CHAPTER EIGHT
Noah
The entire trip away, Noah had been looking forward to coming home. During the three-game road trip that had ended in two wins and a loss, his mind had been on Jordan almost every minute. Noah walked into Slap Shot. It was Sunday, so things were quiet. Just a few of the workers were here today putting some finishing touches on the paint.
He expected the men had finished building the shelves in the office—a last-minute request, but he thought Jordan would appreciate a well fitted out office space. He strolled back to the office to inspect the final result, opened the door, and came face to face with Jordan.
“Noah!” Jordan screeched, and tossed the papers she was holding into the air.
“Jordan? What are you doing here? Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow.” He bent down and began gathering the papers.
She joined him on the floor picking up the papers. Keeping her eyes on the floor, she spoke, “I thought I’d look through some resumes. We’ll need a manager. I talked to Jared while you were gone, and he hadn’t hired one yet. He thought I should do the interviewing, since the person will be my number two.”
Stopping what he was doing, Noah turned to look at her, but she was still focused on the papers. “You’ve been in while I was out of town?”
“Well, yeah. I—” She turned to look at him.
Their faces were inches apart. He couldn’t help but stare into her amazing hazel eyes.
She was in yoga pants and a zip up hooded sweatshirt. Her hair was swirled up into a bun. He entertained thoughts of delving his fingers into it and pulling her hair loose, to see it fall to her shoulders.
“Noah? Is there something wrong?” she asked, touching her hair.
Snapping out of it, he cleared his throat and stood. “No. Nothing wrong. I was just looking at your hair. Do you always wear your hair up on your day off?”
“No,” she said, sounding a bit defensive. She stood, holding her papers close to her chest.
“I didn’t mean to offend you.” He flashed his best smirk as he set his papers on the desk. “I kind of like the bun.”
Her cheeks darkened at his comment, and she immediately turned her focus to the papers in her hand. “I’ve been in a few times to look over the applications of the folks already hired, trying to get a lay of the land. I thought maybe I could set some interviews up tomorrow for the manager. I have a couple here that could be possibilities.”
“We could look through those together,” he offered.
“Sure.” He swore he could feel her tense up, as he leaned in to look at the applications in her hand.
“Excuse me,” came a voice from the doorway.
He turned to see a young woman.
“Can I help you?” Noah asked.
“I am looking for Noah Rodgers.” Staring at him for a second, she added a bit star-struck, “You’re Noah Rodgers.”
“Guilty as charged. Can I help you?”
“The man at the bar told me that I needed to talk to you, and he pointed me in this direction.” She smiled. “Sorry, I’m sure you need to know why. I’d like to apply for the manager position. I tried to give my resume to him. He looked at it then suggested I speak directly to you.”
“I’ll take that.” Noah took the resume and looked it over. A few high-profile restaurants listed caught his eye. There was a reason Jared sent her directly to him. This young woman had some good qualifications. “Can I ask why you’re leaving your current employer?” Noah asked.
“The place where I’m currently working is closing soon. I was training to replace the supervisor, but you know how it goes. I’d take any available position.”
“May I see?” Jordan asked, as she reached for the paper.
“Please.”
“Hmm.” Her eyes lit up as she read over the resume. “Shelby, I see you started as a hostess and have also worked as a server for a couple of years before becoming a section manager.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I love the hospitality industry, and someday hope to own my own place. But I understand I need to pay my dues and at the same time gain experience.”
Jordan nodded. “I see you’re working on your degree.”
“Yes, and I’ve had on-the-job training, as I said before.”
A smile crossed Jordan’s lips as she continued to scan the resume, and he was sure she was reading over the names of restaurants that had caught his eye as well.
She leaned close to him to whisper in his ear. Her warm breath tickled, and sparks ran through him. He swallowed hard, knowing this was not the time to be turned on, but her being so close to him made that difficult.
“She’s perfect for the manager position,” she whispered.
Noah withdrew a bit before it became obvious how much she affected him. He shrugged. “You’re in charge of that. Whatever you think.”
“Shelby, do you have time to sit and answer some questions?” Jordan asked.
The woman looked pleasantly surprised. “Yes, of course.”
For the next thirty minutes, Noah sat in awe, listening as Jordan grilled Shelby on her work experience, job ambitions and other things. Even more impressive was Jordan’s explanation of the establishment’s mission and the work culture she aimed to promote, which convinced him that he’d made the right decision to hire her as general manager.
“Shelby, I think you’d fit in perfectly here, but not as a server,” Jordan said finally.
“I’ll work the hostess stand or wash dishes if I have to. I love hockey, and I’m assuming this place is going to bring in a ton of fans, considering, well, that you are the Noah Rodgers.”
“Yes I am,” Noah said, almost a bit humble at the star quality she attached to his name. Almost.
“Well, Shelby, besides the fact that you’re a hockey fan, you are qualified. Too qualified for hostess or dishwasher. It just so happens we are looking for a manager.”
Shelby’s eyes lit up. “I’m so happy to hear that.”
“I started at the bottom, just like you. I worked my way up the ladder, spending years in service, learning everything about the business that I could. Just looking at your resume, I can see that you have the potential. I think you’d be a great fit. What do you say to a trial period?”
Shelby’s eyes were wide as a smile crossed her face. “Yes! I’d love the chance to prove that I can be an asset.”
“From what I see here, I’m sure you will be. I’m the general manager, and you would be working under me.” Jordan ran through the manager’s responsibilities. “I might delegate other tasks, depending on how easily you’re picking things up. Basically, when I’m not here, you would be in charge. Still interested?”
“Absolutely.”
Jordan grinned and held out her hand. “Then all that’s left to say is, welcome aboard, Shelby. I’ll text you your schedule. Sound good?”
“Sounds great! Thank you so much.” She shook Jordan and Noah’s hands. “I’ll see you soon.”
Jordan stayed in boss mode until Shelby was out the door. Then suddenly she turned to him, her face alight with exhilaration. She excitedly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, and jumping up and down. “That was so much fun. We just hired our manager. This is really happening!”
As much as he wanted to hold her tight and never let her go, he loosened his grasp when she pulled away. But he didn’t let go.
“I mean, I know this is really happening, but it’s finally all coming together. Look around—the painting is almost complete, the seating and fixtures are all installed, the bar is gorgeous, and the staff is now in place.” She looked at him, a huge smile on her face. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
“One more week.” He looked around, feeling the same way. Seeing that excitement on her face made all the stress of getting the place refurbished worth it. Still holding on to her waist, he pulled her close.
Face to face, he forgot all about the restaurant as he gazed into her eyes. Maybe it was her take-charge attitude that had him turned on, or maybe it was her unadulterated passion for this business.
His gaze moved to her lips, before glancing back up to meet her stare.
“I think we’re done here for today.” Noah smiled at her, something he couldn’t help himself from doing. “You want to go get a coffee?”
She stuttered, looking like a deer in headlights. “I, uh…” She stepped back, leaving what felt like a gaping space between them. “No. I have to get home, sorry.”
“Big plans?” he asked with a smirk, hiding his disappointment.
“What? Oh, no… Just regular size plans. You know.” Her cheeks darkened. “So, I will see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, tomorrow.”
“Goodnight.”
He watched her walk to the exit. Jordan was so much more than a pretty face. Even in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she radiated organization and management. She preferred that businesslike persona, but he’d already seen her softer side with her sister and nephew. It made him all the more intrigued to find out what other mysteries she hid.
“Noah, you need to be careful,” Jared warned from behind the bar.
“You still here?” Noah teased.
“On my way out. Just doing a quick once over to see what we need to order for the Grand Opening.”
“How are we looking?”
“I have a list of liquor, and we are on pace with hiring. Maybe find a few more servers. But we still need to okay the menu so we can put the order in.”
“Jordan and I will do that tomorrow. We can look through all the applications and set up a few more interviews as well.” Noah stared at the front door. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
“Noah. Be careful.”
“Meaning?”
“Jordan. I see how you look at her.”
Noah waved him off, annoyance bubbling to the surface. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Keep telling yourself that.” Jared shook his head and moved towards the door. “Later.”
Noah knew what his friend was talking about, but there was nothing to be careful about. Nothing had happened. Nothing was going to happen. A little flirting was harmless. Yes, there was some heat between them, but nothing had transpired. Thus, there was nothing to be careful of.