"She Can't Speak Chinese!" Millionaire Laughed — Then the Black Waitress Spoke
Chapter 28
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Richard said nothing. For the first time that night, the person with the least money at the table was the one insisting on the highest standard of evidence.Thomas Reed had moved close enough now to hear nearly everything. His eyes went from Maya to the $20 bill still lying near the edge of Richard's chair, then to Emily Carter."Emily?"She looked at him."Can I speak to you?"Emily swallowed.Richard turned sharply. "What is this?"Thomas did not answer. He walked a few steps toward the service station; Emily followed, her hands trembling.Thomas lowered his voice. "What happened before I came over?"Emily looked at Maya. Maya did not look back; she was focused on Grace's tablet. Emily's shame deepened. "He threw money on the floor."Thomas's expression changed. "What? A 20? Why?""He told Maya to pick it up and find someone qualified."Thomas stared at her. "And you saw this?"Emily nodded."You heard him?""Yes.""Why didn't you come get me?"Emily looked down. "I was scared.""Of Richard?"She nodded again. "He's one of our biggest accounts. I thought if I stepped in, I'd make it worse." Her voice broke.Thomas's face softened slightly. "Emily...""I know." She blinked hard. "I know."Thomas looked back toward the table. "What else did he say?"Emily told him: the challenge, the wager, the repeated insults, the way Richard had laughed when Maya said she spoke Mandarin. Thomas's mouth tightened.When he returned to table 12, something about him had changed. He was no longer the owner checking on a difficult guest; he was a man who had just learned his employee had been humiliated in his dining room while everyone around her calculated the cost of speaking."Richard."Richard barely looked at him. "This is not a good time.""No." Thomas stopped beside Maya. "It's exactly the time."Daniel looked up. Grace closed the file.Richard sighed. "Thomas, we're dealing with a business matter.""So am I."Richard frowned. Thomas pointed toward the $20 bill."Did you throw that at my employee?"Laura Hale closed her eyes. Richard looked at the bill as if he had forgotten it was there. "It was a tip."Thomas's voice remained level. "Did you put it on the floor and tell her to pick it up?"Richard shifted in his chair. "It got out of hand.""That's not an answer. Thomas... did you?"Richard stared at him. "Yes."The word landed softly. Thomas nodded once. "Then you owe her an apology."Richard laughed without humor. "You have no idea what's happening here.""I know exactly what happened in my restaurant."Richard leaned forward. "I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars here over the years."