Read Online Christmas for One: No Greater Love by Amanda Prowse - Free Book Online
Authors: Amanda Prowse
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running, it might never get off the ground.’
‘Are you worried too, Juno?’ Meg looked her in the eye.
The girl tilted her oval face towards her narrow shoulder. ‘A little, I guess.’
‘Well don’t be. I promise you we are going to open, no matter how long it takes. I’ll have a word with everyone else individually.’ Meg started to mentally rehearse the reassurances. This was far more than a hand-holding project. ‘And where is the architect? I can’t believe we are in this mess at this point so close to opening.’ The firm of architects responsible for the design and fit of the building was also overseeing the project and sending regular reports back to Milly and Pru in the UK.
‘I asked him to meet us here.’ Juno looked at her watch. ‘I know he’s crazy busy though. Seems at this time of the year everyone wants things finished.’
Meg lifted down a couple of the chairs from the stack by the wall and ran her fingertips over the dusty seat before sitting down. ‘I don’t care about everyone else’s projects. I only care about ours.’
She once again looked up at the ceiling and the electrical vines hanging down. They made the room look part cable factory, part jungle. Meg breathed deeply, trying to calm her pulse. Her palms were clammy despite the cold. She hoped she would know what to do, hoped she’d be able to find the answers and get the place up and running. It was a familiar feeling of not wanting to let Milly and Pru down and wondering if she was good enough to get the job done. Pru’s words drifted into her head: ‘You can do anything you put your mind to, Meg. You are smart and if you don’t know what to do straight off, you’ll figure it out.’ Meg lifted her chin and opened her case. It was important to convey confidence and leadership to Juno and the team. Yes. I will figure this out.
The two spent the next couple of hours running through the training programme for the serving staff, who were all on standby, waiting for a start date.
Juno fidgeted with strands of hair that had worked loose from her bun. ‘The problem we have is that even though the staff are super keen, some might begin looking for other jobs and there are more available at this time of year than any other, even if they’re only temporary. My worry is they might take temp work rather than hang around waiting for us and then we will have lost them for the opening and will have to start the hiring process all over again.’ She put her head in her hand, depressed at the prospect.
Meg knew how time-consuming and tedious that whole process could be. ‘Well, we shall have to let them start right away. Let’s get them involved in the setting-up of the premises and begin table training and, more crucially, let’s start paying them – it’s only a few weeks early. It might cost us in wages, but it will save us money in the long-term. At least they’ll be fully on board, reassured and invested in the project if they’ve been here since the very beginning and watched it open.’
Juno bobbed her head, relieved. ‘That’s great, Meg.’
‘You see?’ Meg smiled. ‘There is nothing we can’t sort with a bit of team work!’
‘Oh good –finally!’ Juno directed her gaze over Meg’s shoulder. ‘Here’s Mr Architect!’
Meg glanced at her watch. It was nearly 11 a.m. She watched Juno’s cheeks flush ever so slightly at the sight of the architect. Meg turned and came face to face with the man in whom she would have to trust as he guided her through the process of sorting the electrics and getting the whole venture up and running, in time and on budget. She looked on as he dumped his brown leather satchel and yellow hardhat on the floor.
The man took a step forward and held out his hand. ‘Edward Kelly – Edd.’ He beamed, eyes shining, a beacon of confidence.
Meg placed her palm against his and looked him up and down. You have got to be kidding me. Her face fell and her shoulders sagged.
‘Are you worried too, Juno?’ Meg looked her in the eye.
The girl tilted her oval face towards her narrow shoulder. ‘A little, I guess.’
‘Well don’t be. I promise you we are going to open, no matter how long it takes. I’ll have a word with everyone else individually.’ Meg started to mentally rehearse the reassurances. This was far more than a hand-holding project. ‘And where is the architect? I can’t believe we are in this mess at this point so close to opening.’ The firm of architects responsible for the design and fit of the building was also overseeing the project and sending regular reports back to Milly and Pru in the UK.
‘I asked him to meet us here.’ Juno looked at her watch. ‘I know he’s crazy busy though. Seems at this time of the year everyone wants things finished.’
Meg lifted down a couple of the chairs from the stack by the wall and ran her fingertips over the dusty seat before sitting down. ‘I don’t care about everyone else’s projects. I only care about ours.’
She once again looked up at the ceiling and the electrical vines hanging down. They made the room look part cable factory, part jungle. Meg breathed deeply, trying to calm her pulse. Her palms were clammy despite the cold. She hoped she would know what to do, hoped she’d be able to find the answers and get the place up and running. It was a familiar feeling of not wanting to let Milly and Pru down and wondering if she was good enough to get the job done. Pru’s words drifted into her head: ‘You can do anything you put your mind to, Meg. You are smart and if you don’t know what to do straight off, you’ll figure it out.’ Meg lifted her chin and opened her case. It was important to convey confidence and leadership to Juno and the team. Yes. I will figure this out.
The two spent the next couple of hours running through the training programme for the serving staff, who were all on standby, waiting for a start date.
Juno fidgeted with strands of hair that had worked loose from her bun. ‘The problem we have is that even though the staff are super keen, some might begin looking for other jobs and there are more available at this time of year than any other, even if they’re only temporary. My worry is they might take temp work rather than hang around waiting for us and then we will have lost them for the opening and will have to start the hiring process all over again.’ She put her head in her hand, depressed at the prospect.
Meg knew how time-consuming and tedious that whole process could be. ‘Well, we shall have to let them start right away. Let’s get them involved in the setting-up of the premises and begin table training and, more crucially, let’s start paying them – it’s only a few weeks early. It might cost us in wages, but it will save us money in the long-term. At least they’ll be fully on board, reassured and invested in the project if they’ve been here since the very beginning and watched it open.’
Juno bobbed her head, relieved. ‘That’s great, Meg.’
‘You see?’ Meg smiled. ‘There is nothing we can’t sort with a bit of team work!’
‘Oh good –finally!’ Juno directed her gaze over Meg’s shoulder. ‘Here’s Mr Architect!’
Meg glanced at her watch. It was nearly 11 a.m. She watched Juno’s cheeks flush ever so slightly at the sight of the architect. Meg turned and came face to face with the man in whom she would have to trust as he guided her through the process of sorting the electrics and getting the whole venture up and running, in time and on budget. She looked on as he dumped his brown leather satchel and yellow hardhat on the floor.
The man took a step forward and held out his hand. ‘Edward Kelly – Edd.’ He beamed, eyes shining, a beacon of confidence.
Meg placed her palm against his and looked him up and down. You have got to be kidding me. Her face fell and her shoulders sagged.