Convincing You I'm Me

Chapter 18: Authority

Helen sits next to him, she straightens in her seat. She's in her twenties and I think the power of being promoted to manager has gone to her head. "Good evening."

"It's not, actually," I say. "I've just been talking with some staff and they had a lot to say about what's been going on here."

"Like what?" Lee asks, while typing into the computer. "The staff are never happy."

"I'm calling an emergency manager's meeting," I tell them. "With Rachael. So, Lee, I'm going to need you in the restaurant for a while."

He eyes me. "Sounds serious. Should I be worried?"

"Nah," I shake my head. "Not for you. I'll catch you up after."

"Yes, boss," he says, clicking his mouse for a few seconds before wheeling his chair back. 

"Could you do me a favor?" I say to him as he pauses at the door. "There's a woman waiting for me in section two. She's blonde, wearing a white blouse. Could you tell her I'll be another thirty minutes and just bring her whatever she wants."

"You got it," he says with a wink, patting my shoulder. "Have fun kids."

He opens the door, passing Rachael and the other manager's in the process as they come shuffling inside. I back up to the other side of the office and I lean against one of the computer desks as they trail inside, confused and agitated. 

"Will this take long?" Rachael asks. "Only, it's busy out there."

"It'll take as long as it takes," I tell her sternly. "Lee can handle it."

She nods, folding her arms against a wall of lockers. The other managers stand in a huddle. Hayley, Tim, Henley and Mike stare at me, waiting for a reason that they're here.

"I called you here because I want honesty," I say to each of them, except Rachael. "Rachael isn't your boss, I am. So if there's anything you want to say in front of her, now is the time to do it."

"Shall I start?" Hayley says loudly, she glares at Rachael. "You're a bitch. That email you sent me yesterday was uncalled for," she looks at me. "She constantly emails us with a list of everything we've done wrong on shift. She makes us out to be useless."

"You are," Rachael argues back. "You let the staff do whatever they want. If they turn up late, you shrug your shoulders and look the other way."

"No, we don't," Mike says. "We email you to let you know, because that's what you demanded we do."

"She talks to the staff like they're toddlers," Hayley tells me. "She's selfish and thinks she's better than anyone else here."

I glance down at Helen. "And you?" I ask her.

"Hmm?" she mumbles.

"I heard you were bullying a new starter here. She made an official complaint," I look up and meet Rachael's furious eyes. "And you didn't inform me of any of that!"

"It wasn't relevant," she shrugs. "The girl was sensitive. Helen was just doing her job."

"Any complaints by staff towards managers go through me," I shout at her. "That's in your contract. But you ignored that and took it upon yourself to force that girl to quit before Lee got wind of it, because you knew he'd call me straight away. Now that makes me wonder if there's anything else you're keeping from me."

"No," she says through her teeth. "There isn't."

"Good," I say. "And Helen, I advise you to tread carefully in future, because I'll be watching you very closely."

Helen glances up with a lump in her throat. "I didn't do anything wrong. I wasn't bullying her I swear, she was-"

"I don't care," I cut her off. "Things are going to be changing around here. If I can't trust you to respect my staff then you can find somewhere else to work," I glare at Rachael. "And that goes for you, too."

Rachael's eyes widen, panic sets in over her face. "Jason, come on. I've worked here since opening day, have you ever had a problem with me before?"

"No, and that's what worries me. Until I'm satisfied that you've got it under control, I'm demoting you to floor manager. I'll be taking over as supervisor at this restaurant and Lee will be moved to Jaguar. Or vise versa and he'll report back to me."

"You can't be serious!" she protests angrily. "Just because I sent a few harsh emails?"

"It's more than that. And you know it. I don't know what's happened to you, but I can't trust you as head manager anymore. I want the staff to be excited to be coming to work here, not trembling with fear when they find out you're the shift manager."

Hayley bounces happily, grinning sideways at Rachael with a smug look of joy. The others stand still like statues. 

"That's all," I say. "You can go back to work now."

Helen is the first to dive across the office to escape, followed by the other managers, with only Rachael left. She's reluctant to leave, she doesn't go down quietly.

"That's all, Rachael," I say. "Unless you want to negotiate your job all together?"

She swallows angrily and surrenders, charging out of the office and slamming the door shut. I rub my head as an ache begins to form, I settle into the quiet calmness for a moment before it hits me.

Shit. Ebony.

And I run.