Now, thanks to Rupert, I had a tavern full of people thinking they were here to be interviewed. This was exactly what I didn't need. "Vieira, would you please run to George's?" I shout to my assistant. "Explain the situation and ask if he can spare an employee for a few hours today instead of next week. I might as well get this over with, since they're all here."
She nodded once before heading out the back door. "The rest of you," I said, turning to the applicants, "deserve to know that Rupert Coss has nothing to do with the running of this tavern. It was given to me by Tom before he died, and his nephew is jealous."
This got them angry. "So you're saying we're here for no reason?" one man shouted.
"No," I said, trying to remain calm. "I'm saying I hadn't planned to start interviews yet today. Because you're all here, I will—on the condition that it doesn't mean my bartender will be working alone." I didn't like dealing with this crowd one bit.
It had been nearly a minute, and Vieira wasn't back yet. I had to think of something to do with them.
"I'm going to start sorting you into a few groups so that I can give you some idea of how long you'll be here. I will also give you the option of waiting somewhere else and coming back here at a scheduled time. If you have somewhere important to be following this interview, I'll do my best to get to you as soon as I possibly can." Where was Vieira? I desperately needed her to hurry back.
And I needed to start sorting my angry interviewees. "If you need an earlier interview time, stand to my left. If you would prefer an earlier time, you can stand along the wall over here. If you're okay with a later time—we'll schedule exactly when that may be, so you don't have to stick around here—please stand over here, but be sure not to block the door." As was just my luck, nearly the entire group migrated to the group indicating they needed an early interview time. Quite a few preferred it, and only a few were willing to wait very long at all.
To my immense relief, my door was thrown open to reveal a furious George, followed by Vieira and another girl I didn't know. "Hannah!" he called across the room as he strode to the bar. "Hey. I figured you might want more than one extra pair of hands today, and Saf has been begging me for more time to work. She'll help Vieira, and I'll help you out with the interviews. Don't worry, I won't conduct them, I'll help sort everything out, I'll—"
"George!" I interrupted. "You want to help? Find out who legitimately needs to be taken care of quickly, and send them up, two at a time, to my office. Then come up with a schedule for the rest of them," I said before I stomped up the steps to my office at the top of the old wooden hill.
This is for FredNeverDied, who made me realize this story has been on hiatus so long that it could have been perceived as abandoned. So sorry for that, to anyone who is still reading! A review would make my day, and might even convince me to post one more chapter tonight... )