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“Do I look like I have a few minutes?”
“Yes. Suzanne, cover Opal’s section. Ten minutes.”
Though she followed Morgan out, she grumbled about it. “I need to keep an eye on the new hires. The patio’s full.”
“Yes, but the floor and the bar aren’t.” She went outside, kept going until they were out of eye- and earshot. “I want to talk to you about Bailey.”
Opal went immediately on the defensive, hands on hips, eyes hot under bowl-cut bangs.
“She’s doing fine. If you’ve got a problem—”
“She’s doing more than fine. I want to train her on the bar.”
“I barely got her trained the right way as a server. I can’t spare her. You oughta know that if you know how to manage.”
“I do know how to manage, and we can discuss your problems with me another time.”
And since there were problems, Morgan thought, they needed to be dealt with.
“I can come in before shift any day you like and we’ll sit down on that. Meanwhile, I can use another on-call bartender, and I see Bailey as someone with the ability and the energy to cover the bar and the tables, as needed. It would give her a small pay raise and another skill set. Nell wants your input.”
The hands on Opal’s hips balled into fists. “You went over my head?”
“No, I went to my direct supervisor to make this recommendation. That’s my job. You head up the floor, so now our boss wants your input. Bailey wants to learn. I want to give her the opportunity. If you can’t spare her and she’s willing, I can train her on her days off. We’ll coordinate the schedule.”
“Could be the girl has a life.”
“If it doesn’t suit her, she can say no. Ask her yourself.”
Now Opal folded her arms. “She says no, then you write in her eval how she’s uncooperative and lacks ambition.”
“Why the hell would I do that? Jesus Christ, Opal.”
“Don’t you swear at me.”
Screw that, Morgan thought. Just screw that.
“Don’t you accuse me of undermining one of the team. If she doesn’t want the training, she says thanks but no thanks, and that’s the end of it. It’s her choice. Put up roadblocks if that’s how you feel about it, but don’t point fingers at me.
“Pick a day, half hour before shift. We need to have this out.”
“I do my job.”
“You do. If we can’t resolve this, we’ll both keep doing our jobs and rubbing each other the wrong way. I can live with that. Be sure to give Nell your input on Bailey.”
Morgan walked back in, took over the bar, and tried not to steam.
In about ten minutes, Bailey came up to the bar.
“Opal said since we’re slow right now you might have time to work with me.”
“Sure.” Satisfied Opal hadn’t put up those roadblocks, Morgangestured Bailey back. “Until you’re needed back on the floor, you’re going to backbar. Assist,” Morgan explained. “Keep the ice well full, prep garnishes, replace bottles, clear and replace glassware. Right now, the stools are empty, so it’s table service. It’s well bartending, and for that you need good communication skills with the servers.”
“I get that.”
“Back here, it’s clean, sanitary, organized, and calm—even when things get rushed and you fall behind, you need calm. If you stay organized, the calm won’t be so hard to find. After you use a bottle, put it back where it goes. Every time, whether it’s premium or on the speed rack.”
She gestured under the bar. “Unless a customer calls the brand or label or specific mixer, these are your common go-tos. The two women just coming in? They’re old friends taking a few days. They’re going to take stools.”
