Page 15 of The Perfect Melody

“Alright, fine,” I hold my hands up in surrender, the muddy grass squelching beneath my feet as my weight shifts from one foot to the other. “But she’s your responsibility. I’m too busy to do any handholding.”

Call me a judgemental prick, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn this woman has never done a real day of work in her life. Everything about the pretty brunette screams pampered princess, from her clueless attitude to her fancy car and clothes. I’d place her somewhere in her early twenties, and not many people that age could afford that sleek sedan of hers on their own—probably a gift from her rich parents. Her jeans and t-shirt, which at first glance aren’t anything special, upon closer inspection are high-quality fabric and fit her petite frame perfectly. She’s not flashy—I’ll give her that much—but she doesn’t belong in my bar.

With Mum following close behind me, I stride back towards the woman in question, and she immediately stops wringing her hands and straightens her posture. “How long are you in town for?” Despite Mum’s insistence that I give her a job, there’s no way I’m going to the trouble if she’s only going to be here a week.

“At least a month. I, um, I’m not in any hurry to head back home so if you give me a job I could stay on through the summer. Only if you want. I figure you must get a lot of tourists around then is all.”

“We do.” I eye her appraisingly. Not completely clueless, then. Maybe there’s hope for her yet. I sigh. “You can start on a trial basis. There’s training for everyone on the new menus and tills this week. You’ll need to join in with that. Your firstproper shift will be Saturday, the night of the soft reopening. Once you’ve done a full week, we can discuss your plans for the summer. Obviously, if you stay on, you’ll be paid the same as everyone else. Until then, you can keep all your tips. Sound fair?”

“More than. Thank you. Really.”

“What’s your name, hon?” Mum asks.

“Cassie, ma’am.”Ma’am? Who the hell says ma’am? I thought that was an American thing. This woman’s accent is English, though not one I can place.

Mum chuckles at the unusual formality. “Just Abby is fine. Will your car start?”

Cassie grimaces. “I’m not sure. The engine cut out when I crashed.”

“Give it a go. If not, we’ll call the mechanic to tow it.”

Gingerly, Cassie slides back behind the wheel. Her shoulders droop when the engine fails to come to life. “Great, something else I need to pay for,” she mutters under her breath before turning back to us with a sheepish expression. “Looks like I’ll be needing that tow.”

“I’ll get it sorted, don’t you worry. Now, where are you staying? A lot of the B&Bs are within walking distance of here, but a few places like the Hudson Barn are further out.”

“The barn was booked up so I’m staying at The Dragonfly B&B.” I scoff. Figures the fanciest place in town was her first pick, not to mention the Hudson Barn is huge. The converted barn is designed to accommodate large groups who all want to stay together—way more space than one person needs. Booking the place for an individual would be a complete waste of money. That she considered doing just that cements my impression of her as a spoiled princess.

Cassie looks at me questioningly while Mum shoots a stern glare my way. “Perfect, Austin can help you carry your things over there.”

“No.” My refusal comes out harsher than I intended. “I need to stay here and clean this up.” I wave a hand at the surrounding wreckage in explanation. “We’re only a week away from the soft reopening, two from the grand reopening, and there’s still a lot to do. I can’t let this put me behind.”

Mum opens her mouth to argue, but Cassie is quicker. “Of course. I didn’t bring much anyway. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“If you’re sure…”

“Absolutely.” Cassie gives Mum a bright smile. It doesn’t quite meet her eyes, but that’s not my problem. If you ask me, it’s instant karma that she has to lug all her belongings over to the B&B on foot after the mess she’s caused.

“Great. Training starts at ten on Tuesday morning. Don’t be late.”

“Yes, boss.” She gives me a jaunty salute, and I narrow my eyes at her attitude but don’t say anything.

Cassie walks around to the boot of the car and pulls out a small suitcase, a rucksack, one of those handbags with the long strap, and—to my surprise—a worn guitar case. Looks like my new hire and I have something in common after all, I muse, absentmindedly rubbing the calluses on the fingertips of my left hand together.

“A gentleman would help her,” Mum grouses next to me, bringing me back to the present.

“Well, this gentleman is busy. Besides, it looks like she’s got everything under control,” I reply as Cassie hoists the straps of her rucksack onto her narrow shoulders over the long strap of her handbag that already rests across her slender torso. With a slight bend of her knees, she pulls up the extendable handle of her suitcase in one hand and lifts her guitar case with the other. The vibe she gives off made me assume she was the type who wouldn’t go somewhere for a month without a full set of designer luggage, but I stand corrected.

Mum rolls her eyes. “One of these days you’ll realise there’s more to life than work.”

Ignoring her familiar refrain, I head inside to the stockroom where I know there’s a thick pair of gloves one of the workers left behind—I’ll put them on to clear up the mess outside. The last thing I need on top of all this is to injure myself on a sharp bit of broken wood or a stray nail.

Chapter Seven

Cassie

I’ve only been walkingfor five minutes when the first raindrop hits my face.Great, just what I need. As I trudge through town towards The Dragonfly B&B, my t-shirt grows damp with a mix of sweat and the light rainfall. I packed light when it came to clothes, but my small suitcase is still surprisingly heavy—I blame it on my toiletries. The last-minute decision to bring my guitar is one I currently regret. My inspiration dried up months ago, so it’s not like I’ll have any need of it for writing new songs while I’m here. At least there’s some comfort to be found in having it with me when everything else is unknown territory, even if the extra weight is slowing me down.

Given the disastrous start my trip is off to, the grey sky and drizzle are an appropriate accompaniment to my walk. So much for quietly arriving in town and flying under the radar. I can’t believe Icrashed Liam’s car. The worst part is that I know if I tell him what happened, he’ll happily pay for the repairs. Hell, he’d even pay for the damage I caused to that intimidating, growly guy’s beer garden, but he’s already helped me out so much with this trip. I can’t, Iwon’task him for more.