Page 104 of The Thief

A pan dropped in the kitchen.

Lakota chuckled softly. “Got another one of those aprons? I can be the chef’s assistant since it’s his first day and all.”

“Don’t get in his way,” I urged him. “Bear’s got his hands full in there, and we only have an hour left before service.”

He stretched out his hand. “Female, give me the apron. I know how to deal with temper tantrums.” When he gave Melody the side-eye, she caught it and put her hands on her hips.

“I know you’re not talking about me,” she said with a mechanical smile.

Lakota put on the apron I handed him. “Of course not, Freckles. You’re nothing but a ray of sunshine.”

“I swear to the fates,” she huffed before turning around.

Lakota slapped her ass, and the two exchanged an amorous look before she strutted away. “I was thinking a few of us could help with the tables,” he said to me. “Bear’s busy, so that leaves you to serve this entire room all by yourself. Calvin has to work the bar.”

“I’ll manage just fine. How else do you think I’m gonna make a killing tonight in tips?”

He grinned and shook his head. “Sorry, I didn’t think of it that way. But if you need help, Melody already volunteered. Her mother used to waitress, so she knows the ropes.”

“I might take her up on that, but it’s a wait-and-see situation.”

I jumped when another pan dropped in the kitchen.

Lakota laughed. “I’ll go make sure he hasn’t stuck his head in the oven.”

I scanned the room in disbelief. The bar had never been at full capacity. Since we didn’t have a reservation system, people were showing up early to claim a table. Rock and roll played on the colorful jukebox, and almost every pool table had a game going. This was exactly how I’d imagined it from the start.

All it took was opening the kitchen for lunch to draw in women and children—families who were looking for reasonable prices and a casual atmosphere.

Calvin had even hung decorative neon signs that I’d suggested weeks ago, and it added a little pizzazz to an otherwise dreary bar.

Noticing empty glasses and bottles on tables, I weaved through the bar like a needle and thread, filling my tray and advising customers to save their money for lunch. I also wanted them to have enough left for my tips, but I didn’t tell them that. On a chalkboard by the bar, someone had written today’s special with the price next to each item. Beef brisket, potato salad, grilled corn, cucumber salad, and cornbread.

It dawned on me that Bear had selected the menu based on my favorite foods—the ones I’d told him about when we had sex.

“Coincidence,” I whispered, hurrying to the sink and cleaning the glasses. “Nurse your beers!” I called out. “Dinner will be ready soon, and I can’t deliver your orders if I’m pouring drinks.”

The crowd stirred with excitement. Initially, our plan was to discount beer during lunch hour to draw people in, but by the looks of it, we wouldn’t need to use that tactic. I decided to slow alcohol service until after the kids left so that parents would feel better about eating here as a family in the future.

“Attention everyone—I’ve got a surprise announcement!” I called out. “Once our tap runs dry and our inventory of beer is gone, we’re serving Shifter-brewed beer from here on out.”

The customers pounded their fists on tables, shouting and whistling with excitement. Calvin had called me earlier with the news, but he didn’t want to start serving it until we sold all the human beer. Otherwise, he might lose money on the old inventory. I couldn’t disagree with his decision.

Before I realized it, Melody was putting up clean glasses behind the bar. I told her to go sit, but she insisted on helping with tasks that didn’t directly involve customers. While she washed glasses and disposed of empty bottles, I checked on my tables. Some needed their water refilled, and a few kids were screaming for soda.

When the rest of our pack arrived, they had nowhere to sit but at the bar. However, seats opened up when Montana and Calvin returned with a ton of tables and chairs for outside. I don’t know how they did it, but they hired a delivery truck to haul over outdoor seating and table umbrellas.

I approached Calvin at the bar. “You know what we could add on to the side of the building?”

“Don’t even start, Mercy.” He slapped his hand over my mouth and smiled. “Glad you’re feeling better. Hope that accident didn’t knock any new ideas loose in that head, because this is about to give me a coronary.”

I pulled his hand down. “A Mage keeling over from stress? That’ll be the day.” I gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for fixing Daisy.”

“Who?”

“Never mind. Let me get my Packmaster a soda. Whatever you do, don’t serve him beer. He’s a former alcoholic.”

“And remind me which one’s your Packmaster so I can match the voice to the face.”

---