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“I’m not sure I understand,” she said. She wanted to play dumb, but something told her she knew where this was going. It was too much to hope her relationship with Duke would stay quiet.
“You’re fucking the boss.”
Well, she didn’t expect it to be that bluntly thrown in her face. “What I do in my free time and with whom is no concern of yours,” she said with her voice as steady as she could make it.
Between the party at Penelope’s and then the few times she’d been waiting for Duke while he got done working for the night, someone was bound to put it together.
But since they said they loved each other, she shouldn’t let this bother her.
It’s just...it was so hard to break old habits. It always bothered her when people said mean things or talked about her.
Even felt negatively toward her too.
Like the employee in front of her, that flirted with her boyfriend and was nasty and catty to many.
“Of course it’s not,” Beth said. “But as I said, it makes sense how someone who has no restaurant experience can walk in here and just end up with a management position.”
“I wouldn’t say I just had it handed to me,” she argued. “I’ve worked my butt off. I’ve been doing every job but a line cook or chef here since I came to the island.”
“Because Duke felt bad for you. That your parents couldn’t handle the place and then you came here with nothing. Everyone is talking about it. It’s like you ran home with your tail between your legs, but no one can figure out why.”
She felt her eyes start to fill up with tears. Everything this woman was saying was what she’d felt for years. For months even.
The tail between the legs comment was exactly how she felt but never wanted someone to throw it in her face.
That she couldn’t handle what was happening in her life and got herself in debt trying to be a nice person.
She was walked all over before and it seemed like it was happening again.
“I think your information is messed up,” she said. She wasn’t going to give Beth the pleasure of seeing her pain even if it hurt more to hide it.
“Guess it doesn’t matter,” Beth said. “People say what they think. It’s my truth.”
She laughed. What an absurd statement. “Your truth? Got to love that saying. That means it’s your opinion and no one can tell you you’re wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s theactualtruth. You should get your facts straight before you say any more.”
“Nothing you can do about it,” Beth said.
“Actually, as the manager of Southside, there is a lot I can do about it. And if you’re to be believed, fucking the boss gives me some more power.”
She heard laughter behind her. Deep male laughter.
She didn’t need to turn to know that her lover was behind her laughing his ass off over what she’d just said.
Embarrassment was riding high over her language with an employee more than anything.
“Beth,” Duke said. “In my office now.”
Hadley turned to look at Duke. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
He was smiling though and winked at her. “But funny as hell. I’ll be back to talk to you in a minute.”
Crap. This was going to be awkward, but it had to be done. Just not the way it was. Poor business practices on her part and she’d have to apologize.
Since the desserts had been made already, there wasn’t much for her to do other than go look at the ingredients and see if she had what she needed for tomorrow.
“We can talk now if you want,” Duke said a few minutes later.
She’d been in the walk-in fridge and all but jumped out of her skin as she’d been so lost in thought she hadn’t realized he’d opened the door and come in.
