Chapter 16 Unsolicited Advice
UNSOLICITED ADVICE
“Hi, Anya.”
She twirled around on Friday to the sound of her name and saw Jolene Fierce standing there grinning from ear to ear.
“Hi, Jolene. How are you doing?”
She’d been working here almost six months and she’d seen Jolene more in the past few weeks than she had in the entire time.
The matriarch was here often but not when Anya worked it seemed.
Having day shifts during the week could be the reason for the frequent sightings.
“I’m great,” Jolene said. “It’s always nice to see a smiling face. I love Mason has so many women working here, but I wish there were more. I’m on his case about it all the time. He says he’s trying.”
“I can relate to that. There are some women in the back brewing, right?”
It was a heavily male-dominated field.
Female bartenders were the majority now, but not at Fierce. She was the only one.
She knew she got the job because Ben put a good word in for her. Now she wondered if it had more to do with her applying and being a woman, not that she was the most qualified.
Just what she needed to be ping-ponging in her brain.
“There are,” Jolene said. “And what did I say to get the light to leave your eyes?”
“Huh?”
Anya hadn’t realized that had happened. She was still smiling, she knew she was.
“You look troubled,” Jolene said. “You didn’t before I came over. My family is famous for saying I mess things up or get too involved.”
She laughed. “You did nothing. I’ve got a lot on my mind. I hadn’t realized my expression changed.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Jolene said. “Anything I can help you with?”
She was stacking the glasses to get them ready for faster service. She had a routine that worked for her. Justin had told her he liked working with her the best. It gave her a sense of pride she’d been lacking in her career choices.
Though she had to admit, last week’s closing and another coming up in a few weeks had made her feel much better about herself.
Matt was right.
She didn’t have to be like everyone else.
She didn’t have to be cutthroat and stab someone in the back to do a good job.
Being the person who was nice and available went a long way.
As long as she continued to draw that line to not be taken advantage of or walked all over.
Her job was to provide a service to her clients, but that didn’t mean she was going to be handcuffed to them so she had no life.
If it meant losing a sale, then so be it. If her employers didn’t like that, she’d have to find someone else who did.
“I’ve got it,” she said. “Almost set up.”
Jolene waved her hand. “Not with work. With what is making you frown now?”
She forced her smile back in place. “Wow. I didn’t realize you had such a steely eye.”
“I see and know everything,” Jolene said. “How is your father doing?”
Guess Jolene was right. “He’s doing well. I wasn’t aware you knew my parents.”
“It’s a big town, but family-owned businesses that have been around as long as ours know each other. When Fierce was just a pub, Gavin did most of the work getting it set. He worked construction prior and spent some time buying supplies in your father’s business.”
“Oh,” she said. “I hadn’t realized that.”
Her father was older than Jolene and Gavin, she was guessing.
She wasn’t good with ages, and it’s not as if Jolene looked much older than fifty, but she obviously was with her kids in the mid to late thirties.
Being on the petite side with a stylish shoulder-length bob, no grays in her hair, tan Bermuda shorts and a light blue T-shirt tucked in with canvas sneakers on her feet would have her blending into the customers well.
“I’m sorry to hear what happened to the business. What a shame. I’m not sure what I’d do if someone who worked for me so long had stolen from me.”
Anya snorted. “She got away with it for so long because my father trusted her. Then he started losing track of what was going on. Shelly took advantage of it.”
Which was the sharper sword to pierce her back.
She’d known Shelly her entire life. Shelly came to holidays with their family when her husband passed and she was alone and grieving.
To think someone could hurt you so deeply. Be welcomed into your home, sit at your table and share in your memories, then betray you like that was unfathomable to her.
EJ had always liked Shelly. More than the rest of them.
It should have been a sign looking back.
Shelly and EJ were a lot alike. Neither could be trusted and both had a sneaky side.
“Which is harder to handle,” Jolene said. “I would be camped out on her doorstep until she paid us back every single penny. I’d be shouting through the doors and windows too. The police would have to pull me away.”
She burst out laughing. “I can see you doing all of that, but it’s not our way. My mother has more important things to focus on, but I believe we’ll get what is coming to us.”
“I hope Shelly gets what’s coming to her,” Jolene said firmly.
She believed Matt. “I think she will. At least I hope so.”
“Hey, Jolene,” Justin said, walking into the tasting room. “Coming over to set Anya up with Brendan? She’s not interested in him.”
Anya frowned. No one would waste their time on setting her up.
Not that she wanted to be.
There was too much in the air with Matt, and though they’d been going out in public together for several weeks, it wasn’t something she’d shared with anyone.
She hadn’t thought he had either.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Jolene said. “Brendan isn’t her type. I was surprised to see them together at the wedding.”
“He didn’t want to go alone,” she said. “I had the night off. It was a lot of fun, but we’re nothing more than friends.”
“Anya knows how to let people down nicely,” Justin said. “She’s not the type to get involved with anyone here. Right, Anya?”
“That’s right,” she said. “I’m good on my own. Life is complicated and I’ve got a lot on my plate.”
“You still have to get out and have some fun,” Jolene said, shaking her head. “It’s times like now you need it the most.”
“Oh,” she said, waving her hand. “I have fun. Yesterday I was at Carowinds. Don’t worry about me.”
“Carowinds?” Jolene asked. “Did you go alone or with someone? That’s not really a solo destination.”
“Mom,” Mason said. “Leave Anya alone. Customers are coming in now.”
Anya turned to see Mason standing there with his arms crossed and smirking.
Customers were making their way to the bar and all but pushing Jolene out of the way to get their first taste of beer for the day.
She grinned and waved Jolene off and got to work.
“She means well,” Justin said.
“Who? Jolene?”
The two of them were filling glasses and talking at the same time.
“Yes. She’s always got her eyes on someone to set up. I’m glad I’m taken. I don’t think I could handle that, but I’ll have your back.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I appreciate it.”
Anya could handle it but would rather not insult one of the owners if she was pushed too far.
There were things she’d finally put her foot down on and unsolicited advice and someone else taking control of her life were two of them.
“You have the worst timing,” Jolene said to Mason when she got into the hallway out of the way of the tasting room.
It made her heart swell to see how successful the business had become.
“I think I have the best timing imaginable,” Mason said. “Are you really trying to set Anya up with someone here? She’s not the type to date a coworker and she’s not interested in Brendan.”
“He got slammed into the friend’s category,” she said. “I know all about it.”
Her son snorted. “How is that?”
“Because I asked.”
Mason rolled his eyes. “So you are trying with her?”
“It’s not really her. It’s someone else,” she said, lifting her chin. There was no use lying at this point.
“You’ve got a guy in mind that you think would mesh with Anya?” Mason asked.
“I do. I was trying to find out if she was single.”
“Who’s the guy?” Mason asked.
“None of your business,” she said, crossing her arms like her son had earlier. “It’s not like you’ll help me.”
“Nope,” Mason said. “Never. We’d rather all watch you spin your wheels.”
“Is Ben here?” she asked. No way she was getting anything out of her son so might as well tackle the next person in the building that might offer some insight.
“No,” Mason said. “He took the day off.”
Dang it. She hadn’t planned this well.
“Hmm, how about Jessica? I wouldn’t mind picking the kids up for her and having some fun or letting them spend the night.”
“Jessica is off with the kids today too, but if you call her, she might gladly hand them over and enjoy the afternoon off. I know I wouldn’t mind a night alone with my wife.”
She grinned and patted her son’s cheek. “Sorry. You don’t help me, I don’t help you.”
Watching his smile drop made her day.