Riding the Thunder - Deborah MacGillivray [92]
“Just some unhappy memories.” Asha finished drawing a Pepsi for herself, then really took a look at Netta.
Shock was too mild of a word. Her friend had on chicly tailored black slacks, a charcoal blazer with small gold buttons and a deep blue shell blouse that made her vivid eyes seem all the more arresting. Her hair color had been toned down to a lovely shade of golden blond and the wild curls and waves were gone. In their stead was a sleek coif that ended in a small French braid, elegant and reminiscent of the beautiful actress Kim Novak. “My, aren’t you stunning!”
Netta did a 360-degree spin to show off. “My first day as your new hostess. Will I do?”
“You’d do to meet the Queen, though it’s a bit wasted on the bunch around here. They love you as you were. But you’re beautiful either way.”
Winnie MacPhee raced into the restaurant, beelined to the empty booth and leaned in on her knee. With a determined look to her eyes, she snatched down the HELP WANTED sign from the window and rushed to the counter. With a nervous grin, she pushed it toward Asha.
“Why did you go and take my sign down? I just put that up.” Asha had a feeling where this was going, and she wasn’t sure it was a good idea.
“It says two part-time waitresses. How about one full-time instead?” Winnie stood there grinning.
“Actually, the idea was to have two waitresses to cover the supper. Netta is my new hostess. That leaves Cathy as my only waitress through the week. I have Denise on Fridays and Saturdays.”
“Yeah, but if you had one that came in and worked the lunch and dinner shift both, especially one with a lot of energy, maybe you don’t need two. Anyway, I want to be one. I can start whenever you like.” She waited, looking optimistic.
Asha glanced to Netta, who merely gave her a blank stare. She was clearly making no comment, though Asha had a sense Netta echoed her own trepidation.
“Up front—I have concerns because of Derek,” Asha admitted. “I’m not sure it’s a smart move to hire a waitress who is fighting with my busboy.”
Winnie clapped her hands together. “I won’t be a problem. Promise. I’ll be busy waiting on customers; he’ll be in the back, or clearing tables. We won’t have to bump elbows too often. Look, you pay better than the café in Leesburg or the Dairy Wiz. I don’t want to eat up my salary in gas driving all the way to Lexington and back each day—the traffic out of that town is a major headache during rush hour. Ah, come on, Asha. The Dish Barn is cutting back on my hours. I can’t live on twenty-five hours a week. Choices are limited. Give me a chance. Please?”
Asha sighed, knowing she was a soft touch. “Two weeks. If I catch Derek and you fussing, I’ll toss you out on your ear. No too-short skirts, too-low tops or perfume—customers might be allergic. I provide the smock aprons; you get five. If you want to work full-time, you can work 11:30 am to 7:30, Tuesday through Saturday, twelve dollars per hour plus tips.”
“Oh, thank you! Also, may I have one of the employee cottages? I’d really like to move out of my parents’ home.”
Asha chuckled, knowing if she let the girl have one of the cottages there went the ‘two-week trial’. Still, she understood how hard it was for the kids trying to stay in the area. Choices on where to live and jobs were not good; most were forced to go elsewhere to find both. She’d always liked Winnie, and poor lass, her mother had a tongue like an adder. It must be hard living with such an overbearing woman. When Asha came back to take over running The Windmill, she’d turned it into a sanctuary for people seeking the slower path in life.
Asha trusted her fey voice, as she had with Netta and Sam. “Okay, you can have a cottage.”
Winnie hopped up and down and nearly jumped over the counter, leaning close to hug Asha. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! When do I start?”
A low throttled rumble sounded, as the Shelby swung into the lot, Jago behind the wheel. Asha watched Jago stop directly in front of the door in the No Parking spot, and he and Derek got out. They’d gone to the courthouse