“I PAID THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS!”
The Labrador puppy beneath the chair stopped whining.
Everyone looked.
Emily lowered her own voice instinctively.
“I understand.”
“No, you clearly don’t.”
Karen slapped her pink wallet onto the counter.
“I spend thousands of dollars here every year.”
Emily said nothing.
“Thousands.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And now some receptionist is going to tell me I can’t take complimentary toys?”
“They’re not all complimentary.”
“There’s a sign saying free.”
“One per pet.”
Karen pointed at the sign.
“Free.”
Emily pointed beneath it.
“One free toy for every pet.”
Karen shook her head.
“That’s not legally binding.”
Rebecca nearly smiled.
The dispute had somehow reached contract interpretation.
Emily appeared to be having the same thought.
She resisted saying it.
Karen continued.
“There’s no written agreement.”
Emily stared at her.
“Karen, it’s a basket of dog toys.”
“Exactly.”
“So why are you fighting me?”
That sentence escaped before Emily could stop it.
Rebecca saw immediate regret in her face.
Karen’s eyes widened.
“What did you just say?”
Emily inhaled.
“I’m sorry. What I meant was—”
“You think I’m fighting you?”
“I should have phrased that differently.”
“Oh, no. Don’t change it now.”
Karen leaned over the counter.
“You think I’m the problem.”
Emily took a small step backward.
“I’m asking you to leave the donation toys.”
Karen grabbed a plush orange fox.
She held it up.
“This?”
“Yes.”
“This stupid thing?”
“Yes.”
“You’re willing to lose a customer over this?”
Emily hesitated.
Rebecca silently answered for her.
Yes.
Not because the toy mattered.
Because sometimes businesses had to decide whether their policies existed only until a sufficiently difficult person challenged them.
Emily said, “I’m not trying to lose anyone.”
Karen threw the fox onto the counter.
It bounced.
A customer jumped slightly.
Emily raised one hand.
“Please don’t throw things.”
Karen reached into her carrier.
She grabbed a tennis ball.
Then another.
She tossed both onto the countertop.
One bounced past Emily.
Another rolled into a pen holder.
“Fine!”
Karen pulled out the rope toy.
“Take them!”
She threw it too.
The waiting room went silent.
Karen grabbed the plush duck.
The rubber bone.
A purple ball.
Within seconds colorful toys were bouncing across the counter and rolling onto the floor.
Emily stepped backward with both hands raised.
“Karen, stop.”
“I’m returning them!”
“Please put them down.”
“I thought you wanted them back!”
One tennis ball rolled beneath a chair.
The German shepherd watched it intensely.
Its owner tightened the leash.
Rebecca moved closer.
Still not intervening.
Not because she enjoyed the spectacle.
Because Rachel Morgan, Canyon Ridge’s front desk supervisor, had just appeared in the doorway behind Emily.
Rachel was thirty-nine and had managed customer issues for six years.
She approached calmly.
“What’s going on?”
Karen spun toward her.
“Are you the manager?”
“I supervise the front desk.”
“Good.”
Karen pointed at Emily.
“Fire her.”
Rachel looked at Emily.
Then at the toys scattered across the counter.
Then at Karen.
“What happened?”
“She accused me of stealing.”
Emily said immediately, “I did not.”
Karen slapped her palm on the counter.
“You implied it!”
Rachel raised one hand.
“One person at a time.”
Karen laughed.
“You don’t tell me when to talk.”
Rachel’s expression barely changed.
“I need to understand what happened.”
“I took several free toys.”
Emily added, “They’re one per pet. The extras are for Desert Hearts.”
Rachel nodded.
She knew the program.
Karen pointed.
“See? You people keep saying the same thing as if that makes it reasonable.”
Rachel said, “It is our policy.”
Karen looked delighted.
“Policy.”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
Rachel pointed at the sign.
Karen stared.
“That’s a sign.”
“Yes.”
“That isn’t policy.”
Rachel paused.
“What would you consider policy?”
“A real document.”
Rachel almost smiled.
“You’d like the employee operations manual?”
“I’d like somebody competent.”
That landed differently.
Emily looked down.
Rachel’s face tightened slightly.
Rebecca felt her own patience shortening.
Karen continued.
“I have spent thousands at this clinic.”
Rachel nodded.
“We appreciate that.”
“You don’t act like it.”
“We appreciate every client.”
“That’s the problem.”
Rachel blinked.
Karen continued.
“You treat everyone the same.”
Rebecca nearly laughed.
Karen had somehow stated the clinic’s desired policy as an accusation.
Rachel said, “We try to.”
“I am not everyone.”
There it was.
Rebecca stopped moving.
Rachel asked, “What would you like us to do?”
Karen pointed toward the basket.
“I want the toys.”
“All of them?”
“Whatever Victoria wants.”
Rachel looked at the small poodle inside the carrier.
Victoria was asleep.
Rachel said, “Victoria appears satisfied.”
A man near the entrance coughed into his fist, hiding a laugh.
Karen heard him.
She turned.
“Is something funny?”
The man shook his head immediately.
“Nope.”
Karen faced Rachel.
“I want your manager.”
“I am the front desk manager.”
“The clinic manager.”
Rachel said, “Our practice administrator isn’t on-site today.”
“Then whoever owns this place.”
Rebecca raised one eyebrow.
Rachel glanced toward Rebecca.
Only for half a second.
Karen did not notice.
Rachel said, “Dr. Hayes is here.”
“Good.”
“Would you like me to get her?”
“Yes.”
Karen straightened her coat.
“Immediately.”
Rachel looked at Rebecca again.
Rebecca stepped forward.
Not quickly.
She had no reason to rush.
Karen was rearranging toys on the counter as though preparing evidence.
“Where is she?”
Rebecca stopped beside the waiting-area chairs.
“Right here.”
Karen glanced at her.
Then looked past her.
“Where?”
Rebecca smiled.
“I’m Rebecca Hayes.”
Karen frowned.
“That’s nice.”