Mandy

Chapter 31

You plead my cause,
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
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The next day, Mandy was awake before the sun rose. She walked downstairs quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up. "Can we really open this place in two days?" She wondered aloud.

"You're trying to open this place in two days?" A voice asked incredulously.

Mandy spun around to see Jason standing behind her. "Yes. I want to have it open for the weekend." She answered.

"A lot of the rooms aren't ready." Jason told her.

Mandy shrugged. "We have five open, and I'm assuming we won't be very busy for quite awhile. So the plan is to slowly get the other rooms ready while the inn is open."

"I guess that would work." Jason replied as he looked out the window.

Mandy followed his gaze, then smiled as she saw the sunrise. "It's so pretty around here."

"Can I ask you a question?" Jason asked, ignoring Mandy's comment.

"Sure." She replied, then led him into the kitchen.

Jason sat down on a barstool and watched as Mandy pulled some eggs out of the fridge. "Why are you being nice to me?" He asked.

Mandy turned around and looked at him, shocked. "What?" She asked, sure she hadn't heard him right.

"Why are you being nice to me?" Jason repeated.

Mandy frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?" She asked.

"I'm a criminal."

Mandy shrugged. "We've all done wrong in our lives."

"You never went to jail." Jason said.

"No." Mandy replied as she cracked a couple eggs into a bowl.

"So you're saying that if anyone just showed up at this place with a criminal record, you would hire them?" Jason asked.

"Gosh no!" Mandy exclaimed.

"Then why are you being nice to me?"

"Well, from what I can tell, you aren't that kind of person. You don't seem to be angry at anyone, and you aren't mean to any of us. Of course, I could always be wrong on those things, but I'm usually a good judge of character. Also, there's the fact that Commander Robin sent you here, and I trust him." Mandy explained.

   Jason didn't reply, and instead grabbed the recipe card Mandy had and looked at it.

   "I'm trying out some different things we can serve for meals here. Of course, you'll be in the kitchen too, so you're more that welcome to test some recipes too." Mandy said.

   "What meals are you serving?" Jason asked.

   "Breakfast is always free with the room, and we serve that from 6-10 most mornings, and 6-11 on Saturdays.

   Lunch is an optional meal visitors can purchase, except they have to special request it on Sundays; because we don't actually serve a noontime meal. That goes from noon-2.

   Dinner is also an optional meal, and it runs all seven days a week, from 5-7." Mandy paused. "In the lobby, I plan to have fruit infused water and some baked good out at all times for any visitors."

   Jason nodded. "That sounds good. Are you going to have a meal rotation; or just pick certain ones whenever?"

   Mandy whisked the eggs she has cracked into a bowl as she contemplated the question. "I guess I'd have to have some sort of rotation do we are able to shop more effectively." She replied.

   Jason nodded again, then left the room.