Energized by Mary Behre Page A

on this damned spreadsheet. And he’d finish it the same way. Only now, she
worked
for him.
    Yep. Fucking perfect day.
    *   *   *
    â€œ W HAT A NIGHT!” Karma said, locking the front door behind the last couple to leave the Boxing Cat at eleven thirty.
    Hannah smiled. She couldn’t help it. The job, the fabulous tips, and all the wonderful guests she met tonight had made her feel completely at home. “It was an amazing night.”
    â€œYou say that now. Wait till Niall docks your pay for those dishes you broke.” Sadie tugged off her apron.
    â€œOh, I forgot about those,” Hannah said. So much for her great night. “Will he charge me for meals or just the plates?”
    â€œHe won’t charge you. Dishes break. She’s just teasing. Right, Sadie?” Karma smiled but her brown eyes narrowed and the accent was back in her voice.
    â€œWhatever.” Sadie shrugged and glanced around the Master Room, where Hannah had first met Karma and Ross only hours before. “Look, I’m scheduled to open tomorrow. You got the rest of this? I got a date.”
    â€œYou go on your date. I’ll stay and show Hannah how to close up.” Karma yawned and stretched. “Zig’s on the midnight shift this week, so I’m not in a rush.”
    â€œIt was nice meeting you, Sadie.” Hannah smiled at the older waitress.
    Sadie harrumphed, then disappeared through the kitchen doors.
    â€œI think I feel sorry for whoever she’s got in her sights,” Karma said with a laugh. She hit a switch on the wall, bringing up the overhead lights and started blowing out the candles in the room.
    Hannah followed her example and within minutes all four of the dining rooms were lit only by electricity. The stark light made the rooms look more like a museum full of antique furnishings than the bustling restaurant it had been earlier. “Thanks for showing me the ropes tonight.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. You’re a fast learner. Besides, I loved how your aura spilled over onto everyone around you all night long. The aura of everyone you spoke with brightened like you were a human torch of goodwill and happiness. Pretty awesome, if you ask me.” Karma’s large brown eyes were warm. “You really do fit in here. It’s like you were always meant to be at the Cat.”
    Hannah couldn’t keep the grin from her face. Karma’s assessment made her feel ridiculously happy. “Thanks, but the guests made my first night easy.”
    â€œEven when you dropped all those dishes?” Michael’s voice preceded him from the shadows. An empty gray bin in his hands. He might have been smiling, but it was difficult to see past the swath of hair hanging in his face.
    â€œYou stop. Like you never dropped a dish.” Karma swatted Michael on the arm playfully, then wrapped one arm around Hannah’s and tugged her toward the kitchen. “Don’t listen to him. He’s just messing with you. You really were spot-on all night long. I told Ross that orange glow around you would be good for business. You just draw people to you.”
    They pushed through the kitchen door and found it empty. The back door hung open with only the screened door closed but not latched. But the most interesting door was the office one. It stood ajar with the toe of one of Niall’s polished black shoes
tap-tap-tapping
on the concrete floor. He hovered between the office and the kitchen, his attention focused on someone in the office.
    â€œWhat in the hell is wrong with you? No, don’t waste my time lying to me. It pisses me off when you pull shit like this. And don’t bother giving me your litany of reasons for hiring someone behind my back. I don’t care how much we need another server for the wedding. You had no business hiring someone when I wasn’t here. Especially when you didn’tbother to do the things I said we needed done. The