Page 94 of The Encounter
You’re never in the way.
She put a laughing crying emoticon.You’ll be busy tonight, and I have some things I want to work on.
Okay. If you insist.
She sent back an emoticon blowing a kiss, and he smiled.
An hour before opening, Kayla showed up at the bar for her first shift. Jace had her fill out her employment paperwork before showing her around behind the bar. Haley stood nearby, explaining anything that Jace may have missed.
“Do you feel ready?” Jace asked.
Kayla nodded. “I think so. I’m probably going to be a little slow at first. It’s been a while.”
Haley waved a hand in the air as if to brush it aside. “It’s not a big deal. You’ll pick it up. It’s like riding a bike.”
“If you say so.”
Jace nodded a head toward the door. “We’re about to open. I’ll help you through the drinks and with finding everything. If you begin to feel comfortable, I’ll step back and let you take over. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
Jace leaned back against the bar as people flooded into the club. The first few hours they were open were usually slower, since most of the partygoers wouldn’t show until later in the evening. It would be an excellent opportunity for Kayla to warm up without people pressing in from all sides nonstop.
When the first customers began ordering, Jace told Kayla where to find the various items she needed, but he rarely had to help her make the drinks themselves. She had a good memory, that much he could tell. Only occasionally did she have to clarify the ingredients of a drink.
Watching Kayla work excited him more and more as the evening went on. By the middle of the night, he began helping customers alongside Kayla and Haley, since Kayla could hold her own. Between the three of them, they could knock down the crowds quicker, and Jace estimated they pulled in more money than normal as well.
When the doors finally closed for the evening, the three of them leaned against the bar.
“Wow,” Kayla said. “That was wild.”
“Time flies when you work here. It’s nonstop like that nearly every night,” Haley said.
“You did a great job, Kayla. I’m impressed,” Jace said.
“Yeah, girl. You fit right in!”
“Honestly? This was fun. I haven’t had this much fun at work in a long time,” Kayla said.
Jace walked over to the register and counted out the till, showing Kayla everything he did. He printed the daily report and sorted the tips out while Haley did the same on the second register. When he finished, he turned toward Kayla and handed her her portion of the tips from credit card purchases before doing the same for Haley. Haley finished out her register and did the same. Then Jace went through the cash tips they had pooled in a locked drawer between the registers and divided them up between them.
When they were finished, Kayla stood staring, with her mouth hanging open, at the wad of bills in her hand. “Wait wait wait. Are these allmytips?”
“Yep,” Haley said. She had already stashed hers away and was cleaning up the glasses that were still strewn about the bar.
Jace smiled as he watched Kayla’s reaction.
“Is this normal? Like, could I expect this regularly?” she asked.
“Pretty much. It varies occasionally, but that’s pretty close to what we usually see,” Haley said. “Perhaps slightly more tonight since there were three of us and we got through customers faster.”
Kayla’s wide eyes turned to Jace. “So I can quit my other job?”
“Please do. I would love it if you committed to this job. I honestly want to be taking some time away from here, and having someone else who knows what they’re doing at the bar will make it easier for me to step away.”
Kayla took a quick step toward him and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you for offering this job to me, Jace. I really appreciate it. I know Maddie told you I needed more hours, but I don’t know how much she told you.”
“She only said you were going back to school and strapped for cash, that’s all.”
