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joint owner and boss at Gabriel’s Place, had decided it was time to put Leigh in her place.
    “It’s best not to let Gabe know we’ve talked,” Molly said. “He gets upset easily and he doesn’t need it.” Her dark hair, pulled into a tail that cascaded from the top of her head, also fell in ringlets around her pretty face and neck.
    “You’re right,” Leigh said, walking behind Molly to a table in a far corner of the bar. By this time, early afternoon on a Sunday, the place was supposed to hit a quiet time but not today. Things were hopping.
    Molly sat, wriggled herself into a comfy position, and locked her hands behind her head. She took a very deep, flexing breath.
My, oh, my
was Leigh’s immediate thought.
    She was tall, even taller in very high-heeled, Christian Laboutin shoes, maneuvered to showcase their red undersides. If there had been anything but Molly under her stretchy white blouse and pants, Leigh would have seen it. Molly was, as someone had written somewhere: broad where a broad should be broad. But with a tiny waist and long, shapely legs.
    Molly snapped her fingers and Twin Cuss hurried to her side. “Yes, Molly.”
    The boy didn’t seem to know which bit of Molly to concentrate on and Leigh smiled.
    “Coffee,” Molly said. “A shot of Bookers in mine.”
    Waste of a good bourbon.
“I’ll take my coffee straight,” Leigh said, but the boy was too diverted to acknowledge her.
    “Now,” Molly said when Cuss had left. “I was off whenyou started or we’d have had this talk earlier. You need to understand I make all the decisions when Gabriel’s not around. And he defers to me if he is.”
    “Mmm.” Leigh nodded and managed her best, wide-eyed look of respect. Gabriel needed protection from this one, not that it was Leigh’s responsibility.
    “Sunday’s fairly quiet so I thought this would be a good time for us to talk.”
    “Mmm.” Leigh looked pointedly around the rowdy room but Molly didn’t seem to notice.
    “I’ve been getting complaints,” she said.
    Leigh managed to brighten up a few more watts in her eyes. “Really? Gabriel’s not happy with my work? I’ve straightened a lot out already. You’ve only got to look at the office—”
    Music suddenly blared from the multiple speakers hidden in the rafters and within minutes people leaped to the small floor in the bar to dance.
    “I’m not talking about the office,” Molly said loudly, her full lips tight with annoyance. “It’s when you take over out here for a few minutes or deal with the vendors that’s the problem.”
    “Really?”
    “Yeah,
really
. We’re building a tight community here with Gabe and Molly at the center. That means we’re all friends. Friends don’t make friends feel like shit.”
    Leigh was really starting to enjoy her job. Offbeat situations suited her. But she wouldn’t be taking any crap from Ms. Molly.
    “Would you amplify that?” Leigh said.
    Molly screwed up her eyes. “Friends treat friends like friends,” she yelled.
    Wincing, Leigh shook a hand in front of her face. “Sorry, I should have said,
clarify
. I meant I need you to explain this in simpler terms.” She made an arc in the air. “Be more obvious. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
    “You’ve been demanding payment from some of our oldest customers. If they’re used to running a tab, that’s the way it’s going to be. Got it?”
    Leigh managed her best “I’m stupid” face.
    “You are not to make people feel bad if they don’t have the money to pay,” Molly said slowly, dragging out each word.
    “Oh! Oh, I never would. It’s only the ones
with
the money and who don’t want to pay,” she said. “Have you noticed some folks never want to pay and we’re a bit tight on funds around here?”
    Molly played with a ringlet. “I don’t have to worry myself with things like that. You know we do a good business. But we’ll lose it if you make people stay away.”
    “I’m rarely in the restaurant or