Page 7 of A Package Deal

“And didn’t that work out well for you, Mrs. Adams?” Emily teased. Krista beamed as she looked at her new wedding ring. “And you can trust him. It’s not like we have any secrets lurking under the surface for him to discover and expose to the public. Give the man another chance,” Emily said, grabbing the bill from Nelie. She scrawled her signature on the bottom and handed it to the server, saying, “Business lunch among restaurant owners and managers.”

“It’s pickle juice,” Krista blurted, startling them and they gawked at her. “If this is a business lunch and we’re discussing business, then the secret to the Lounge’s chicken salad is pickle juice, not lemon juice.” Krista shoved in her chair and pulled Emily out of hers. They hugged Nelie goodbye, and she watched them walk and waddle toward the elevators leading to the business offices on the top floors.

Should I give Chet another chance?she asked herself as she crossed Main Street and turned toward the Galley, about six blocks away.No. He saw right through her and she couldn’t risk his questions. The ones that asked what was in her heart. Chet poked at her sore spots. He made her examine her life’s choices and wants. Her decisions hadn’t been terrible, but she’d made them with other people in mind. And she was okay with that. Most of the time. She wouldn’t change a thing. Except maybe the way she’d treated him.

Carrying this grudge against him weighed on her. And it was hard acting mad at him when he was around her, especially when his daughters were nearby. Nelie wanted to set a good example. Surely, she could forgive him and set down her mad, without giving him another chance?I can forgive him but not date him.

Forgiving him would be the healthy thing to do. But forgiving him didn’t mean trusting him. Nelie wouldn’t be the source of another friend’s personal life becoming headline news. She needed to avoid him until he no longer tempted her.Forgive and avoid. Easy-peasy, she thought, climbing the back stairs to her apartment above the Galley.

Chapter 5

Neliepulledupthestaffing app and compared this year’s sales by day to last year’s, making sure her gut-feel matched reality.Wednesdays must be the new Thursday,she thought as she moved a server from Thursday’s evening shift to Wednesday’s.

“Are you really going to Florida?” Eric, her assistant manager and her friend Andi’s husband, asked, thumbing his phone.

“Are you really looking up how to make my drink?”

“I don’t get any requests for this, so I need to look it up, boss. And, if you’re really going on this vacation, you should celebrate it. With alcohol.”

“I really am going. My tickets are bought.”

“Nonrefundable?” Eric leveled her with a look. It was obvious he didn’t believe her, and she didn’t blame him. Her track record of zero vacations supported his disbelief. She was excited, but nervous, worried about how to spend her days and who would handle any problems that happened here. Nelie loved to lounge, but she’d never tested her limits. She had a few lounge days a year, but she’d never had three-in-a-row, let alone almost a week. How long would it take her before she was bored with sitting under an umbrella and reading? Gus didn’t think she’d make it past noon on the third day, and the betting pool in the back showed her staff thought it was even less.

“Nonrefundable.” Nelie nodded her head. “I’m going and you’re in charge.”

“I won’t let you down, Nelie.” She knew by his earnest tone and the sincere look on his face that he would do everything in his power to make sure she had a worry-free vacation.

“I wouldn’t be going if I thought you would. You’re ready for this, Eric, and if you need backup, Parker is around or Gus.”

“Gus, the OG,” Eric chuckled.

“Original great or old goat?” Nelie asked. Her dad could be a blessing or a thorn in her side, and occasionally both at the same time. His version of change was her version of improvements, and Gus didn’t like change. They butted heads, often. It had been a major tussle when she’d upgraded the menu. Nelie’s takeaway from the frustrating experience was it was better to ask forgiveness than permission. If she believed the Galley needed an improvement, she did it without running it by him.

Unfortunately, Gus owned the building, so even if she had the budget for it, she couldn’t sneak in a remodel. She’d love to have something open and sunny, like the Hart Lounge. Gus respected her ownership, but he reminded her he’d been the one to build it.

“You tell me?” Eric asked.

“Depends on the issue. Now, stop yabbering at me so I can finish this staffing schedule.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Eric saluted her and grabbed a glass. Nelie focused on the schedule and reviewed the notes the staff had left or emailed her about their non-availability for February. The opening and closing of the front door and the increased noise level in the dining room and kitchen behind her were her background music.

She checked the scheduling for the rest of the week and the weather report. A winter ice castle company had set up in Haven near the river and it drew many people to the area. From the pictures she’d seen and the conversations she’d overheard, she bet Chet’s girls would love it. Chet, not so much.

Last weekend, she’d needed to call in two extra servers and, based on the weather forecast, she’d need to again. Nelie texted a few servers to see if they were interested. She hated messing with the set schedule, but she reminded herself that these were good problems to have, and her staff always appreciated more hours, especially in the winter months when tourism dwindled in Haven.

She set down her phone, glancing at the front door as it opened. Piper bounced in, followed by a rosy-cheeked Ava and Chet. Her traitorous heart hiccupped at the sight of him.Bad heart,she told herself.Forgive and avoid.He laughed at something one of the girls said, and it lit his entire face. His eyes sparkled and laugh lines bracketed his mouth.

Chet unzipped his jacket, revealing a sweatshirt from his alma mater, a sweatshirt he’d once draped over her when she’d shivered as they’d watched a movie. He’d pulled her closer, and she’d melted against him. Her shivering hadn’t lasted long as the snuggling turned into kissing and then into… Nelie shook her head to stop the memory as heat climbed up her face. The girls hugged her, and she met Chet’s eyes. His brown eyes looked heated, and they held hers as if he, too, remembered that night. Nelie wondered if he’d intentionally worn the sweatshirt to remind and torment her.

“Here.” Eric broke the spell and pushed her drink toward her.

“What’s that?” Piper asked.

“An abomination.” Eric scowled and Ava grinned.

“What’s an abomination?” Piper asked.

“Eric’s teasing. He’s grumpy, because I asked him to make me this virgin pina colada,” Nelie said.

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