Page 38 of A Snowy Escape

Beverly taps her foot against the carpet in my office, crossing her arms over her chest. “If anyone else would have made the mistakes that she’s made, we would have let her go by now.”

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” I say, shrugging.

It’s a battle to keep my tone light.

This isn’t the first time she’s brought up that she doesn’t think Abby is a good fit to work here, and my patience has officially run out.

Bev is a great business manager. She handles scheduling and all the orders for the restaurant. She also meshes well with Lucy, who runs the bar. I would prefer not to have to fire her. Training someone new would be a pain in the ass when the business runs smoothly as it stands.

Unfortunately for Bev, I don’t think she understands that if she gives an ultimatum, she’ll be the one on the way out the door, not the omega.

“She hasn’t successfully rung in a ticket yet. Every single order has at least one error, if not multiple issues,” Bev says, planting her hands on her hips. “She dropped a tray of waters on a table yesterday. Even you have to admit, she’s a liability.”

“It’s not like she’s been here for months. It’s been a week, Bev.” My eyebrows rise. “If she’s still struggling at that level, I would say there’s a solid chance that she needs more training.”

“Why would you hire someone with no experience in the first place?” she snaps back. “My niece has applied twice, and both times you refused to hire her. She’s been a waitress for years!”

Yes, I do know that.

Unfortunately, Bev’s niece loves to come into the bar late at night when Bev isn’t working. She drinks entirely too much and treats the employees like shit.

It’s one of the only complaints Lucy has brought to me in two years of working here. We considered banning the woman, but we didn’t want to offend Bev.

Beverly raised her niece. She’s very protective over her, and we didn’t want to cause any bad blood.

“Look,” I say, raising my palms, “I know you’re busy. How about I take over training her? That way it won’t add any extra stress to your plate, and I’ll be able to see firsthand where she needs extra support.”

Bev sighs, shaking her head. “Every dish the kitchen has to remake or glass she breaks is costing the business, but I’ll leave that in the capable hands of the owners.”

I roll my eyes as she stomps out.

It’s not the first time she’s thrown around an attitude when Lawson and I have chosen to go against her opinion on something. That’s something that will have to be addressed in the new year.

* * *

After spending close to an hour watching Abby as she works, two things become clear.

The first is that she’s trying.

The second is that she’s overwhelmed.

Not everyone is meant to be a server.

It’s a demanding job, both mentally and physically.

Still, I want to be encouraging, so I make my way over as she’s cleaning off her last table.

“Abby, how ya doing?” I ask, pushing my hair back from my face.

She jolts, shoving her tip into the pocket on her apron.

“I’m hanging in there.” She smiles, though it doesn’t reach her eyes. “This is my first real job. I mean, I babysat when I was a teenager, but this is an entirely different world. I forgot that poor lady’s ranch until she was completely done with her meal.” She pulls her hand to cover her face. “Shit. I’m probably not supposed to admit that in front of the boss.”

“It happens.” I laugh. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

She offers another of those fake smiles. “Hopefully, because right now I feel like I’m drowning.”

My head tilts. “You don’t have to work here in exchange for a place to stay.”