Jack sat at his desk and smiled. It was almost midnight, and he had been in the cramped little office in the back of Willie's Bar and Grill since early that morning, but he was having one of his better days. All day long, he had been letting the staff know what was going to happen to them. He had been listening to their outrage and anger, fear and sorrow, and the pleading all day long, and he was high on it. They didn't make drugs this good, and the best part was that there was no hangover. He called the last one in. The rest of the staff was gone, except for her.
When she walked in, he smiled. He had the kind of smile that salesmen and televangelists envied. It was a smile that radiated warmth, honesty and kindness. Jack sometimes joked that he was twice as decent as normal men, but that all his decency was in his smile. There was none left for the rest of him, and the best thing was to watch people's faces when that kind, warm smile didn't falter as it delivered the bad news.
"Have a seat, Miss," he said, writing something on the page before him, then closing the folder and setting it on top of the stack on the edge of the desk. He picked up the last folder on the other side and opened it. It was a charade, of course. The folders were as meaningless to him as the paperwork that filled them. That was for the accountants, but Jack knew the awe most people had for folders and forms and men in grey suits.
He let her wait while he looked at the file. He didn't read anything interesting, but he could almost hear her heart racing as she waited for him to speak. A month ago, Jack had bought Willie's. Tomorrow, renovations would start, and the place would be closed for about a month, and reopen as Madame Cherie's. There was no such person, but he liked the sound of it, and he had been successful with similar places in other cities, despite hard times.
"I suppose you've probably heard, we're closing for a month," he told the girl, in his smooth, calm voice. Nothing personal, he may as well have been reading from a script. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that we're letting everyone go." He slid an envelope with a check in it across the desk. "This is two weeks pay, based on your average earnings for the past year. Of course, there are no tips, so it's not much. Again, I am sorry."
He gave it a moment to sink in, then he smiled at her. "Don't spread this around too much, but we're going to start interviewing new staff in the morning. It's going to be a very different place, so I'm not sure how many people we'll be hiring from the old crew. The clientelle at Madame Cherie's is going to expect a much higher level of service than what you're used to. Our customers will come expecting to be treated like royalty, and they will not be disappointed. We will train those girls who show they have the particular qualities that we need. I'm telling you this because you're a very pretty girl and you seem to have a great body. Those aren't the only things we are looking for, of course, but it's enough to get your foot in the door."
He scribbled something on a post it and stuck it to the top page in her file. Then he closed the folder and set it on top of the stack. He looked up at her, savoring her reaction, and let his gentle, concerned smile spread across his face. "That's all. Unless you have a question for me?"
When she walked in, he smiled. He had the kind of smile that salesmen and televangelists envied. It was a smile that radiated warmth, honesty and kindness. Jack sometimes joked that he was twice as decent as normal men, but that all his decency was in his smile. There was none left for the rest of him, and the best thing was to watch people's faces when that kind, warm smile didn't falter as it delivered the bad news.
"Have a seat, Miss," he said, writing something on the page before him, then closing the folder and setting it on top of the stack on the edge of the desk. He picked up the last folder on the other side and opened it. It was a charade, of course. The folders were as meaningless to him as the paperwork that filled them. That was for the accountants, but Jack knew the awe most people had for folders and forms and men in grey suits.
He let her wait while he looked at the file. He didn't read anything interesting, but he could almost hear her heart racing as she waited for him to speak. A month ago, Jack had bought Willie's. Tomorrow, renovations would start, and the place would be closed for about a month, and reopen as Madame Cherie's. There was no such person, but he liked the sound of it, and he had been successful with similar places in other cities, despite hard times.
"I suppose you've probably heard, we're closing for a month," he told the girl, in his smooth, calm voice. Nothing personal, he may as well have been reading from a script. "I'm sorry to have to tell you that we're letting everyone go." He slid an envelope with a check in it across the desk. "This is two weeks pay, based on your average earnings for the past year. Of course, there are no tips, so it's not much. Again, I am sorry."
He gave it a moment to sink in, then he smiled at her. "Don't spread this around too much, but we're going to start interviewing new staff in the morning. It's going to be a very different place, so I'm not sure how many people we'll be hiring from the old crew. The clientelle at Madame Cherie's is going to expect a much higher level of service than what you're used to. Our customers will come expecting to be treated like royalty, and they will not be disappointed. We will train those girls who show they have the particular qualities that we need. I'm telling you this because you're a very pretty girl and you seem to have a great body. Those aren't the only things we are looking for, of course, but it's enough to get your foot in the door."
He scribbled something on a post it and stuck it to the top page in her file. Then he closed the folder and set it on top of the stack. He looked up at her, savoring her reaction, and let his gentle, concerned smile spread across his face. "That's all. Unless you have a question for me?"
