Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 20

Abby

“Stop joking around,” I say, placing my empty glass on the ground. “This is serious.”

“I’m not joking.”

We stare across the room at each other. I kind of want to laugh, but something tells me he wouldn’t appreciate that. Still, there’s no way he’s going to come into my restaurant and work in the back. He might think he wants to help, but I’m not sure he knows what that job actually entails. Plus, it’s not like he has tons of free time on his hands. He’s an Alpha. Even if the pack is in a better position, there’s still a million things he has to do on a daily basis.

“Okay, whatever you say,” I answer, opting for levity.

He frowns, a determined look on his face. “Why won’t you let me help you?”

“I just don’t think you understand what you’re saying.”

He rolls his eyes. “I understand perfectly fine, thank you.”

I can tell I’ve offended him a little, but I don’t feel all that bad about it. I need real help. Actual employees. Not my ex-husband stacking dishes in the back. I doubt he’s cleaned a dish in his life.

“I just don’t think you have the time.”

“I know what I have time for and what I don’t,” he answers. “And I’m no stranger to hard work.”

“Well, Ethan and I are going over everything at the restaurant tomorrow. So, if you still want to help, you can show up sometime in the morning.” I don’t expect him to show up at all. “Fine,” he says, leaning back in his chair with a self-satisfied smile. “Then I’ll see you there.”

Ethan watches me finish my second coffee of the morning, a look of concern on his face. After last night’s debacle, I’m both hungover and exhausted. By the time I went to bed, I had maybe four hours of uninterrupted sleep before I had to wake up and drag myself over here.

If this headache isn’t a sign that I shouldn’t drink that much ever again, then I don’t know what is.

“We need to get up and running before those negative reviews have time to fester,” I say.

The most important thing is that I get ahead of the competition. I can’t disappear completely, and just recede into the background. If I’m going to maintain my position as a must-go spot, then I need to reopen immediately.

I made Ethan my new restaurant manager on the spot, a promotion he took with a mingled look of excitement and fear. While he doesn’t have a ton of experience yet, he’s loyal, and I value loyalty the most out of everything. Especially after what happened with Olivia.

I have total faith he’ll step up to the task. He’s already proven a delight to work with. He’s kind, conscientious, and one of the most hardworking employees I’ve had. I know his injury makes things difficult for him sometimes, but it hasn’t slowed him down yet.

He never complains, and he seems to work around the pain. And now that he’ll be spending more time behind the front desk, hopefully his shifts will be easier for him. If I can even stay afloat after this, that is.

“The most important thing is getting new people,” he says. “We need workers.”

I nod. When we got here, we started by taking stock of the food and all future orders. By the time we finished, I’d broken out into a nervous sweat. If I don’t hire new people soon, I’m basically screwed.

“I need to hire staff on an expedited basis,” I say, turning to my computer. I’ve already written the ad, and I quickly post it online. “Even if some people don’t last, at least we’ll have workers for the time being. They just need to be good enough to get things going.”

“I agree.”

“You’ll work at the front desk taking reservations and greeting customers. I’ll work back here as the primary chef. If we can get a few good waiters and a decent bartender, then we’ll be alright.”

“Exactly.”

There’s a loud knock at the front door, and Ethan gives me a curious look.

“I’ll get it,” I say when I see him start to stand up.

He nods and sinks back into his chair. I cross the restaurant floor and unlock the door. Karl stands outside, a pair of sunglasses on. His business suit looks freshly pressed, and he’s carrying a tray with two coffees on it.

“For you and Ethan,” he says, handing it off to me.

I’m not surprised he remembered Ethan’s name. He’s always been good at that, making note of people. It’s partly what makes him a good Alpha. He remembers people even if he’s only met them once. He knows how to make the people who work for him, and the members of his pack, feel special.