Chapter 13
The Restaurant
Carroll surveyed the empty dining room. She didn’t want to think about how bad business was. Instead, she chose to remember the good old days—when the dining room was always packed, when customers would wait an hour for a table, when the owners put employees and quality and customer service before numbers and profit. Unfortunately, those days were gone. The new owners who had bought the place were so focused on, and skilled at, cutting costs that they also cut their profits along the way. Funny, Carroll thought, how businesses that put profits before people wind up losing the people that provide the profits. She longed for the good old days, and when she looked toward the front door and watched people walk into the restaurant, she was reminded of what the good old days were all about.
Josh walked in and spotted Carroll immediately. She had the same fiery red hair and the same rotund figure that revealed she spent too much time in the restaurant. Despite being only 10 years older than Josh, she was one of the best leaders he had ever met.
“Where is everyone?” he asked. “This used to be your busiest time.”
“Don’t get me started,” Carroll said. “New owners. We won’t make it another month.”
Josh sighed in disbelief. Another place in which he had planned to plant the seed was about to become non-existent.
“So . . . how are you doing, stranger?” Carroll asked, ...
