"Then start talking," I told her, sitting back in the chair and getting comfortable.
If she wanted to be awkward and not spit it right out, I'd play her game. I didn't particularly want to work for her. It would be hell on fucking Earth to take orders from her. I have no idea why I told her to call me if her interview went wrong, but I'd been regretting it all day long. I was only here because I knew Ryan was feeling guilty that he hadn't thought to call Raven before getting his summer job.
I was here as a favor to him, not her.
We'd be lucky if we got through the summer without killing each other.
"It would be on a super temporary basis," Raven started, releasing the water bottle and resting one hand over the other on the desk. Her bright blue eyes locked onto mine. "I'll continue searching for kitchen staff while you're working here until I find someone suitable. If, at the end of the summer, I haven't found anyone, we'll close the kitchen until Spring Break next year."
She didn't look particularly happy about that, either. That same, pursed-lip expression was still on her face. She looked a lot like she was sucking on a sour gummy treat that never stopped.
"Menu control?" I questioned.
"Final approval is mine," she replied. "Otherwise, control is yours."
"Work hours?"
"Full-time? Two through nine, Wednesday through Sunday."
"Twelve through nine-thirty, Tuesday through Sunday," I countered. "Seven days until the other staff are comfortable with my menu."
Raven swallowed. "Okay, but how much is that going to cost me?"
I hadn't thought about that side of it. "How much were you offering in your advert?"
"Um." A light flush raised up her cheeks. "It was negotiable by experience. Most of the people who applied at first didn't have much experience and I realized pretty quick I couldn't pay them the going rate if they didn't really know what they were doing."
She was smart. Smarter than I'd given her credit for.
I took the small pad of paper from next to the keyboard and took a pen from the mug that said, "This is probably vodka." My lips twitched into a smile as I read it, and I caught Raven's tiny smile as I clicked the pen and wrote down a figure.
Sliding her the paper, I said, "That's my figure."
Her throat bobbed, and she cast her eyes down to the sheet I'd put in front of her. "I can't pay you that."
"Sure you can."
"That's not enough for what you can do." She pushed it back to me. "I'd be taking advantage of your skills. You might piss me off at every turn, but I'm not going to do that."
"Raven, listen to me." I put the pen down and leaned forward. "I don't need or want your money. I could not work for five years living here. You wouldn't be paying Ryan if he were here, and the only reason I've put fucking anything on that paper is because I know your pride won't accept paying me nothing."
Her hard blink told me I'd hit the nail on the head.
"I won't take anymore money than the number that's written on that bit of paper. So, do yourself a favor, and accept my offer. Use your money to find decent sous chefs who won't take forever to pick up what I'm going to need to teach them."
"There are probably a couple who weren't suitable for the executive job," she admitted, toying with the paper. She curled the end of it right up. "I still don't feel comfortable with this."
"Four thousand a month is hardly a small amount of money."
"It's a tenth of what you could earn if you went to Miami."
"I don't care about that. I just told you-that's my number. Take it or leave it."
Her entire body heaved and then sagged as she exhaled. "Fine. But I want it on record that I was forced into this arrangement at your insistence."
"Absolutely not. I don't have to force anyone into anything, much less of the opposite gender."
"Then you know delusional women." Raven wheeled back to a filing cabinet.
I winced as the squeaking of a drawer opened bounced off the walls. "Usually, they're more intelligent than delusional."
"Of course, they are. That's why you're single now." She offered me a thin-lipped smile and slid back over on her chair. "Here's the contract my legal team drew up. Obviously, the times need changing, but I have the files to edit it. Read those tonight and call me if you have any questions. I'll print out some new ones for you to sign in the morning. How long will it take you to get a menu together?"