#Chapter 20 – Accepting Help
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.

spot, a promotion he took with a

of experience yet, he’s loyal,

Especially

to the task. He’s already proven a delight to work with.

employees I’ve had. I know his injury

for him sometimes, but it hasn’t slowed

seems to work around the pain. And now that he’ll be spending more

hopefully his shifts will be easier for him. If I can even

is.

getting new people,” he says. “We

here, we started by taking stock of the food and

into a nervous sweat. If I don’t hire new people soon,

need to hire staff on an expedited basis,” I say, turning

people

to be good

“I agree.”

work at the front desk taking reservations and greeting customers. I’ll

good waiters and a decent

“Exactly.”

front door,

I see him start to

and sinks back into his chair. I cross the restaurant

sunglasses on. His business suit looks freshly pressed,

two coffees on it.

he says, handing it off to

name. He’s

good Alpha. He remembers people even

the people who work for him,

slips past me into the restaurant. I

him. I don’t bother to hide the fact

his sunglasses into his pocket, looking around at the desolate room. “I said I

phone rings before I can reply, and he picks it up, giving

his privacy. I can still hear his end of the conversation, but I

like I’m not

to take on another job right now,” he says. There’s

I still don’t have the time. I’ll call you back later. I’m

your boss. If I want your advice, I’ll

My eyebrows shoot up.

He hangs up, turning to

already know the answer. Her smug

across my mind. The memory of it makes me angrier

else you need to

his head. “There’s

or a waiter or even a bartender. You seriously want to work in

fun work, and

need to get your

in the span of a few hours probably isn’t a good idea, but I

I

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