Project ALICE: All reaLity Is subjeCtivE by Sam Skyborne

Author:Sam Skyborne [Skyborne, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DukeBok.Life
Published: 2020-03-30T16:00:00+00:00

Come Wednesday, Alice felt much more on edge. The restaurant was quite busy, so at least the day and evening seemed to pass fairly quickly. The downside was that cashing up would probably take longer, but she figured that as long as the doors closed on time, at 11.30 pm, she could take all the time she needed to finish up, after Lekan and Gloria had been and gone.

At 11.15 pm Alice started circling. She had instructed a couple of the floor staff to start moving furniture and clearing and cleaning tables to give the last stragglers the clear message that it was time to settle up. Putting chairs on tables usually gave even the most thick-skinned customers the feeling that it was time to go.

As usual, this tactic worked like a dream. The restaurant was cleared, the doors shut and the floor staff sent on their way by 11.45 pm. So far so good, she thought.

Now it was a question of waiting for Lekan to call and say he was outside. She had given him the office phone number since Gerry didn’t allow any staff to have mobile phones on the floor while on duty and she knew she would more than likely be in Gerry’s office, cashing up.

At 11.55 pm Alice heard a knock at the service door in the kitchen. She cursed under her breath, wondering which of the floor staff had forgotten what. She resolved to get rid of them as quickly as possible. As she reached the door, she heard a key being slotted into the keyhole.

That could only mean one thing — Gerry.

Shit!

Alice plastered a smile on her face and greeted Gerry with what she hoped sounded like surprise and delight. “Hey, so glad it’s just you!”

“Ah, yes. I, ah, forgot my jacket,” Gerry said and nodded in the direction of the office. Alice stepped aside and allowed her to lead the way.

“Did everything go okay tonight?” Gerry asked over her shoulder.

“Yes, pretty much. Mitch and his boys,” she said, referring to one of the regulars and his gang, “got a bit rowdy, as usual, but they left reasonably early. Other than that, I think business was really good tonight and we got some pretty decent takings. I’m just in the process of counting.”

Once in the office, Gerry grabbed the bright yellow jacket that hung on the coat stand in the far corner. Curious, Alice thought. She had never seen Gerry wear that jacket and she was pretty sure it had hung in that same place, untouched, since the day she started working at The Sea Shanty.

“That’s great news,” Gerry said. “I have a few minutes. I can help you cash up quickly.” Gerry moved in behind her desk.

Inside, Alice’s world crushed in on her. Gloria and Lekan would be arriving any minute.

Without warning, the shrill ring of the office phone pierced the stagnant air in the office. Gerry reached for the receiver before Alice could stretch for it.

“The Sea Shanty,” Gerry said.

Alice could hear Gloria’s voice on the other end of the line.

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