I was just wondering how we were going to get this place dry enough to open for business.”

“She said something about stealing towels from her brothers at the Gin Mill,” I explained. Any sign of the plumber?” She pulled up short when she realized she was talking to me and not her business partner. She was wearing an old, faded T-shirt and what looked like pajama pants, both of which were soaked through. Seconds later, my other new boss, Audrey Shipley, exited the kitchen, her blond hair dripping. I mopped like crazy for the next few minutes, wringing water into the bucket over and over, fighting what felt like a never-ending battle. This place was inches deep when I opened up,” Zara explained before disappearing out the front door. “Water pipe broke under the kitchen sink. Grab this while I run over to the apartments to steal all of Ben and Alec’s towels,” Zara Rossi said, shoving the mop handle into my hands. Chairs had been stacked haphazardly on tables, and a wad of soaked dishtowels formed a soggy barrier in front of the kitchen doorway, funneling the water out toward the seating area and away from the refrigerated display cabinets. I could hear my other boss letting loose a stream of expletives from the kitchen area, with the deeper register of a man’s voice occasionally chiming in. I walked through the door to find one of my bosses with a mop in hand, doing battle with a tide of water creeping across the wide pine floorboards. I really needed this job to work out for me, and I was determined to be my most sparkling, eager, and diligent self to show my two new bosses they had made an excellent choice when they gave me the job of barista-waitress in their bustling coffeeshop.īut I hadn’t been prepared for my first day to start with absolute mayhem. That’s why I was braced for an exhausting day when I arrived at the Busy Bean for my first shift. Pretending you don’t burp, fart, and have occasional moments of stupidity like a normal person.Īll that effort. Starting a new job is like starting a new relationship-for weeks you’re on your best behavior, smiling your brightest smile, laughing at every joke.

Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry