Monday 11 Feb

Bobbie asked both Mark and Effie to join her and Trixie at her Mom’s house for a morning meeting. Trixie agreed to go through the details of their employment and describe their options regarding the group RRSP and Health insurance.

Mark arrived on foot and Effie was dropped off by a beat up Corolla. Effie looked good. She was still a little flushed, but she had a new hair cut, a cute bob that complemented her heart shaped face. She was wearing a bit of mascara on surprisingly long eyelashes that highlighted her hazel eyes. She managed to make old lady jeans and sweaters look quite fresh and Bobbie was pleased.

They were set up a the diningroom table. “Hi guys, here’s the coffee and muffins. And here’s my favorite cousin and financial advisor Trixie.”

Trixie began and 30 minutes later, they were officially employees of the Water Wheel Motel.

“Gee,” said Effie, “this is a real job Ms. Bobbie. I was dropped off by my friend Drey, who started a job at the Big Box store today and now we can get a place together. He’s a really good guy, he just had his own bad luck. He’s from my hometown and I reconnected with him through my church. He’s in a good place now. We signed a lease for an apartment in Ocean Bright near the motel.”

Mark chimed in that he was moving into that building too and they could walk to work together until he got a vehicle in the fall.

“Drey has a car,” said Effie, “It is a bit of a clunker but it will get us to work.”

While they chatted, Trixie moved over to Bobbie and joked, “Your own pension income might actually have to pay their salaries but you better not hire any more people until the motel starts making money.”

To distract herself from budget woes, Bobbie asked Mark if he had any menu ideas.

“Since they are to be served in the bar, they have to be classy and fresh and a little salty so people want to drink more. I have some ideas about the local wines and the local beer we can carry.”

Trixie piped up. “We need top shelf scotch and martini ingredients too.”

“You might have to be the bartender at the beginning Mark,” Bobbie explained.

“I’d be fine with that.” He produced a sheet of paper that listed several types of pizza. “What if we just have a happy hour pizza every night and count on that to encourage the crowds to come?”

“That’s such a good idea Mark! We can grow a loyal clientele. Maybe we could have a little party here Friday afternoon. We’ll have a cocktail hour and Mark, you can try out your pizza recipes. I’ll get all the ingredients and make sure Joan comes too.”

Trixie said, “I’ll bring Greg and Van and Keith and Lacey too.”

“Ooh, I’ll get Eddy and Jen and Charlie and June to come too. And Jarrod and James can’t miss it.”

Mark rolled his eyes and said, “Pizza for 100, great!”

“Drey and I can help.”

The next order of business was to get Bobbie’s new employees outfitted with work clothes and safety shoes. Bobbie was on the safety committee during her professional life and even though there were larger companies in Cap City, always tried to deal with a Crow harbour company called ‘Dolan Safety’. The Dolans had been running the company for generations and she’d talked to them on the phone but had never been in the store. They walked into the store and Bobbie called out, “Hello?” and was served right away.

While she was helping Mark and Effie pick out safety shoes, coveralls, chef coats and server jackets, a rather booming voice called out. “Is that Bobbie Orlov I hear out there?”

Bobbie recognized the voice of George Dolan, the latest head of the family run business.

George came out of his office and said. “It’s nice to finally put a face to a name. I never knew you were so pretty. You haven’t called in a while, I thought you were mad at us,” he teased.

Bobbie blushed and smiled and said, “I’m not mad, I’m just retired from government and starting out my new business. I’m outfitting my first 2 employees.”

George pretended to look stern and told the cashier to make sure he didn’t give her the government discount. Then he smiled and said, “The small business discount is about the same anyway.”

“So George, are you running the store now?”

“Yes, my dad comes around occasionally to make sure I’m on the right track. Have you moved to Crow Harbour permanently?”

“George, it seems like we have a lot to talk about, we should go for coffee some time.”

“How about I take you to dinner. As a thank you for all your business past and future? I can pick you up at 7:30. This receipt should tell me where you live.”

The billing address was the Motel. “Not really. That’s an aspirational address, I’m currently staying with my mother.” She wrote her mother’s address on his copy of the receipt.

She dropped Mark and Effie home.

Outside the apartment building door, there was a man in a hoody that approached Effie. She talked with him for a minute then physically pushed him away and went inside. With his hands in his pockets and his head down, he walked right past Bobbie. Bobbie didn’t get a good look at him. What was that all about, she wondered. She shook her head and drove back to her mom’s.

Bobbie went into her room and tried to decide what to wear. She picked a skirt and shirt and vest outfit she used to wear to work. I have to go through all my clothes, she thought. I can get rid of most of the stuff I wore to work. Or maybe keep it for when I’m owner/manager for my motel. Maybe I need new stuff, she was thinking about it when she went down stairs.

“Well it looks like I have a date tonight Mom.” This was for Florence’s benefit, as far as Bobbie was concerned, dinner with George was like a work dinner.

“Her mother looked up from her magazine (medical journal actually) and said, “It’s only been a few months dear, are you sure you’re ready to date?”

“Probably not. I have to do research for the Water Wheel Restaurant!”

Her mother rolled her eyes and said, “Bring me a doggie bag.”

George arrived at 7:30. He told her they had a reservation at a nice place for 8 and stepped in to say hi to Bobbie’s mother. He was quite tall and had blond wiry hair that was almost white and had light blue eyes. He was dressed in casual black jeans and a blue grey tweed suit jacket and looked very comfortable and stylish. He removed his light blue tinted glasses as he shook Florence’s hand.

“Good evening Ms.?” and then he looked inquiringly at Bobbie. For a minute Bobbie didn’t understand what he meant; forgetting not everyone knew who they were.

“McNally, Dr. Florence McNally. I don’t get out much, I just lost my husband less than a year ago.”

“Please accept my condolences Dr. McNally and I am very pleased to meet you. I’ll have your daughter home before 11.”

To Bobbie’s surprise, Florence was blushing. She looked up at George, who was smiling rather charmingly, and said “We should get going, we don’t want to be late.”

As they left, Florence mused to herself that George Dolan looked a lot like his father.

They sat at their table in the restaurant. Ever since she began researching opening her own restaurant, Bobbie dined out with a new perspective and she looked pointedly at the decor. This was not exactly what she wanted for her place but she appreciated the modern minimalist style.

They had wine and conversation where they discussed his ex-wife and cranky father and her dead husband and father.

“This has been a little bit glum talking about failed and dead relationships; how about I tell you about the work I’m doing to the old motel on Highway 2, and how many uniforms I’ll need”.

By the time their entrée arrived they were laughing and chatting about lighter topics again and George agreed to come to the pizza tasting party.