Another employee had questioned why certain regulars were no longer welcome to sit at the counter during quiet afternoons.
Kyle had given the same answer.
“Frank wants us to attract a different crowd.”
I remembered the emails.
The regular who said the restaurant didn’t feel welcoming anymore.
The retired teacher who’d written that she missed the old Rosie’s.
I’d forwarded those messages to Kyle, asking him to look into the complaints.
He’d replied that some longtime customers were resisting necessary improvements.
And I’d believed him.
“Why didn’t you come directly to me?” I asked Amber.
“I tried.”
I looked up.
“What?”
“About a month ago. I asked Kyle for your number. He said you didn’t want staff contacting you about management decisions.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“He said you were tired of employees questioning changes you’d already approved.”
Kyle interrupted.
“I was trying to maintain a chain of command.”
