Page 74 of The Perfect Melody
“Oh, it is,” she assures me, eyes sparkling with mirth. “Anyway, I’m going to get to work before your mum comes in here looking for me next.” She’s still cackling at my horrified expression as the office door swings shut behind her.
An hour into the evening shift, it becomes abundantly clear that Molly’s told anyone who would listen about what she saw. It’s not that I’m trying to hide my relationship with Cassie, but we only just got together. It would have been nice to have some time where we could enjoy each other without the whole town chiming in with their opinions, but there’s no putting the cat back in the bag. My only concern now is that Mum’s going to be upset she didn’t hear the news from me first. When I pass her on my way to pick up a food order, she halts me with a gentle hand on my arm. “I’m happy for you, son. Cassie’s a lovely girl.”
“This wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.”
She gives me a wry smile. “I’m sure. Are you going to do something about Molly? That girl is insufferable.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t fire her for being an irritating gossip.” Still, I plan to have another word with her the first chance I get.
Mum sighs. “I suppose not.”
After delivering the selection of small plates to a couple near the bar, I spot Molly chatting with a table full of her friends and ignoring the other customers trying to get her attention. Utterly fed up with her, I stride over there.
“Molly, a word.” I stride towards the staff-only door, knowing she’ll follow.
“Should we go into your office?” Now that Cassie’s pointed out Molly’s crush, it’s impossible to miss her suggestive tone.
I barely repress the sneer of disgust that tugs at my lips. “Here’s fine,” I reply, gesturing at the empty staff corridor. “This won’t take long.”
“If this is about earlier?—”
“It’s not. Well, not entirely. While I don’t appreciate you sharing my personal business with half the town, that isn’t why I pulled you aside. I’m not sure you’re a good fit for Bowman’s.”
“What? Why not?”
I clench my jaw, biting back my immediate response, determined to stay professional. “You were rude to a customer during your last shift when you got their order wrong. Today you’re so busy talking to your friends you didn’t notice two other tables in your section needed something from you.”
“I was only talking to them for, like, five minutes,” she protests.
“That’s not the point. You’re here to work, not gossip. This isn’t the first time we’ve had to have a conversation like this. I’m sorry, but this is your final warning—fix your attitude or I’ll have to let you go.”
“You can’t fire me just because I walked in on you and that bi?—”
“Finish that sentence and you’re done here,” I warn, a dangerous growl in my voice.
Her face contorts into an angry snarl. “Fine. Can I go now?”
Give me strength. Unable to trust that I won’t snap and tell Molly to fuck off and find a new job if I open my mouth, I give her a stiff nod. She tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder and flounces away. Something tells me I’ll be searching for her replacement sooner rather than later.
After taking a deep breath to calm down, I return to my post alongside Jamie behind the bar where I’ll spend the rest of the evening pouring pints and mixing cocktails. On the bright side, now that I no longer need to be subtle, there’s nothing stopping me from glancing over at Cassie every chance I get. There’s something magnetic about her that draws everyone in. That’s not even me being biased because we’re together. The customers love her, and we’ve had more than a few people ask if she’d be performing here again. I’m pleased that I can now tell them yes, in part because it means keeping my customers happy, but mostly because she’s simply too damn talented to hide away from the world. She belongs on a stage.
Cassie catches me watching her more than once and clearly decides to make a little game out of torturing me all evening. Every time she walks by the bar, she adds a little more swing to her step. When she drops her pen, instead of crouching to pick it up, she bends at her waist, keeping her legs straight. I’m torn between staring at her self-satisfied smirk and the incredible view she’s giving me of her perfect arse as she scoops up the writing implement. I’m not the only one who notices her little show, but Iamthe one who’ll be taking her home later, and that’s good enough for me.
By closing, everyone at Bowman’s knows about Cassie and me. More than a few knowing looks come our way as the team leaves to head home. Cassie waits beside me, pointedly ignoring the attention we’re getting and looking up at the stars while I lock the doors to the bar behind me. “I’m sorry about Molly,” I say, wrapping an arm around Cassie’s shoulders once I’m done.
“It’s fine,” she replies as we walk to my car. “I mean, I don’t love having everyone staring at me, but it’s not like it’s the first time.”
“What do you mean?”
She laughs uneasily, looking away. “Oh, just um, being new in town and crashing into the beer garden, you know?”
“Right.” While her explanation makes sense, I know that isn’t what she meant.More secrets. I don’t like it, but I said that I would give her time—I can’t be upset that she’s taking it. “Do you still want to come back to mine?”
Her smile outshines every star in the sky. “Sure. Take me home, Boss.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cassie
