Better Than Chocolate (10 page)
He spread the blue-prints out over the table. “I thought spot lights up above, controlled individually with a control panel on the side. They can go full force or you can dim them down to barely there. In addition I thought recessed lighting on each of the display areas. Again as bright or as low as you want with a panel on the side wall out of sight.”
“It’s perfect,” she said.
“Good. The flooring is along with the paint. The display for the bakery area should arrive in the next couple of days. I’d say we’re in good shape time-wise.”
“So I can plan on July 1
st
for the opening?”
“We’ll have it done by then.”
“You’re sure!”
“I’m sure,” he said smiling at her. “Hopefully a few days in advance but I won’t promise that.”
That left her with an opening to plan. “You’re definitely going to be there aren’t you?”
“I’m not much of an art show guy. But this is one I wouldn’t miss for the world,” he said, his face breaking into a huge smile.
That left her parents, sister, brother, Bente and Jim, Race and Lydia, Hans. And then there were the people from the community.
Brad felt they should invite the mayor and council along with all the local business owners and artists.
“But I don’t even know the mayor or most of these other people.”
“They’re important people in the community and Elena’s is going to be part of that community.”
“I guess.” She was happier inviting the local wharf rats. Steve had promised to play guitar and sing with Jazz.
“You don’t even know if they can sing,” Brad warned.
“I’ve heard a little of his guitar before. He’s good,” she said.
“And Jazz?”
“I love Jazz. He’s a cute kid and I think it’s great that he’s going to sing.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“You have no faith,” she said.
“I’m a realist,” he countered
“Pessimist,” she said laughing.
She almost hired Randi on the spot the next morning. “I’ll let you know by tonight.”
“OK,” Randi said smiling bravely.
But it wasn’t fair to Carol to hire Randi without even waiting for the interview. She was pleasantly surprised when Carol did arrive. She’d been expecting someone with no personality whatsoever.
Instead Carol showed up looking like she’d just stepped from the fashion pages of a glossy magazine with a quiet air of professionalism. She could tell Brad was just as impressed as she was. And now Carol was here in person she started to remember the interview. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t remembered her at all. Would she have felt the same way about Randi if she’d been interviewed half-way through?
“Why would you be a good fit for Elena’s?”
“I have a strong background as a barista and manager of Starbucks. And I love art so managing a gallery would be my dream job,” she said flashing Elena a huge smile.
Elena smiled back at her. “Is there anything you’d like to ask Brad?”
“What type of inventory system did you use at Starbucks?”
“Oh, it’s incredible. Every shot of coffee is accounted for automatically when someone orders one. Inventory control is down to the last teaspoon of sugar.”
“Can you think of anything Elena’s could do to achieve the same effect?”
“Actually there’s some software out through Accounting America which does almost everything Starbucks software does but on a smaller scale. It’s about $500.00.”
By the time she left Elena was no longer sure which person to hire. “I was so sure about Randi.”
“She’d do a good job.”
“But so would Carol. And she’s got some really good ideas.
“So hire Carol.”
“You think she’s the best?”
“I think it’s your decision,” he said smiling at her.
“You’re no help at all,” she cried.
“You’re the one who wants to make her own decisions. This is your chance.”
“There’s something to be said for controlling people,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “This is hard.”
“They’re both good,” he said. “Flip a coin if it makes it easier.”
She looked at him in horror. “One of the most important decisions I could make for Elena’s and you want me to flip a coin?”
He shook his head. “That’s it. I’m out of here. Let me know when you’ve made your decision.”
Which left her still trying to decide. Maybe the coin toss wasn’t such a bad idea. Something she’d never admit to Brad. She needed a chance to shake out the cobwebs and get some fresh air.
She threw on a coat and headed towards Elena’s. She didn’t even really need a coat. Part-way through June the sun was so hot it was like summer already. Elena’s was packed with workmen doing all kinds of sawing and hammering. She headed down the wharf walking along a walk-way until she got to the end and could look over the harbour.
Jazz poked his head out of a near-by houseboat. “Hey, what are you doing down here?”
“Jazz!” she gave him a huge smile. “I just wanted to get outside today, clear my head. She gave him a puzzled look. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
He laughed. “It’s a pro-D day.”
“Oh, got to love that.”
“Got that right. Hey dad said you wanted us to play at your grand opening.”
“That’s right.”
“Rad! I’ve been practising. Want to hear?” He pulled out a guitar.
“I’d love to.”
“Come on up.” He opened up the door and came out, guitar in hand. “Come on down here. There’s steps up to the deck. We can hang out there.”
She looked up at the deck. Overlooking the harbour it had a ton of potted flowers along with a barbecue. “I love this!”
“Yeah, that’s pretty cool.”
He sang a Sheryl Crow song and BlackBirds in a Cherry Tree while she sat back in her chair enjoying the sun in her face. It was just the break she’d needed and she was awed by Jazz’s talent. The kid was going to make Brad eat his words. She wished she could spend all day here. But she thanked Jazz for sharing his music with her and made her way back to Mary’s.
Somewhere during the afternoon she’d made her decision. She loved Randi but Carol was the person she wanted as manager. She called her on her cell phone.
“Hi Carol. I’ve decided! You’re the new manager for Elena’s. There was silence at the other end. “You’re still interested aren’t you?” She felt a flash of panic at the prospect of going through the whole process again.
“Oh yes! Yes! I’m sorry. I was just in the middle of something.”
She made arrangements to meet with her the next day to go over what was expected. Elena’s had a manager! And she knew now it was the right thing to do. She intended to be a hands-on business owner but she still wanted days to paint and days to explore and photograph the island. She wanted time to hang with friends, young and old!
Randi took it well. “That’s OK. I’ve actually sort of been offered a chance to run a new restaurant that’s opening up and I didn’t want to commit until I’d talked to you.”
“That’s perfect!” she said, excited for Randi. “I’ll be the first customer there waiting to order from you so tell me all the details when you’ve got them!”
She did a small twirl as she hung up the phone. Life was good!
She bent down to pet Choco, the cat, who had decided to tolerate her even if she was no Brad. Sometimes she suspected Brad of having catnip in his pockets the way the cat went for him. “You’ve got good taste, I’ll give you that,” she whispered in his ears. She picked him up holding him in her lap as she stroked him. For a brief moment he allowed this. But she was not Brad. He jumped down, affronted, and she sighed. She wanted someone to share the news with. She wanted Brad.
No! She was not going there. Not!
She just wanted to share her day with someone. She’d share it with Mary but she’d gone over to Vancouver for a couple of days to visit a friend. It was not a big deal she told herself. She was alone for a few hours. Get over it.
She pulled out the list of invites and went over them. Then she turned on the computer and started designing invitations. Two hours later she had some she was happy with. She’d used an original painting she’d done herself and scanned in as a backdrop with Elena’s in simple, but classic, letter with the invitations and RSVP details.
Brad’s friend was coming over tomorrow to help her design a web page but this she could get done on her own. She looked over the invitation list hoping they hadn’t missed anyone and realized there were well over a hundred people invited. If they all showed up at once Elena’s was gong to be a very crowded place.
She headed out to mail the invitations. Elena’s was opening July 1
st
! Canada Day in Canada, the start of Independence weekend in the States. The start of her independence. She shivered slightly. It was a big step. But she was ready for it. And she knew Elena’s was going to be a huge success. For that she had Brad to thank.
“Dad!” It felt so good to hear his voice on the phone. She’d made a point of not calling him too often because she wanted to break away from him, to do this on her own. But she was always going to be his daughter. “The opening’s on July 1
st
. You’re going to be here aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said. And she knew he wouldn’t. He might have missed a few birthdays or Christmas plays over the years but for this … he’d be there.
“Should I book rooms for you and mom at the Sea Side?”
“Sure. Book a whole suite if possible, with rooms for Suzanne and her husband, Nathan, and maybe a couple of his friends. And send the bill to me.”
She spent some more time on the phone catching up on what was happening.
“Is Brad still with you?”
“When he’s not with you. Honestly Dad, I don’t know what I’d have done if I didn’t have him here to help get Elena’s off the ground. He’s the best present you ever sent.”
“You were supposed to send him back.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“No. No I don’t.”
“He doesn’t work for me anymore. Said he wanted to pursue other opportunities.”
Elena felt her heart drop into free fall. “He doesn’t work for you anymore?”
“I thought you knew.”
“No – he never said anything to me.”
“Oh, well as long as he’s still working with you.”
“Yeah, OK dad, I have to go. OK.” She hung up. Breathe, she told herself. Just breathe. How could he have not said anything? All this time he’d been letting her think he was still working with her dad, leading her on…He had said a few little things. But how could she have known he was serious. Why was he doing this?
She didn’t even know where he was. He’d been secretive ever since he got back from Vancouver that last time. Oh, he’d made some cryptic comments. What would you do if I wasn’t working for your dad? She had to find him. She had to find out why he’d quit. Unfortunately she couldn’t get him on her cell phone. She left a message and wondered when he would call back.
It was ironic. He was supposed to be over here all the time now according to her dad and she was seeing less of him than ever. What was he doing with his time? She had a hard time concentrating on what Brenda, her web page designer wanted her to do.
“I think the home page should look like the front of Elena’s. You click on the door and it opens up. You can go into the bistro area for a menu of all the drinks you serve along with food.
Then when you go over to the gallery you click the first picture and it enlarges with all the information underneath. From there you can just keep clicking and have a slide show of the art and artists you represent.”
“It sounds good,” Elena said. But no matter how much she tried to concentrate on the web page she was more concerned with Brad and where he was, why he hadn’t told her. She could hardly keep her voice calm when he did call her hours later.
“What’s up?”
“I have something I want to talk to you about. Can you come over?”
“Sure. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
He walked in looking as cool, calm and collected as she could imagine. She wanted to explode but she tried to appear equally as casual. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Sure. Is that why you called me over?”
“Not exactly.”
“Is something wrong with Elena’s?”
“
Everything’s on track,” she said, giving him his coffee with milk and double sugar. At least she knew what he took in his coffee she thought angrily. She sat down opposite him, stirring her coffee. “I talked to dad this morning.”
“Oh.” Nothing more. She wanted to grind her teeth in frustration.
“When were you going to tell me you quit?”
“It never came up,” he said shrugging.
“How can you say it never came up,” she said furious.
He sighed. “Look, I can see you’re upset.”
“You don’t think I have a right to be?”
“No. I haven’t done anything wrong Elena.” He looked her straight in her eyes and she could see he meant what he said.
“You don’t think I deserved to know if you quit working for my dad?”
“OK, maybe in hindsight I should’ve mentioned it. But the time never seemed right. And I really didn’t think it would make any difference.”
“Wouldn’t make any difference?”
“You’re telling me you’d do things differently if I told you last week I’d quit working with your dad?”
“I – I don’t know.” She sat back at a loss. She remembered the kiss he’d given her in Vancouver. The times she’d told him there couldn’t be anything between them when he worked for her dad. And he hadn’t thought it was worth mentioning that he’d quit? “But I would’ve liked to know.”
“So next time I’ll tell you.”
“What makes you so sure there’ll be a next time,” she flared.
“Look, I know you’re upset Elena. Rightly so I guess. I honestly didn’t think it was important that I told you right away.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I did plan on telling you. I was just waiting for the right time.”
“When! When we were old and gray?”
“OK,” he said wearily. “I guess I had that coming.”
“So, why did you quit?”
He looked at her. “Why?”
“I thought it was your dream job.”
“It was,” he said watching her carefully. “I just decided maybe there might be some better opportunities out there for me.”
“You’re not making me responsible for this,” she said angrily.
“I never tried,” he said icily.
“But you loved that job. You told me you did.”
“I loved the idea of the job. But when I actually started thinking about what I was doing and what I wanted to do … I started thinking I’d like to something on my own.”
He held up his hand to stop her before she said anything more. “I like your dad Elena. I’m glad I had an opportunity to work with him. Even in the time I did I learned a lot. And if I’d stayed with him a little longer I’d probably have learned more. But the truth is I listened to what you said about balance and I started looking at my life, really looking.”
“I told you I’m not taking responsibility for this.”
“You’re off the hook,” he said angrily. “This was all my decision.”
“So now I’m supposed to fall into your arms?” she said angrily
“Did I say that?”
“No,” she said bursting into tears and he came around beside her.
“Elena I care about you. There’s something there,” he said putting his arms around her and looking in her eyes.
She blinked back tears, trying not to cry. “But not enough. You just want to be friends?” Oh God she was going to lose it totally.
He pulled her to him roughly, his mouth finding hers. Her arms went up around his neck. She met his kiss with her own passion. She could feel his male hardness pressed against her and she felt a moan escape from her parted lips. His hands explored and she felt herself trembling under his touch.
She pulled away from him. “Stop!”
“What?”
“I want to know where we’re going.”
He was breathing hard. “I thought that was fairly obvious.”
“I don’t want this to be just a fling. And we still have to work together.”
He surveyed her with a long, hard look. “That’s why I never said anything.”
“What?”
“Elena, you could never be just a cheap one night stand. And I know you don’t want to do anything before Elena’s is up and running. I’m willing to wait.”
“Oh,” she said shocked. “I, I didn’t know.”
“I should’ve told you,” he said. “For now I think I should go.” He gave her a hot, smouldering look. “Or I can’t promise where this will stop tonight.”
“I, I know this is hard.”
“I’m willing to wait another couple of weeks.”
“And then.”
He gave her a crooked smile that made her heart start to race. “Then we’ll see what we have between us.”
“I, that sounds good,” her voice was shaking. Oh God, she sounded like an idiot. Was this what she really wanted? No. What she really wanted was for him to make mad passionate love to her now.
But tomorrow?
He was right. She wanted more than a cheap fling. She wanted love. Maybe. Did she really want forever with someone she’d met six weeks ago? Forever was – forever. And what opportunities? What was he doing over here? She couldn’t see him working as a barista in Elena’s. Why wasn’t he telling her? He’d given her the bare minimum of information and he still wasn’t telling her everything.
She started to go after him and then stopped.
She knew he was right. It was better to wait until after Elena’s was open. And then, if there was something there? They could go from there. Did she want serious? Maybe a cheap fling wasn’t all that bad. OK, maybe not cheap. An expensive fling?
She’d worry about it later.
But right now she had to find staff. Michelle had phoned her today to tell her she had a new job in the play she’d auditioned for.
“It starts next week. I know that’s just when Elena’s is re-opening and I don’t want you to be stuck – but this is such a good opportunity.”
“Of course! You have to take the role. I’ll come down and see you one night.”
She turned down Michelle’s offer to ask around and see if there were any friends who would be interested in working for her. Besides it was only fair that Carol have input into the hiring of new staff now that she was manager.
She was meeting with Carol and with Brad tomorrow. It would be the first meeting with her new manager. And with Brad since … she touched her lips remembering. For now it was just friends she reminded herself. Until the opening a voice said in the back of her head. Next week. It wasn’t far away. And then?
She avoided eye contact when she met with Carol and Brad the next day. She sensed Brad was doing the same thing. She knew Carol knew something was going on but she couldn’t figure out what. And although she wanted to keep her manager informed this was something she was leaving out.
Carol smiled, eyeing them carefully. “So, is the opening all set for next week?”
“As much as it can be,” Elena said. “Grant’s hoping to have Elena’s finished in the next few days so we’ll have a couple of days to get it set up. Then I was thinking we can go over what we’ll be doing in the café part of it. Hopefully by opening we’ll be ready to go. Oh – Michelle phoned me yesterday. She’s got a part in the play she auditioned for so she won’t be working for Elena’s.”
“Have we got anyone else?” Carol said.
“That’s what I wanted to talk about,” Elena said. “Mary will help if we’re short staffed but we definitely need to find at least one more person for staff, maybe more. I wanted your input on that.”
“I know a couple of people I’ve worked with in the past who might want to work part-time,” Carol said. “I can call them. Also we can put a notice up on Craig’s List and see what happens. People scan them constantly so it might be the fastest way.”
“OK. For the opening we’re getting the bakery to do up trays of brownies and pies that we’ll cut up as needed and Mary and I are going to start the ice machine up the day before to test it. I think Mary’s going to do some just in the fridge so we have a back-up in case the ice-machine doesn’t arrive or it doesn’t work the way we expect it to.”
“Sounds good,” Brad said.
“And Steve is going to be playing outside for part of the time with Jazz. Unless it rains which we know it’s not going to.”
“But if it does,” Brad said curiously.
“They’ll just have to stay inside. If we get a good turnout it could get pretty crowded.”
“OK. For hours I’ll be working full-time?” Carol said.
“If not more,” Brad said. “But you’ll be paid well. Have you talked salary yet?”
“I thought $35,000 - $40,000 a year with two weeks vacation and 5% of the profits?” Elena said.
Carol nodded her head. “And what about the benefits?”
“I haven’t looked into getting insurance yet but I will,” Elena said.
“Actually Carol can look into it as part of her job,” Brad said easily.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll look into what I can find for small businesses and present you with the option.”
“Most small businesses can’t compete with places like Starbucks and established chains when it comes to benefits,” Brad said.
“I’m not asking the impossible. But I do have a family.”