Page 34 of Some Like It Fox

I take a sip. Mindy made sure to include some big-name influencers in the audience the night Luke played here. She did more than drum up buzz for Luke’s album release, she got Veronica some return customers.

“That’s great.”

She nods and then claps her hands together. “And it’s a good thing you are in town and looking for work, because Rachel is due next month with my first grandbaby, and I wanted to stay with them for a week to help with the baby shower.”

Veronica’s son, Adrian, lives in Connecticut, about a three-hour drive away.

I nod in agreement. “Of course. I would be happy to do whatever you need.”

“You are a lifesaver. I’m not leaving until Friday, so maybe you can come in during the day and focus on the paperwork until then?” She presses her hands together like she’s praying.

I grin. “You need me to clean you up again?”

Veronica hates the business side of her, well, business, and every time I work for her, I help her sort out paperwork and balance her books so her accountant doesn’t freak out at tax time. I don’t mind doing it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment, taking something disordered and putting it to rights. Plus, I love making Veronica smile.

She chuckles. “You know me too well. But I wanted to ask you for a little more than that.”

“Order up,” Daphne calls, setting a plate towering with food on the pass-through window.

Veronica takes a few steps over to grab the plate and then sets it down in front of me.

“This looks great.” I pop a sweet potato fry in my mouth and chew before asking, “What’s the ‘little more’?”

“I’ll pay you more to manage the bar while I’m out.” She lifts her brows in question.

I freeze with the sandwich halfway to my mouth. More money is essential to getting back on the road, but... “Manage?”

“Daphne takes care of the kitchen without much interference. We hired a couple more staff, one in the kitchen and one to help with the bar and the table service, so you’d only be in charge of four people.”

I take my bite and chew, thinking it over. “And none of these other employees is interested in being in charge while you’re out?”

“Gloria has no interest in management. She’s retired and works here part-time in the evenings. Vanessa,” she jerks her thumb over her shoulder to the waitress taking an order on the other side of the room, “has a kid. She can’t work nights except for weekends. You’re already going to do the paperwork, which is half the management job anyway.”

“What’s the rest of the job?”

She shrugs. “Posting the work schedules, putting out fires if someone calls out, ordering supplies, most of which you’ve helped me with before.”

I have done all of that, but always when Veronica was here to fall back on. But it is only a week. “I don’t know. Are you sure it’s a good idea?” What if I mess things up?

“I’ll show you the ropes before I leave. You’ll be fine. You know this bar almost better than I do.”

I can’t say no to Veronica, and she knows it. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

Her eyes twinkle, her eyes wrinkling around the corners. “That’s my girl. Come back tomorrow around ten and we’ll get started.”

At least this is something to distract me until I can leave again.

ChapterTen

Taylor

“Don’t get angry,” Jake says before I set foot inside.

I frown. “Why would I get angry?”

He grabs my arm and pulls me further outside, but not before familiar laughter rings through the kitchen, coming from the direction of the living room.

My stomach lurches at the sound. “Is that Mindy?” Finley told me the night I arrived she would be in town “next week,” but it’s only been three days. She didn’t warn me.

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