“Will offered me a permanent role,” Nora said. “Managing the evenings.”
Eva looked at the sheet again.
“Starting Thursday?”
“After the reopening.”
“My role.”
“He said you'd want to step back.”
Eva could feel yesterday's lovely warmth leaving her face.
“I've never said that.”
Nora pressed the edge of the paper flat against the wall. “Then you need to speak to him.”
“We both do.”
Will was in the kitchen putting vegetables into a box. Eva held the door open for Nora, who followed her in.
“What job have you offered her?” Eva asked.
Will looked up.
“We've talked about having more help in the evenings.”
“Permanent management,” Nora said.
He put the box down. “Nora.”
Eva watched him, waiting for the rest.
“That's what you said,” Nora added.
“I said we could settle something after we got Saturday running.”
“You said after Saturday.”
Eva stepped nearer the worktop. “Why did you tell her I'd step back?”
Will looked at her now. “You've had a horrible week. I thought once things settled down, you might want fewer hours.”
“I asked you last night.”
“I know.”
“You told me I could keep doing my job.”
“You can.”
“Then why is she writing the plan for Thursday?”
He rubbed both hands down his apron.
“Because I haven't explained this properly.”
“Explain it.”
“Extra cover,” he said. “So you aren't carrying everything. We can decide how it works after tomorrow.”
Nora gave a short laugh. It had no humour in it.
“That isn't an answer.”
For the first time Eva felt that they were standing on the same side of the worktop. It didn't make her feel kinder towards Nora. It made her feel uncertain about Will.
“No,” she said. “It isn't.”
From the café somebody called for the bill. All three of them turned towards the sound.
Eva kept her hand on the worktop.
“I haven't resigned. I haven't asked to reduce my hours. Saturday and Thursday are my shifts.”
“All right,” Will said.
“And I'm not finding a surprise manager on the rota next week.”
“I heard you.”
His voice had become impatient. Eva heard that too.
She went out to take the customer's money. Nora came behind her and took Thursday's sheet off the wall. She folded it once and put it under the counter.
When the customer left, Eva looked at the kitchen clock.
“We'll do the supper plan together at twelve,” she told him. “All three of us. Let's decide the work we're actually doing.”
Will nodded.
Nora said, “And I want to know what happens afterwards.”
Eva did too. For now she put three chairs round the little table and left her own plan in the middle.