by K. M. Morgan
“I should,” Adam insisted.
Cameron glared at Adam, then stormed away.
Back in the parking lot, Daisy couldn’t believe she’d witnessed this much drama already, and she hadn’t even set foot in the restaurant yet. She could only imagine what surprises awaited inside.
Chapter Four
Daisy decided to wait ten minutes before entering the restaurant. She figured that would be enough time for Adam to cool off. Although she feared Adam was naturally wound up and ready to pounce like a jack in the box with a chip on his shoulder.
While Daisy was counting down the minutes, she spotted Samantha Johnson’s boyfriend Trevor Thompson entering the parking lot from the back kitchen.
Trevor let out a big sigh.
Daisy approached and lobbed a joke his way. “Another day in paradise?”
Joking aside, Daisy already knew how Trevor felt about the restaurant. The chaos of working at Tres Chic had become a bone of contention with Samantha. It was the eight hundred pound gorilla in their relationship. The instability at work threatened the stability of his home life. How could he settle down in the relationship with Samantha when his job could blow up in his face at any moment?
Trevor laughed. “Paradise? That’s one word for this place.”
“What’s another?” Daisy asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
Daisy nodded. “I got a little taste of Adam’s magic earlier.”
“He’s been known to pull a lot of things out of his hat—a bunny isn’t one of them though.”
“So you’re saying I should be afraid of the tricks up his sleeve?”
“Normally, but you picked a good day to come.”
Daisy was confused. “This is a good day? I’d hate to see a bad day.”
“You’re not the only one who can joke. The fact is, this job has made me fluent in sarcasm,” Trevor said.
“Anything else this job has taught you?”
Trevor nodded. “That no one knows how to make enemies quite like Adam Dunning.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t make one of me.”
“I think you’ll be fine. You’re only going to be here a few days. I’m stuck here for the foreseeable future.”
“By the way, your girlfriend asked me to remind you to take deep breaths,” Daisy said.
“I was hoping for something a little more affectionate than that.”
“I don’t know that you can get more affectionate than having a woman in your life who loves you and cares about your health.”
Trevor thought that over. “You’re right. Samantha is the best thing in my life.”
“Have you told her that?” Daisy asked.
Trevor nodded.
“Tell her again. A woman can never hear that enough.”
“Thanks for telling me that.”
“Actually, I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
“For what?”
“Recommending me for this decorating job,” Daisy said.
“I’d hold back on that thank you,” Trevor insisted. “You probably want to see how the job goes first.”
***
Finally, there was no more delaying. It was time to meet with Adam Dunning, no matter how foul his mood was. Trevor walked Daisy to Adam’s office in the back of the restaurant. Before they got there however, they saw that Adam already had company.
Carl Blanton, one of the bartenders, stood in the doorway to Adam’s office looking irate.
“No. This can’t be happening,” Carl insisted.
“Didn’t you hear me? You’re fired,” Adam said.
“You can’t do this.”
“It’s done.”
“But I need this job--”
“I don’t want to hear it. You stole from me.”
“I didn’t steal. I just didn’t ring customers up for some drinks,” Carl reasoned.
“And pocketed the cash. Otherwise known as stealing,” Adam replied.
It was a common problem in restaurants and bars that did a heavy cash business. A bartender would make a drink and give the customer the total. If the customer paid with cash, the bartender would forgo inputting the order into the register and pocket the dough for themselves. Of course this scheme didn’t work if the customer paid with credit card, but there were usually plenty of customers that paid in cash over the course of a shift to make some decent loot.
Carl rationalized his thievery. “You’re not paying me enough.”
“I’m paying you nine dollars an hour. How much more do you want from me?” Adam asked, without a hint of irony.
“Have you ever tried to live on nine dollars an hour?”
“That’s not my problem. It’s up to the customers to tip you.”
“What customers? This place is turning into a ghost town. Everyone’s going to Ooh La Lunch,” Carl said.
Adam got outraged. “How dare you bring up that name?”
Carl groaned. “I can’t believe I stayed loyal to you all this time.”
“Loyal? You stole from me.”
“When Cameron opened Ooh La Lunch, he offered me a job. I turned him down to stay here. Little did I know you’d run this place into the ground.”
“You have no idea what it takes to run a successful restaurant.”
“Neither do you. I knew I should have taken the job at Ooh La Lunch,” Carl grumbled.
“They’ll never hire you now—not when they hear you’re a thief.”
“It wouldn’t matter anyway. They’re all stocked up on bartenders. And I’m out of luck.”
“Don’t try to give me some sob story.”
Carl tried to play himself as a victim. “Like how I did it to feed my family? To keep from getting evicted? Because it’s the truth.”
Adam didn’t budge an inch. “I don’t care.”
“Maybe you’ll care about another truth, a darker one…a truth you wouldn’t want to get out,” Carl hinted.
“Are you trying to blackmail me?” Adam asked.
Carl stared him down. “I know your secrets. Do you really want people to know what you’ve been up to?”
“How dare you threaten me?”
“No. How dare you think you can get away with this? It’s far from over,” Carl insisted.
Carl then glared long and hard at Adam before storming out.
Chapter Five
Apparently the fireworks were just beginning at Tres Chic. Adam looked like steam was about to come out of his ears. The man had frustration to burn. He saw the kitchen staff looking at him and lashed out at them.
“What are you guys looking at? Get back to work,” Adam demanded.
Adam then noticed Daisy standing beside Trevor Thompson.
“Who are you, and why are you in my kitchen?” Adam continued.
“My name is Daisy McDare. I’m an interior decorator.”
“Oh. Right. Come into my office.”
Daisy furrowed her brow. “Right now?”
“No, in five minutes. Of course now,” Adam insisted.
“I was just thinking you might want to take a moment to yourself after what just happened.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Well, I mean, he threatened you,” Daisy said.
Adam scoffed. “With all the threats I get, he’ll have to take a number. Besides, if you don’t have your life threatened at least once a day, you’re doing something wrong.”
That was an interesting outlook. Did he learn all his life lessons from the school of hard knocks? Daisy knew she’d be in for an unforgettable meeting, she just feared it would be for the worse.
***
Daisy took a seat in Adam’s office on high alert. Adam Dunning was a loose cannon. There was no telling what would come out of his mouth next.
“I don’t have any time to waste, so let’s get right to it,” Adam insisted.
“Ok. What kind of decorating are you looking for exactly?” Daisy wondered.
“I want a complete remodel
of the front of house. When you come in here, I want you to feel like you just stepped into a café in Paris. As if the Eiffel Tower is just down the street.”
“So you’re saying you want the place to look tres chic then?”
Adam nodded. “You’d better believe it. I want everyone’s mind to be blown when they walk in the door.”
“I can do that,” Daisy said.
“I’m serious. I demand perfection.”
“Perfection comes at a price.”
“I’m prepared to offer you two thousand dollars.”
It took all the willpower Daisy had to keep from laughing. The going rate for a job like this was five thousand dollars--minimum. Luckily, a string of recent decorating gigs had fattened Daisy’s bank account. She was in the rare position of not needing this job to pay her bills.
She could walk away if she wanted to. It felt good knowing that, to have reached that level in her career, to have built her business up to a comfortable level. That used to be far from the case. In the past, she had taken some low paying jobs just to make rent. Not to mention she’d put up with some seriously demanding clients.
Of course, Daisy would be happy to do the work—for the right amount of money. A quote of two grand for this job however was an insult, and she wasn’t afraid to tell Adam that—using more tactful words of course.
“Two thousand dollars won’t even cover my costs. A job like this, if you want it done right, you’re looking at five grand,” Daisy said.
Adam scoffed. “You’re crazy.”
Adam had clearly never decorated his restaurant before. Either that, or he had a bargain basement idea of what perfection was. Daisy’s décor and supply costs alone would easily run thirty-five hundred dollars. That was just to break even on the job. Her expertise wasn’t free however. She needed to make a commission on her hard work.
Daisy stood firm. “No. I just know what my skills are worth.”
“Nice try, but there’s no chance I’m paying you that kind of money.”
Daisy wasn’t sure if this was Adam’s negotiating tactic, or he was really this cheap. Either way, she wasn’t going to play around. He either wanted to try and save his business, or he didn’t. Five thousand dollars was a small price to pay to give his restaurant a chance of keeping its doors open. Apparently, Adam disagreed.
Suddenly, Daisy saw no other choice. “Alright. In that case, it’s been nice meeting you. I wish you the best of luck in the future.”
Daisy got up from her chair and headed for the door. As she got up, she saw Adam’s jaw nearly drop. It wasn’t often people talked to him like that. He was used to getting his way.
Adam let Daisy reach the door before he stopped her.
“Forty-five hundred,” Adam said.
Daisy held her ground. “Five thousand. Take it or leave it.”
Adam groaned. “Deal.”
“Good.”
“For five thousand dollars, your decorating better be perfect.”
“It will be,” Daisy said.
Chapter Six
Adam scratched out a check for Daisy, who started thinking about design ideas. No sooner after Daisy got her hands on the check did Adam’s wife Sasha Dunning burst in looking ready to set fire to the place.
Daisy stood in the kitchen, overhearing the conversation Sasha and Adam were having in his office. Daisy wasn’t alone. All the line cooks listened in as well.
Sasha was like a force of nature, which was incredible to think of, seeing how she was a petite woman. She was in her mid-sixties, but could easily pass for ten years younger. Her jet black, shoulder-length hair framed her angular face while her bangs stopped just short of her glasses. Sasha had a surprisingly slim figure considering her husband owned a restaurant from which she could get free food any time she wanted. Sasha wore a sundress with a flower pattern on it which matched her floppy gardening hat.
In the office…
Sasha wasted no time in leveling accusations. “Is that her?”
Adam furrowed his brow. “Who?”
“The floozy you’re cheating on me with,” Sasha replied.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Your credit card bills says otherwise. Not only are you cheating on me, but you’re incredibly stupid.” Sasha pulled the bill from her purse and started reading it. “What makes you think you can book a room at the Cozy Creek Inn three afternoons in a row without me noticing?”
Adam’s face went white. “I can explain.”
Sasha’s face meanwhile was red with rage. “I don’t want an explanation. I want half your money in divorce court.”
Adam seemed completely blindsided by that statement. As if it had never occurred to him that his actions could lead to her leaving him. “Divorce?”
Sasha folded her arms and stared daggers at him. “I don’t want to stay married to you for another second.”
In the kitchen…
Daisy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time she’d witnessed a marriage go up in flames. There was something different about this one however. Usually, the couple was at each other’s throats with equal levels of rancor. This time was different.
Sasha Dunning definitely had rage to spare, and with good reason. It was Adam’s reaction that was all new to Daisy. Instead of being irate, Adam appeared to be genuinely contrite. There was a look of remorse in his eyes. It didn’t just take Daisy by surprise, but Sasha as well.
Back in the office…
Adam offered an unexpected apology. “I am so sorry for what I’ve done.”
Sasha was taken aback. “Is this some crazy mind game you’re trying to pull? Because I will not be played.”
“No. I just made a mistake. A horrible mistake that I wish I could take back.”
Sasha shook her head. “Oh no you don’t. I’m not going to let you try and weasel your way back into my heart.”
Adam remained as apologetic as ever. “I know what I did was wrong. I realize that now.”
“You mean you’re realizing it a little too late. The fact is, you’re not sorry you did it. You’re just sorry you got caught. What you’re most sorry about is me taking half of your money,” Sasha insisted.
Adam was either really a good actor, or he truly did see the error of his ways. “This isn’t about the money.”
“Who are you trying to kid? With you, it’s always about money.”
“No. This is about a moment of weakness.”
Sasha called him out. “You booked a hotel room three times in the span of a single week. That sounds like a lot of moments of weakness to me.”
Adam began pleading with her. “Sasha, I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“It’s too late. You’ve already lost me.”
“But we’ve been together over thirty years--”
Sasha scolded him. “And yet you were willing to throw that all away.”
“It’s like that old saying—you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. Well I realize now. Please, give me one more chance.”
Sasha looked deep into Adam’s eyes. He looked genuinely broken up about the situation.
Sasha remained just as angry as ever. “Nice try, but the damage has already been done. I’ll see you in divorce court.”
Adam’s mood then completely changed all of a sudden. He went from almost whimpering, to complete outrage. “You can’t do this to me.”
Sasha wasn’t going to let him rewrite history. She got a fire in her eyes. “You did this to yourself, and you’re going to pay dearly.”
“Are you threatening me?” Adam asked.
“It’s not a threat—it’s a promise,” Sasha insisted.
Sasha and Adam then stared each other down.
Adam became defiant. “First of all, no one threatens Adam Dunning. Second, I promise I’m going to make you regret divorcing me.”
Sasha was more furious than ever. “Trust me, by the time I’m done with
you, you’ll be the one with regret. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”
Chapter Seven
Talk about biting off more than she could chew. Daisy was already having to deal with more drama than she bargained for, and it wasn’t even lunch time yet. This was the kind of morning that would bring a frown even to an early bird’s face. It took all the willpower Daisy had to not reach for the emergency stress cupcake she’d packed in her purse.
Instead, Daisy decided to dive headfirst into her design work. Anything to distract her from the rampant dysfunction that was running wild in the kitchen. As Daisy moved to the front of the restaurant, she checked out the dining room.
It became abundantly clear why she’d been hired to redecorate the place. She remembered the décor being outdated, but it was only now on closer inspection that she saw how much. The restaurant opened its doors nearly thirty years ago, and showed its age. As far as Daisy could tell, the dining room still had its original furnishings. The tables were wobbly, the chairs creaked, and the wallpaper was faded and peeling in places. In short, it looked the opposite of tres chic.
Daisy was going to have to overhaul everything. She had a complete remodel on her hands—from the tables and chairs to the wallpaper and drapes. Daisy took a seat at a corner table and began hashing out her decorating plans. When she came up with a workable design scheme, she could go out shopping. In the meantime, she had some serious brainstorming to do.
Thankfully, while she jotted down various ideas, things seemed to quiet down at the restaurant, drama-wise. It was already a rather quiet place when it came to customers. The fired bartender’s assessment that Tres Chic was becoming a ghost town didn’t seem far off. As far as Daisy could tell, there was more staff in the restaurant than customers.
When Daisy looked across the street, the exact opposite seemed to be true of Ooh La Lunch. She saw a steady stream of customers coming and going from there all morning.
Daisy had a lot more pressure on her than usual. Most of her decorating gigs were in people’s homes and were vanity jobs. The client usually just wanted a change of scenery—a different look to their parlor or family room. There was more at stake with this one. There was the sense that if Daisy couldn’t drastically revamp the front of house with a design that would draw customers away from Ooh La Lunch, Tres Chic could be shutting its doors in not too long.
