Need You

CHAPTER O6

I was dressed and ready for work but Nikki wasn't. The opened spreadsheet application on Ethel's laptop caught my eye and it's content interested me.

She was in her room. I sat at the table and looked at what she was working on. It was a financial report of the restaurant.

"What do you think?" I was startled when Ethel asked. She sat on my left and looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"I have a meeting with the investors today and I'm hoping I can convince them to not let the restaurant take a loan." She added. "The restaurant is doing okay but due to the liabilities we're not making enough profit."

She was right. According to the report, their expenditure was more than their income.

"Why do they want that loan?"

"We need to increase our inventory."

"But if you do that, it will only increase your long term loans."

"Yeah but most of what we have in the inventory has gone bad and we need to replace them."

"Okay." I understood. "But I think that with the loans you have taken already, just buy produce which aren't perishable."

"That wouldn't help our menu." She said.

"Harry." Nikki came in. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." I stood and said to Ethel, "You have records of the things people buy regularly. Purchase more of those and reduce purchase of the others. I'm sure that will decrease your liability."

She grins at me and says, "That's not a bad idea."

"It isn't." Nikki interjected smiling. I presumed she knew what was being discussed. She paused and questioned playfully. "Are you trying to take my job?"

"Well, if it's in line with my discipline why shouldn't I?" I replied playfully.

She gasped, "So you are." Turning to her aunt she asked, "Auntie, would you replace me with Harry?"

"If you don't get to the restaurant in time, I just might." She quipped.

"Okay." Nikki said. "I see. I'm going."

"Bye."

We weren't going with Ethel's car so the two of us got into a taxi headed for the restaurant. "That idea you gave my aunt wasn't bad." She said to  me. "I suggested that we just change the entire menu but that would be a big change."

"I understand that. People come to the restaurant because of the menu, if you were to change it, there's no certainty that they'd still come."

"Right." She said.

The car was quiet and the silence was starting to feel awkward. I wished I had something to talk to her about or that at least the radio was on to replace the silence.

''So tell me about yourself." Nikki said. "I realize asides knowledge of you being a business genius, I don't know anything else about you."

"You know my name." I remarked happily. She nodded and I said, "First I'm not a business genius. I just studied business and finance in school. I was working as an accountant before I was let go of my job."

"Why?"

"I don't know. They had to let some workers go and I happened to be one of them." I told her the same thing I told her aunt.

I couldn't tell them the real reason.

"That's too bad. They made the wrong choice letting you go."

"I don't blame them." I said, trying to ease my guilt. It was my fault that I got fired and went to prison.

"So have you tried applying to somewhere else?" She asked basically the same question her aunt asked.

"No." I replied. "With my accommodation issue —"

"What accommodation issue?" She interrupted. "Aren't you living with my aunt now?"

"Yeah." The expression on her face read, "And so?"

"Yeah."

"You know what? After work come to my place. I'm sure we can find you something."

"Thank you. You really don't want me to take your job huh?" I joked.

"No I don't." She said amidst laughter from the both of us.

The taxi arrived at the restaurant in no time. We started work and when the time came to leave, Nikki let me know.

We returned to the semi-detached house safely and when she led me inside, Amanda was lounging on the couch.

I hadn't been there in a very long time. I liked the changes I saw.

They had quite a large L-shaped couch next to their dining area which has a glass table surrounded by four chairs. The dining area was in between the living area and kitchen. The blueish gray colour of the walls was nice but I preferred the yellow colour it had when Derrick and I lived there.

Nikki excused herself and disappeared into a room which was previously Derrick's bedroom.

Amanda offered me a seat as she lied on the longer side of the couch. I didn't realize I was looking around too much until I heard, "You don't remember leaving the place like this, do you?"

"What?" I looked at Amanda and she had a slight grin on her face. "I like the changes you've made."

"Thank you."

"Um... I've been meaning to apologize for how things happened the first time we met. I know
—"

"It's fine." She said. "You don't have to apologize." I smiled at her. "Were you able to reach Derrick?"

"No."

Nikki came back with a laptop in hand. The job hunting began. By the time we were done, Amanda and Nikki had managed to help me land two different job interviews.

"Thank you two very much." I was very happy. "I didn't think people would be so kind to me after I got out but your aunt and the two of you have been very kind."

"Got out?" Amanda asked and I realized what I had said.

"I mean when I got out of my house." I replied nervously.

She had a suspicious look in her eyes.

"You're welcome." Nikki said. "We'll have to get you new clothes for the interview. Something a bit more appropriate for an office."

"Oh no. You don't have to." I agreed with her. I couldn't go in for an interview with jeans.

"I want you to get the job and so we will regardless." She stated. "I don't want you taking my job." She laughed.