Week 25 - Wednesday
Midweek, Wednesday. With Henry stepping confidently into his new responsibilities, placing the daily produce order, coordinating the prep list with Olivia and Jenny. Jenny was in a bit more than normal this week, as she was on break, so picked up a couple extra shifts for the money. Theo felt the operational burden lessen significantly. He used the newfound mental bandwidth to formalize the compensation plan.
Theo stared at the projected weekly payroll figures on his laptop screen, a knot tightening slightly in his stomach. Henry at $25 an hour plus bonuses, Olivia and Jenny at $20 plus bonuses… Bonus will be calculated as 5% profit share based on the weeks profits. The jump in labour costs was substantial, taking a significant bite out of the shop's impressive weekly profit margin. The ingrained instinct, the one honed by years scrabbling up from poverty, screamed inefficiency, unnecessary expenditure. Could he get away with less? Offer smaller raises? Delay the profit share? The thought flickered, the phantom voice of Scrooge McDuck whispering about hoarding every penny.
But then he mentally replayed the scenes from the past two weeks. Henry effortlessly managing the chaotic weekend rush. Olivia charming disgruntled customers and proactively handling online feedback. Jenny diligently learning every task thrown her way. He contrasted that with the memory of his own bone-deep exhaustion trying to run the place solo, and the sharp, sickening betrayal by Tammy, perhaps partly enabled by his initial low wage offer attracting someone desperate or opportunistic?
No, he decided firmly, closing the calculator app. This wasn't an expense, it was a strategic investment. Good, reliable, motivated employees were the bedrock of any successful business, especially a small one where teamwork was critical. Paying them well, significantly above the fast-food baseline, wasn't just fair, it was smart. It bought loyalty, reduced turnover (and the constant headache of retraining), and incentivized them to actually care about the shop's success, especially with the profit-sharing component. He couldn't afford cheap labour flaking out or, worse, stealing from him again. He needed a solid core team he could rely on as he began to step back and focus on bigger targets. If a few extra dollars per hour kept Henry running the floor smoothly and Olivia keeping customers happy, it was money well spent. This wasn't about being generous. It was about building a stable, profitable asset with minimal headaches. He wouldn't let short-sighted penny-pinching jeopardize that. He saved the new pay structure document, ready to announce it.
He then called another brief team huddle during the afternoon lull. He presented the pay structure changes, effective from this week. He saw the surprised delight on Olivia's and Jenny's faces as they saw the significant bump from their initial $10/hr rate. Henry simply nodded, accepting the responsibility that came with his own substantial raise.
"And one more thing," Theo added, deliberately shifting responsibility further. "We know weekends are insane, and even some weeknights push us to the limit. We probably need another part-timer, maybe two, just for evenings or weekend flexibility. Henry," he directed, "as Assistant Manager, I want you to work with Olivia and Jenny to figure out exactly what shifts need coverage, how many hours we realistically need. Post an ad, use the same 'Apply Within' sign for now, maybe try a local online job board too. You three screen the applications, conduct initial interviews together next week. Bring me your top recommendation, and I'll give the final okay. Just remember, maximum three people on shift at once for space."
He saw the surprise flash across their faces again, this time mixed with a dawning sense of empowerment. Henry looked momentarily overwhelmed, then straightened. "Okay, boss. Yeah. We can handle that." Olivia and Jenny exchanged excited glances. Theo felt a calculated risk settle in his stomach, delegating hiring was a major leap of trust, but it was necessary if he truly wanted to transition to an oversight role.
Around 5pm on Wednesday, just as their own dinner rush was picking up steam, the bell above Maria's door jangled more insistently than usual. A flustered-looking couple hurried in, glancing anxiously back down the street.
"Are you guys busy?" the woman asked breathlessly, scanning the relatively short queue at Maria's. "We were heading to that fish and chip place down the road, 'Something Fishy', but it's completely blocked off!"
Theo felt a jolt, quickly masked by polite curiosity. "Blocked off? What happened?" he asked, stepping closer to the counter where Olivia was about to take their order.
"Total chaos!" the man exclaimed, shaking his head. "Water everywhere! Gushing out their front door like a fountain! There's a fire truck blocking the street, guys in slickers trying to find a shut-off valve... Looked like a pipe burst right inside the shop. Absolute mess."
"Seriously?" Olivia chimed in, eyes wide. "Wow, that's terrible for them."
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Author: Hi All, thanks for reading and hope you are all enjoying the story.
I'm hoping the novel gets a bit more traction this week, please vote some power stones! I'll try and increase the release speed if the novel gets a bigger audience!
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