Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
G emma did not want to talk to Kent. Not at all. But that was the thing about being a manager. Sometimes, you had to do things you really didn’t want to.
“You know you’re not the only person who has to work here,” Sophie said as Kent walked out of the cafe.
“Sorry?” Gemma turned around to look at her colleague, who was standing with her hands on her hips.
“You’re not the only person who works here. It’ll be fine for Chloe and Dawn. They’re part-time. And the Saturday girls, too. But I’m here full time with you and Kent, and if this is what the working environment will be like, then I might have to look for a new job.”
“What?” Gemma felt the blood draining from her face. “Sophie, you can’t think…you can’t…”
Sophie shrugged and cracked a small smile.
“Okay, I’m probably not going to find a new job. Not yet, at least, but seriously, think of it from his side. He was very polite. All he did was come to speak to his future boss and say he wanted to talk about a few things before he started the job, and you went off at him.”
“I didn’t go off at him.”
“Yes, you did. And you know you did. I get it. He was rude when you first met him, but you haven’t actually spoken to him. George seems to think he’s really nice. And apparently, he’s an amazing chef. Not that you’ve bothered to discuss anything about his previous employment with him.”
A flood of embarrassment rushed through Gemma. It was true. She hadn’t even thought about what his cookery skills were like. In her stubborn desire not to talk to him at all, she didn’t even know anything about his work history. He was a similar age to her, early thirties, and she didn’t even know if he had always worked in kitchens or whether it had been a recent career. These were all things she should definitely have known as the manager of the cafe.
Now she was annoyed at herself; possibly even more than she was at Kent. Letting out a sigh, she looked at Sophie.
“You’re right,” she said.
Sophie grinned. “I know. It’s quite fun, actually. I seem to be right a lot more, now that I’m with Graham.”
Gemma’s heart warmed a little. Sophie hadn’t really changed at all since she and Graham had got together, apart from having significantly more confidence in herself, which meant also having the confidence to speak up to Gemma in moments like this. But at that precise moment, the reason Sophie had gained the courage to speak up didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was right. Gemma needed to speak to Kent.
So, with a weight in her stomach, she headed outside, hoping he hadn’t got too far.
Thankfully, Kent had sat on a bench only a few metres away. Still, she didn’t know how she was going to start. Her throat was growing tighter and tighter with every step. She was just debating whether she should call his name, cough to alert him to her presence, or walk around to face him when he turned around and looked straight at her.
“Gemma?” he said.
“I can do half an hour this evening after George’s party,” she said.
“Oh, right.”
Deep down, she hoped Kent would say he couldn’t see her then. After all, it was a Friday night, and he probably had a family, or at least a girlfriend, to go home to. But instead, he was immediately on his feet.
“Great,” he said. “After the party. Name the place. Anywhere you fancy. Though it would be great if it serves beer.”