes, a big part, but I had a lot going on already and the last thing I needed was complications. I didn’t know much about Scott, but what I did know was that he was one big complication that I didn’t need to get involved with. Men like him wouldn’t do much more than chew me up and spit me out. I knew that much for sure.
“Maybe another time, Scott, but I’ve got a lot going on and I don’t think that it would be a good idea.”
“I can help you with whatever it is. Just go out with me.”
Sighing inwardly, I punched the numbers into the cash register and waited for him to pay the bill. He stared at me for several moments, me not able to meet his intense gaze, before he paid. I tried to give him his change, but like always, he gave it to me as a tip. I wasn’t going to say how much I needed it right then, but I did say thank you.
“Will I see you tomorrow?”
He nodded his head that I would, and that was the first genuine smile that I could manage. “See you tomorrow, Scott.”
I thought about him until Melissa got there and another crazy day began. I was still having trouble getting everyone to wait in line, but with the new delivery service in place, some of the people who didn’t want to wait no longer had to. It helped the environment and my nerves, so it was worth it to me.
***
“Don’t worry about all of that, Melissa. I’ll get to it in a little bit. I have to get to the accountants before they close.”
“I can stay around and finish up while you go. It’s no problem.”
I thanked her, but told her that it was unnecessary. I knew that she had plans, and the least I could do was let her leave early. She had worked almost a month solid, and I could see that it was getting to her. My friend was becoming frayed at the edges, something that diminished her bubbly personality.
“I insist. Go home and have some fun for both of us. I have to come back here later anyways, so there’s no point in both of us ruining our day.”
I could tell that she felt bad about going, but she was tugged away. She needed to have some fun, one of us did, and she finally agreed when she realized that I wasn’t going to give up on that.
“Fine, but I’m not coming in early. I saw the schedule and we both know that there is no way only one person can handle the morning crowd.”
Changing the schedule was the only way I could give her some time off. It was the lowest grossing part of the day, so it was the only time that I could even imagine giving her off. I wasn’t even close to being able to give her a whole day off, not yet. Maybe when the other two girls were trained and I had gotten to trust them a little more.
“You need a break, Melissa.”
“We both do.”
I kind of shrugged and grabbed my keys off the back office desk. “Yeah, well, I kind of asked for all of this. You didn’t.”
“Let’s get them trained and then maybe we can both take a day off. Imagine going out without these clothes on,” she said, pulling at her uniform.
I had to admit that sounded like a plan. I was getting burned out with the bistro. As much as I loved it, I needed a day off. I’d been rolling around the idea of closing down for a day, and now I was starting to think that it was the best way to do things.
“What if we closed one day a week? I know my father wouldn’t have approved, but I don’t know, I’ve been thinking about it.”
Melissa seemed interested. I could tell she was feeling about the same way that I was about it all.
“What day?”
I didn’t really know, but I’d ruled out Sunday and Monday. “Maybe Tuesday? That’s our lowest grossing day.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Just for now anyways, till we get some more staff.”
She was as ready as I was to take a break, I could see it in her eyes. I didn’t blame her.
“Okay, well, I guess I’ll put up a couple of signs and we will close down on Tuesday.”
“This week? That’s in two days.”
“I know, but I have a lot of stuff to do. I need to get to the bank and see if I can get a loan. There is no way that I’m going to be able to keep the doors open if not. I didn’t realize how bad dad’s debt was. I don’t know where he got it all from, but it’s a lot and I have to do something.”
“Oh, Jesse, I didn’t know. Do you really think it’s going to be shut down?”
“Not if I can help it.”