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If last night had been slow, it was being made up for this evening ten times over. Not only had they gotten the normal rush of business dinners and a few special occasions but tonight, they had gotten a wedding rehearsal dinner.

And one of the servers’ schedule to work the party had called out sick.

Common sense would have been to call in someone. Common sense didn’t have to make that phone call twenty minutes before the party arrived. True to form, Imara had instead jumped in and taken up the position herself on top of everything else she needed to do as manager on duty that evening. Now, half an hour before closing, things were finally starting to calm down.

Finally, she had a moment to go use the restroom.

When she walked back to the front of the house, the team had nearly finished clearing the event space and they appeared to be down to the last three tables. In good faith, and after a hard day, she decided it was time to allow some of the team to head out early.

What could come in at this hour anyway?

There was a certain 'fear of God' that passed over anyone when a customer asked to speak to the manager. Mathias would have seen that clear as day as the woman's smile had gone from her practiced greeting as a guest to one of panic. It shifted again to a controlled simmer when he said they spoke 'business'.

That also made her do a quick scan of him. Who did business with a restaurant this late? Not to mention they closed in under twenty-six minutes.

"Is there something I can help you with? Our manager is finishing up an event in back and I'm not..." She glanced over her shoulder, scanning the room before the doors open for a teal-haired woman. The hostess visually sighed.

"One moment please sir."

She crossed the room with a practice step, coming up next to her manager.

Imara had seen her walking briskly and moved to meet her halfway.

"Something wrong?" She asked checking the hostess over first before scanning the room. Before there was an answer, Imara's eyes found the cause.

Shock. Surprise. Confusion. Annoyance.

Every emotion passed over her face before she took a breath. "I'll take care of it." She answered, slipping past the woman and towards the front of the house. Those red eyes never left the man standing there as she too did a full body scan and rested on his face.

This was beginning to annoy her.

When he didn't speak, Imara felt her back bristle. He'd been all show last night so playing the part of polite, well-mannered guest didn't still well with her. Of course that had been before she'd pointed out that his actions had been on camera.

But she was on duty, on the clock, and being watched so she pursed her lips together and offered that practiced smile she clearly gave ever 'Karen' that came into the establishment. "How may I help you, sir?"

It was way too hard not to let her eye twitch in annoyance.

This had to look so sketchy to anyone watching. Here was this man just offering her whatever was in the bag in a manner so that no one could see it outside of the two of them. Yes, really well done.

Closing her eyes, counting to five, and taking a deep breath barely helped. "Sir, we are about to close. If you would like to wait," She turned slightly and motioned towards the bar. "You may have a seat there and I will be with you when I finish up." Not kicking him out was all she could do. If he stayed, maybe it would look less like a drug deal?

Maybe not.

At least she could deal with him personally then.

"Tell them the tab is on me. Now if you will excuse me, I would like to get my team out of here on time."

If she knew that was going through his head, Imara would had ignored all rules and codes of being a manager and socked him one right in the jaw. Lucky for him that she didn't have a clue.

The staff on the other hand ran wild with the ideas. Of course the drug deal and one-night stand were tossed around, as well as a replacement line cook or someone to fix the short in the one oven they refused to use. Brand new kitchen and already breaking. Someone was cutting corners in the budget again.

By eleven they were wishing the last customers goodnight. They had at least another hour of clean up for the lunch crew but one of the team had grabbed Imara from her tasks, reminding her that someone was 'waiting for her. The laughter and wink from him made Imara cast him a glare that just doubled him over.

About 11:20, she came out of the back, looked around and frowned when she saw the man at the bar. While technically she was nearly off the clock, she still had a role to play.

"I see you waited." She spoke calmly, walking over to him, keeping a distance comfortable to not scream but still in the not trusting mode. "You really are like a dog with a bone."

"Your actions last night only...Wait, did you say White?" Imara had started to blow him off once more. A dismissive tone that had suddenly been interrupted by the drop of a last name she knew all too well and had come to wince when hearing. Ned White was not her direct boss but he was the owner.

And he was a pain in the behind in more ways than one.

Hearing this man drop the name, well, it blew the chance of him just being another family named White out of the water. The timing, the placement, and the way told her everything she needed to know. "You are related to the owner, aren't you?" With a groan sounding the start of a headache, she covered her eyes with her hand. "Great. Just peachy..."

Her headache was beginning to pound the more he spoke about the family and Ned White being his 'uncle'. Thankfully, before she could point out how little she cared, he shut his trap about it. Was he related? How hard was that to answer in truth? Clearly it required flow charts. Rich families were the worst.

"Look," Putting her hand on the bag, Imara pat it before pushing it back towards him. "Consider us even. You don't owe me anything. I don't owe you. You scared my crew. Pissed off my owner. And above all, have just been a pain the past two days. I really don't care what you do because that is between you and your 'uncle'. I was just trying to be nice and save you from getting arrested after the warpath I had to listen to about the stupid vagabond who always painted Mr. White's buildings."

"I've had a very long night. I have to work again tomorrow night. And unless there is something you need..."

Welcome? He had been welcomed? Screw that! She'd been being nice last night and now he comes barging into her place of work acting full of himself as if she would welcome that! Get real.

Grabbing the damn bag from the counter in a huff, she made to follow him. Not to give chase or stop him for any reason but to make sure the door DID hit him on the way out.

Part of her knew she shouldn't say anything, let him go and just be done with it. Yet that tone and the way he carried himself. Oh it irked her like nothing else.

"Really? I'm giving you a far warning that whatever he is to you has it out for you. Sorry to be the one breaking it to you that your painting skills don't make everyone happy." She made one attempt to shove the bag back to him. "But you know, you are just proving how much the two of you are related."