6. What’s Up With Diana?

Chapter 6

What’s Up With Diana?

Megan

G age is on the other side of the door, looking like a cat who just swallowed a canary.

“What?” I ask defensively, praying to God that my office doesn’t smell like two people just had sex inside of it.

“It’s none of my business,” he says amiably, shrugging his shoulders and walking inside the room. The two of us have slowly been building a cordial working relationship but rarely discuss personal matters.

“What’s none of your business?” I ask snidely.

He inspects me carefully as I adjust the seams of my skirt. “Do Lars and Parker know that the rumors about you are true?”

“The rumors aren’t true,” I say without even thinking. Then I remember that Hunter and I are about to go public in a very big way when I take him to my art exhibition. Why am I still hiding it from people at the club? They’ve already assumed that I’ve slept my way into this managerial position anyway, so what does it matter at this point?

“Okay.” He throws both of his hands up in a motion of surrender. “As I said, it’s none of my business.”

“Walk me to the kitchen,” I tell him, wanting to change the subject until I’m ready to talk about it. “I want to see how the new girl is doing. She’s making some sample dishes.”

“Sure.”

I notice that the after-work crowd is starting to enter the club as we descend the staircase and walk through the main room. When I used to work on the floor, I’d get to know some of the regulars and I wave hello to a woman named Samantha who stops in for a drink most weekdays. She’d been in an abusive marriage for thirteen years when her husband choked on a chicken wing and died in an easy chair in their living room. I’ve never seen someone tell a story about the death of their husband with such glee, but in a very unfortunate way, I understand her. And I’m happy for her.

My smile fades when I notice Diana. She’s still on probation and it ends in another week. I don’t think she’ll be continuing here. It’s not that she isn’t good at her job, but I’d bet a hundred dollars that most of the rumors floating around the club about me can all be traced back to her. A lot of shit goes down at The Blue Whiskey, and it must operate with loyal staff. I can’t have one employee causing chaos.

Also, the way she looked at Hunter the other day, makes me want to punch her in one of her icy blue eyes.

There’s also that.

I motion to Gage, and when he leans over, I ask in a quiet voice, “Did you do what I asked?”

“Yeah.” He gives a slight nod. “There is something going on.”

Since Gage is working side-by-side with Diana, he’s the best person to observe her. It was Lars who suggested that I talk to him.

“Does she seem completely focused on her job, or does it seem that she’s interested in other activities? I’ve found her roaming around in the upstairs staff area a few times.”

Gage sticks his hands in his pockets, glancing over his shoulder at Diana before saying, “She’s curious about you. About how you got promoted from bartender to manager and whether anyone can just get promoted.”

“So, she wants my job.”

“She’s been getting close to the servers, trying to rearrange their schedules. I’ve caught her changing the schedule board a few times.”

“Changes to my schedule?” I respond incredulously.

“Yeah, and she encourages the staff to come to her with their issues rather than you. Billy and the kitchen staff like you, so they don’t do that, but most of the servers are young, and they seem a little resentful of you.”

“Has she implied anything about how she might think I got this position?”

Gage’s eyes crinkle in an easy grin. “You mean, did she ask me whether you slept with the boss or not?”

I narrow my eyes at him, and he shrugs. “She may have suggested it and I tried showing her that I was open to the idea of chatting about it.”

“With any success?”

“She’s ambitious but smart. She didn’t reveal much because I think she’s feeling me out, especially because I’m a man. She must be under some sort of impression that you have all the men in this club hypnotized.”

“I see,” I say, forcing myself to remain calm.

This has been a long-running theme in my life, and I swear I don’t understand it. Most women despise me for wielding some imaginary power over the guys in my life. Little do they know that before I met Hunter, most of the men in my life chewed me up and spit me out. I have no power over anyone.

“Thanks for this.”

Gage just shrugs before stopping at the entrance of the kitchen. “Mr. Middleton told me to make myself available to you, just not too available.”

He’s grinning at the last part as he walks away, leaving me to wonder about the exact nature of Gage’s relationship with Hunter. As I stare after him, it occurs to me that Gage might not be the simple hire that I initially thought he was. I mean, if he was transferred from Chicago, who’s to say that he doesn’t work for Hunter in some other capacity the way Lars and Parker do?

I catch Diana side-eyeing me. I know she’s going to try to grill Gage over what we talked about. If the man is smart, which I get the feeling he is, he won’t say anything.

Before I walk through the double door entrance of the kitchen, I hear a familiar voice from behind me say, “Well, hello, Megan. I didn’t know you worked here.”

The voice makes my spinal cord stiffen, and I turn around to see Ashley standing there with a group of her friends from school, all of whom I recognize. Ricky is standing next to her quietly, his arm around her shoulders. Dimly, I wonder if they were dating the whole time he and I were involved as I absorb the shock of their sudden presence.

When I’m going to be done with this bitch?

“Aren’t you going to welcome us?” Ashley sneers at me. “I should’ve known that you’d be working as a waitress at a place like this. It suits you.”

I blink, forcing myself out of my dazed state, before responding tightly, “I’m the manager here.”

“The manager?” Ashley scoffs as the others snicker. “You don’t have to lie to impress us, Megan. Now go get us a booth before I call over the actual manager.”

I’m so close to reaching my limit with Ashley and her elitist nonsense. She’s nothing but an insecure bully, but I won’t cause a scene in my place of business, especially when the servers are looking for any excuse to justify their assumptions about me.

“Please get this group a private booth.” I gesture towards Diana since she’s doing her best to eavesdrop, anyway.

I’m about to walk away when Ashley’s fingers suddenly wrap around my wrist. “I asked you to do it, bitch.”

I whip my head around and give her a cold look.

I’ve had enough.

We aren’t at school.

This is my turf, not hers.

“Watch your hands and your tone, or I’ll get you tossed out on your bony little ass.” I yank my hand away from her roughly, enjoying the way her eyes fill up with rage at my dismissive behavior.

“Do you know who I am?” Ashley steps into my face, her eyes sparking with anger.

“Hey, Ash’.” Ricky attempts to stop her, but she swats him away, ignoring his interference.

“You’re no one,” I counter, lifting my brows, refusing to be intimidated.

“Is that right? Well, this isn’t school.” She points at me with one of her bony pointer fingers. “You work here, which means I’m the customer, and you have to serve me. Otherwise, you’ll be out of a job that you so obviously need.”

Diana snickers, and I give her a cool look. Instead of heeding my non-verbal warning, she adds her unwanted two cents. “She’s not wrong, you know. If she wants you to secure her table, I don’t see the harm in it.“

“Diana.” My tone is sharp. “I think it would be wise for you not to interfere and do your job.”

“Let the girl talk,” Ashley smirks. “At least she seems to have an ounce of sense.”

Emboldened by Ashley’s encouraging words, Diana adds, “The customer is always right. If they want you, it’s only right.“

“Diana,” I warn. “If you don’t want to be out of a job in the next five minutes, I’d suggest you stop talking.”

It seems that being nice to the servers is pointless. I’m so busy trying to prove that I’m still one of the gang that no one on the club floor respects me, especially this one.

Diana pales. “You can’t just fire me.“

“I can and I will. Now, show this party to a booth or get out of the club.”

With that, I turn on my heel and walk toward the bar, trying not to let my anger show at the blatant display of her insubordination. I’m too angry to deal with the interviewee in the kitchen, so I walk behind the bar and pretend as if I’m checking the register. I need a moment to cool off.

“What was happening over there?” Gage asks, eyeing the group as Diana guides them to a booth in the back of the club.

“Some students from my college,” I grouse. “Here to make trouble for me.”

“You go to college?”

“Art school.”

“I didn’t realize you were an artist. You never mentioned it.”

“It never came up.”

“Why does Diana look so pissed?”

“How do you have time to notice what’s going on with me when you’re supposed to be busy preparing drinks?” I demand, staring at him, and he grins.

Is he keeping a purposeful eye on me?

“I’m just that good.” He begins preparing a cocktail for one of the customers. “So what gives?”

“Diana tried to undermine me in front of the group and I told her off,” I turn and stand behind the counter, rolling up my sleeves since there is an unusual amount of customers today.

As I help out, Gage frowns. “That’s not okay.”

I shake the cocktail mixer a little too rough for the cosmopolitan I’m prepping.

“I’m going to have to do some re-staffing. Clearly, being nice to them isn’t really working.”

“You’re the manager,” Gage responds, pouring out a drink and sliding it down the bar. “It’s not your job to be their friend.”

“I know,” I mutter, mostly to myself. “It’s just that I’ve been in their shoes and thought that I could do things differently.“

“It doesn’t matter what you thought.” Gage shakes his head. “You can’t be the manager they get to walk all over. Being thoughtful doesn’t equal being a doormat.”

He’s right. I’ve been so focused on being considerate that I stopped exerting my authority.

“Were you a manager back in Chicago?” I ask curiously. “You seem to have a lot of sage advice for a bartender.”

“That’s a long story.”

Diana saunters over and shoots me a nasty look as she places the orders from Ashley’s booth. I want to ignore both women, but it’s no coincidence that someone as stuck up as Ashley would be slumming it at The Blue Whiskey. Either she plans to get me fired, or she plans to humiliate me. Knowing her, it’s certainly both.

As I watch Diana take the drinks and walk away, I murmur to Gage, “I bet you twenty bucks that there’s going to be trouble from that booth before the night is out.”

Gage raises an amused eyebrow.

“The question is, trouble for who?”