“Hey, Mikey,” Johnny calls out to the stout chef with grease stains smeared over his white shirt. I can’t help but notice that Johnny greets him with a fake Jersey accent. I’m confused. His expression appears playful. Johnny doesn’t seem like someone who makes jokes, but maybe he just doesn’t make jokes with me.
Mikey stands behind the counter with a grin on his face and two knives raised in greeting. “Johnny,” he calls back in the same accent, and I realize it’s a thing they have together. “Who’s the pretty lady?” Mikey calls out now, his eyes returning to whatever he’s cutting.
I blush as Johnny points a lazy finger in my direction. “This is Kat, Rose Summer’s granddaughter. She’s going to work here.”
“I just got an audition actually.” As soon as I say the words, I regret them.
Johnny’s eyes jerk to mine, and his playfulness is gone. “What’s it with you correcting everyone?” His eyes reveal his annoyance.
I inhale slowly through my nose, bite my tongue, and sink back to listen to his instructions.
“We put the tickets for the orders here.” He points to a circular device on the edge of the metal workstation. “They’ll set the food up on the edge when it’s ready, and then you take the completed order to your table.”
As Johnny walks around the kitchen, naming everything and telling me what it does, I reconsider my decision to work here. It’s not like me to give up, but why would I choose to work with someone who hates me for no apparent reason? This was his territory first, and whatever his problem is doesn’t seem to be getting better. Surely there’s another job available on the island.
He walks me to the back corner of the kitchen to show me where the refreshments and silverware are kept. I stop him there. “Thank you for the tour, Johnny. I don’t think I’ll take the audition, though.”
He blinks as if puzzled by my sudden decision. Making him momentarily speechless provides me with an inkling of joy, but it doesn’t last.
“Why are you telling me this? You need to tell Roy.” He leads me to the opposite side of the room, where two doors read Office and Break Room.
The door to the break room swings open, and Trisha stands there with a bright smile. I beam back at her in recognition, happy to see a friendly face.
“Kat! What are you doing back here?” Trisha’s long bouncy blond hair sits high on her head in a ponytail. Her blue eyes twinkle.
“I was applying for that job, but”—I throw a glance at Johnny—“I don’t think it’s the right place for me.”
Trisha frowns. “No! I need you. There aren’t any other girls my age here.”
Johnny sighs loudly and shuffles his feet, most likely irritated at our brief detour from my exit. We ignore him.
“Roy will hire you,” Trisha says, trying to convince me. “We’re desperate for help.”
In an abrupt move, Johnny brushes past me, and all my tiny arm hairs rise in full salute. “I’ve got to clock in for my shift. I’ll see you on Monday.” He doesn’t spend a second more with me before escaping through the break room door.
Trisha scrunches her face in response to his rude exit, then she grins. “I’m so happy you’ll be working here with me. Between Roy and Johnny, I was going mad surrounded by so much testosterone.”
“No kidding. Are they like that all the time?”
Trisha shrugs. “Yes, but Johnny keeps to himself mostly. Too bad, right? He’s a grump, but he’s a hot grump.” She winks at me as if she might have a thing for him. “And Roy is really an old teddy bear once you get to know him. You’ll see.”
I smile at her, thankful for her encouraging words. “Sounds like you’ve worked here for a while.”
“Since I was sixteen. It’s a great job. Great location. Awesome tips. Flexible schedule. I’m going to need it since I’m hopefully starting college in the fall.”
I light up since it’s obviously something that makes her happy. “Hopefully?”
Trisha cringes. “I have my heart set on the School of Gaia here on the island. I’ve been wait-listed.”
Seeing her disappointment makes my heart squeeze. But I’m also confused since Rose gave me the impression that I could get in easily. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get in. When do you hear?”
She shrugs. “Anytime between now and the end of the summer.” She sighs then waves her hand in the air. “I thought I was a shoo-in since I’ve lived here my whole life, but you never know who’s going to make it in. They don’t go by grades or extracurriculars like most schools.”
I scrunch my face, confused. “Then what do they go by?”
Trisha laughs and shakes her head. “No one really knows. Everyone from my graduating class who applied has already made it in, though, so it’s kind of a bummer.”
I tilt my head. “I’m sorry. I hope you get in.”
“What are you planning to do next year? I know you just moved here, so it’s probably too late for you to apply to the college.” Her expression changes. “Oh, unless your grandma pulls some strings or something.”
There’s no way I’m telling Trisha what Rose told me. “I’m not sure if I’m even going to college.” I push out a smile, hoping my confession makes her feel better. “I’m not even sure if I’m sticking around the entire summer. Rose wants me to but—”
Trisha’s face falls. “Oh, Kat. You have to stay. I have good intuition about people, and I already like you.”
Something about the girl seems so incredibly sincere that her words make my chest warm. “You do?”
She nods emphatically. “Yes. Which means you’re stuck with me. Starting with this job. Do the audition. Okay?”
Just as I open my mouth to tell her I need to think about it, the door to the staff room opens.
“Excuse me.” Johnny steps past us, and as he does I take in his crisp, woodsy scent. It reminds me of an ocean breeze blowing over a forest filled with tropical fruit. Whatever the concoction is sends a buzz through me I can’t ignore. Damn him.
Trisha tugs on my arm and leans in to whisper, “Don’t worry about Johnny. He’ll warm up to you.”
I can’t help my laugh. “Somehow I doubt that.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I swear I see Johnny’s back muscles tighten through his shirt. He doesn’t linger for another second to make me think on it. Instead, he pushes through the double doors and into the restaurant.
Charlotte summoned me to the great room for afternoon tea. So I dress up for the occasion in a simple blue sundress, gold sandals, and my gold charm bracelet. It’s been days since I’ve seen Rose, and I’m curious what she wants to chat about.
“Sit, sit.” Rose gestures for me to take a seat on the couch across from her. “How are you adjusting, Katrina?”
I contemplate how truthful my response should be. “I’m adjusting fine, I suppose. With all things considered.”
“Yes, well, I don’t doubt it’s all a bit… unsettling. You lost your mother, and now you’re expected to start over in a strange new place. Your grandfather’s passing was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. He was my best friend, and then one day, he wasn't around anymore. Loss like that creates an emptiness inside of us that can never be replaced. I understand what you are going through now, and I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”