Page 62 of The Deal Breaker
She shrugged. “They get easier, but you can hire extra help. Dash doesn’t mind. I did that with the bigger events, especially the annual New Year’s Eve party when you need bartenders and servers. I also catered the desserts so I could focus on the food.”
“Smart.”
“It’s all in the binder.” Iris had made three of them—one for Tony, Janice, and Leo. Each detailed their areas of responsibility.
“Does it include your pulled pork slider recipe? More than one person asked if I’d made them.”
She laughed. “I’ll put a copy in there. Today was your show, and it was a smash hit.”
His chest puffed. “Now I just need to hear what the boss man says.”
“Trust me,” she reassured him. “Dash is pleased.”
Tony’s face lit up, his dimples deepening. “That’s what matters most.”
It was. Iris was relieved Dash would be in good hands. That had been her goal when she interviewed applicants.
“I’ll see what else is left in the great room.” She grabbed a cloth, went in the living area, and wiped off an end table. Thankfully, football and poker games didn’t leave a big mess. Nothing like the larger functions.
“You don’t have to clean up.” Dash stood between the kitchen and great room with his arms crossed. Not smiling, he came toward her. “You’re a guest.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t help.” As she wiped another end table, she lowered her voice. “Tony’s been on his feet all day. He doesn’t need to do this, too.”
“You used to do it.”
“That’s why I know how tiring these parties are,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone, not wanting to argue about this. “Especially your first one.”
Dash’s brows wrinkled. “You never mentioned it.”
Iris shrugged. She’d learned to handle everything herself, but others wouldn’t have the same drive to care for Dash as she had.
“I got used to it.” She ran the rag over the coffee table. “That’s why having more people on staff, each with their own area of expertise, will be more efficient. Janice will be Tony’s backup, cooking for you when he’s off.”
Dash lowered his arms to his side. “You figured out the best way for it to work.”
She’d tried. “Spreading the work around makes sense.”
“If I’d hired more staff to help you—”
“I’d still be returning to culinary school.” Something Iris should have done as soon as she’d saved enough to cover tuition and rent. Better late than never. “If not now, then later.”
“Good to know.”
Iris was happy to see him accepting what she was doing.
She studied the great room, checking to see if she’d missed anything. She straightened a throw pillow on the couch. “Janice will vacuum and mop tomorrow. That’s what I did.”
“I never noticed what you did. The house was just clean.”
Satisfaction flowed through Iris. She pushed back her shoulders. “Then I did my job right.”
“Not if you were overworked,” he countered.
“That only happened at the beginning. I adapted quickly.” She glanced at the kitchen, where Tony put away pans. “Oh, I almost forgot. I’m giving him my slider recipe.”
That brought a welcome smile to Dash’s face. “Blaise will be thrilled.”
“You?”
