Aidan laughed.
‘It’s not a gastro pub or anything. But the food is good.’
He put her CV on the desk and leaned back. ‘Well, we can always use extra hands at this time of year. Our business isn’t as seasonal as some places around here but we do take on extra wait staff in the summer months and we could definitely give you some shifts.’
‘Oh. I’m actually looking for something more permanent.’
‘Oh?’ He frowned down at her CV. ‘But you live in Dublin? That’d be a hell of a commute.’
‘Oh, yeah. Sorry, I should have changed that.’ It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it, but she hadn’t wanted to jump the gun by putting the cottage address on her CV before she’d laid eyes on it. It seemed too much like tempting fate. ‘I’m moving here.’
‘To Dingle? That’ll be quite a change.’
‘That’s what I’m looking for,’ Lou said, an edge of defiance in her tone, ‘quite a change.’
‘Well, I’m afraid the only permanent job I have at the moment is for a KP.’
‘I could do that!’
Aidan’s eyes flicked over her dubiously. He clearly didn’t think she was up to it.
‘I’m a lot stronger than I look. Small but wiry.’
He raised one eyebrow sceptically.
‘I could show you.’ She leaned forward and put one elbow on the table, holding her arm upright, palm open, her eyebrows raised in invitation.
Adam’s lips twitched. ‘Seriously? You’re challenging me to an arm-wrestle at a job interview?’
Lou shrugged. ‘Worth a shot.’ She removed her elbow and sat back since he clearly wasn’t going to accept the challenge. And really, who could blame him? She must be coming across as a total nutcase and if she’d had any chance of him taking her on in the first place, she’d probably blown it. ‘But I could do it. I’ve worked KP jobs before.’ She’d rather not. Kitchen porter was a notoriously dirty, gruelling and thankless job, but she’d take anything for the chance to work here.
Aidan was silent for a moment. ‘Look,’ he said then, ‘I can give you a trial in the KP job if you really want it. But you might find something more… suited to your talents elsewhere in Dingle.’
Was he avoiding saying something less strenuous? ‘Maybe. But I’d really love to work here. I’m a big fan.’
‘Okay then.’ He tossed her CV onto the desk and leaned forward. ‘How soon can you start?’
‘Oh. Not until the end of the month.’
‘Ah.’ Aidan grimaced. ‘Unfortunately, I need someone who can start as soon as possible – tomorrow, preferably.’
‘Oh, okay.’ Lou nodded, trying not to feel too deflated. It had been a long shot to begin with. There were plenty of places in Dingle where she could get a job. She shouldn’t have let herself get so hung up on the idea of working here.
‘Sorry. Our current KP is leaving us in the lurch, so it’s a bit of an emergency.’
‘Well, if anything comes up in the meantime…’
‘Sure. Call back when you’ve moved.’
‘Thanks.’ Lou waited to be dismissed, but for some reason, Aidan seemed inclined to keep chatting.
‘So why the move to Dingle?’
‘I inherited a house here.’ She was excited to share the news with someone. ‘Right out of the blue, from someone I never even knew.’
‘Wow!’
‘Yeah. I was ready for a change of scene, so it was the perfect opportunity.’
