“Good.”
Victoria gestured toward Maya.
“Then fire her.”
Aaron looked toward Maya.
The young waitress had gone very still.
She was Black.
Five foot five.
Dark brown skin.
Hair twisted into a neat low bun.
Black uniform shirt.
White apron.
No jewelry except tiny gold studs.
She had worked at Bellmere for eleven months.
In that time, she had been late twice.
Both during the week her mother was hospitalized.
She had received one written warning for forgetting to enter an allergy modification during her first month.
She had also received twenty-three positive guest notes, had the highest dessert conversion rate among evening servers, and had once spent forty minutes after closing helping an elderly customer search through garbage bags for a hearing aid that was later found inside the woman’s coat pocket.
Aaron knew all of that because he believed employee records should contain more than mistakes.
He turned back to Victoria.
“No.”
The word was quiet.
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“I will not fire Maya based on what I’ve heard.”
Her face changed as though he had spoken another language.
“I beg your pardon?”
Aaron remained calm.
“I’ll move your table to another server immediately.”
“I’ll review exactly what happened.”
“If Maya acted improperly, I’ll address it.”
“But I am not firing an employee because a customer demands it before I investigate.”
Victoria stared.
Elaine looked at Robert.
Robert looked at his wine.
Maya looked at Aaron.
She had expected defense.
Maybe.
She had not expected that sentence.
Victoria laughed once.
Coldly.
“You are telling me no?”
“Yes.”
“To my face?”
Aaron almost smiled.
“That is usually how I tell people things.”
Maya looked down quickly.
Wrong time to laugh.
Victoria noticed anyway.
“Is this amusing to her?”
“No.”
Maya answered.
Aaron looked toward her.
“Maya.”
She nodded.
“Sorry.”
Victoria turned back to Aaron.
“You should be.”
Aaron’s tone changed slightly.
“Mrs. Langley.”
She stared.
He continued.
“You can be unhappy.”
“You can ask for another server.”
“You can make a complaint.”
“You cannot speak to my employee however you want because you are angry.”
Silence.
Now people nearby noticed.
A couple at table nine stopped talking.
One of the bartenders looked over.
Victoria lowered her voice.
“You have no idea what you are risking.”
Aaron heard the sentence.
So did Maya.
He looked at Victoria.
“Is that a threat?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“Because I would prefer we keep this about dinner.”
Victoria’s face reddened.
“You are making a very serious mistake.”
“Possibly.”
Aaron nodded.
“But it will be mine.”
He turned toward Maya.
“Back station.”
She hesitated.
“Now.”
She left.
Aaron looked toward Victoria.
“I’m going to assign you another server.”
“I don’t want another server.”
“What would you like?”
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“And I’ve answered.”
Victoria stared.
Then reached for her purse.
“We’re leaving.”
Elaine whispered:
“Victoria, come on.”
“No.”
She stood.
Robert stood too.
Elaine did not.
Victoria looked at her.
“Elaine.”
Elaine’s expression tightened.
“I’m hungry.”