"To the worst summer we ever had and the best punch ever thrown!"
"Oh, stop it, Jenny... You're making me blush!"
~~~
George Marshall, owner of Lila's Seafood Restaurant since it first opened and for over forty years, tries his best to save it from...
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I was alone at the restaurant. Dennis and George had gone out to run some errands, Jenny was home because we had no work and Gramps had taken Mary out for a walk. Only Larry was left in the kitchen with a couple of other cooks.
We didn't have much work that day. I hated that. The Seashell, of course, was swarming with people. I was leaning against the wall by the counter, when a family of five walked in. That cheered me up a bit.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but the Seashell was full. We'll just have to make do here." the husband muttered to his wife. It was loud enough for me to hear it. My face fell faster than a glass of water in the middle of the night tat wakes everyone up and makes them wonder what you were doing at that hour. We've all been there, don't judge.
"May I help you?" I faked a smile.
"Yes, please. Table for five." the man smiled.
"Follow me." I replied and led them near the fence. The tables there were the best tables in the restaurant. I wanted to show them that Lila's was much better than the Seashell and that they were lucky the Seashell was full. "Take your time, I'll be back in a while to take your order." I smiled and walked away.
That's when the person I least expected to, walked in the restaurant as if she owned the place.
She looked around, looking confused, and then approached me.
"May I speak to the manager?" Bella Jade asked.
"He's not here right now. You can tell me." I replied as calmly as I could.
"No, it's okay. I'll come back another time.", she looked around. "Who are you, anyway? Aren't you just a waitress around here? I asked to speak to the owner, not the staff." she rolled her eyes.
"Don't you read? I have a name tag. And I've been working here since I was a kid, George is like family to me." I replied.
"You're cute, but that's not what I asked. Anyway, I should get going. The Seashell is pretty busy lately...", she smirked and walked to the door at the same time George and Dennis walked in.
"Um... To what do we owe the visit?" George asked her.
"I'm assuming you're George Marshall?" she asked him and he nodded. "I'm here to negotiate a couple things..." she narrowed her eyes.
"Whatever you're here to offer, we're not going to be taking up on your deal." unckie crossed his arms.
"Trust me, if you hear it, you won't be able to refuse." Bella smirked.
"That's exactly why we won't be hearing it."
Her sly smile was replaced with a scowl at lightning speed. "Look, mister Marshall, I respect you and I respect your business. Believe it or not, I'd hate to see your restaurant close for good. I came here to give you the chance to merge Lila's with the Seashell. You can keep the name and the staff and have your own rules around here. We will be offering advertising and the only drawback in this accord, for you at least, is that you'll be getting thirty percent of the restaurant's income instead of the one hundred that you're taking now. Even though, I don't see the problem in this either..." her smirk returned as she noticed our only customers. "Even thirty percent is going to be more than whatever you're making now."
