Page 2 of Moonlight Hearts

“Amory.”

My eyebrows went up and I looked from one of them to the other.

“Am I…in trouble?Is it because I’m not doing a better job with Levi?”

Soyer rolled his eyes.“Already placed the extra order of dishes.”

“It’s fine.He’ll learn.”Dwayne fixed his gaze on me once more.“You’ll teach him.”

“I… Yeah.”I kept looking from one of them to the other.“You didn’t say I’m not in trouble.”

“He catches on fast,” Soyer said.

Dwayn grunt-nodded.“Always was a smart cookie.”

“Do you want to tell him?”

My jaw dropped.“Tell me?You’re not—are you firing me?Come on, this is a joke, right?I know this is a joke.”

The only problem with that was that it didn’t feel like a joke, and neither of them was laughing.

I was in trouble, and I had no idea what for.

“Amory.Dwayne and I have been reviewing a few things.”

“Several years of a few things,” Dwayne said.

“Okay?”

Soyer drummed his fingers on the tabletop.“Do you know how many sick days you took?How much vacation time?”

“Well, uh, I didn’t need to.I told you that.Didn’t we talk about that?”

Dwayne grunted.“Man told you to stay home after you got hurt.Then told you to stay home after you got hurt again by that witch, which I understand was bad.”

“Uh…”

I had a feeling I knew where this was going.

I saw the corners of Soyer’s lips quirk.“We can’t have you working till six.That wouldn’t do.”

Dwayne nodded.“Health and safety violation.”

“So you’re…hiring more staff?”

“Yes.And a co-manager.So you can catch up on some of that vacation time.”Now Soyer was giddy.I could see he was hiding it, but not particularly well.

Dwayne grunted.“Four days a week; that’s all you’re getting.”

“To start with.Ideally you’ll be working three days a week down the line.”Soyer raised one of his hands as if to examine the black of his nails.“I’ll need your business advice during that time.It appears the staff happily talks to you, but not me.”

“But—but—”

“Means Levi would get to step up.Might be good for him,” Dwayne said.

Soyer nodded.“Especially since I just ordered all those new plates for him to break.And just think, that way, Rae might enjoy some of their overtime as well.And Ben could pursue his…auteur.”

I straightened.“You’re not messing with their romance!That one’s for the ages, once they’ve overcome the jilted lovers in the machine and the notebook, respectively.”