The absurdity of it stopped everyone.
Robert coughed.
Victoria stared.
Elaine continued.
“I also think you may be making this larger before we know what happened.”
Victoria’s face became pale.
“You think I stole something?”
“No.”
“I think you should stop asking people to lose their jobs before anyone checks.”
Robert quietly sat back down.
That made his vote clear.
Victoria looked betrayed.
Then toward Aaron.
“This is unbelievable.”
Aaron nodded.
“I can have your coat brought.”
She left without waiting.
No coat.
It remained in the cloakroom.
A hostess ran after her thirty seconds later carrying it.
At the back service station, Maya stood between shelves of folded napkins and clean glassware trying not to cry.
Aaron found her there.
“Hey.”
She turned away.
“I’m fine.”
“No.”
He leaned against the doorway.
“You’re working in a restaurant.”
“You are legally prohibited from saying that sentence while crying.”
Maya laughed once.
Then wiped her face angrily.
“I did not accuse her.”
“I know what she said.”
“No.”
Maya turned.
“You need to hear what actually happened.”
“I do.”
Her breathing slowed.
Aaron waited.
Maya started from the beginning.
Table thirteen, directly beside Victoria’s, had been set for a couple celebrating an anniversary.
One silver reservation-card holder disappeared after a busser reset the table.
Maya noticed because she had placed the card herself ten minutes earlier.
At the same time, Victoria had taken several items from her purse and placed them on table twelve while showing Elaine a bracelet.
A compact.
Phone.
Lipstick.
Small silver object.
Maya saw something reflecting near the edge of Victoria’s clutch.
She approached.
“What did you say?”
Aaron asked.
Maya thought carefully.
“I said, ‘Excuse me, Mrs. Langley, did one of our table markers get moved over here by accident?’”
Aaron nodded.
“And?”
“She said no.”
“Then?”
“I looked because I could still see something silver near her bag.”
“What was it?”
“I don't know.”
“Okay.”
Maya continued.
“I said, ‘Would you mind checking? One is missing from the next setting.’”
“She looked at me and said, ‘Are you asking me to search my purse?’”
“I said, ‘No, ma’am.’”
“She said, ‘Then what exactly are you asking?’”
“I said, ‘Only whether the holder got mixed in with the items on the table.’”
“And?”
“She said, ‘Do I look like someone who steals restaurant decorations?’”
Aaron closed his eyes.
“And what did you say?”
“I said, ‘I didn’t say that.’”
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“Did you mention her purse again?”
“No.”
“Did you touch anything?”
“No.”
“Did you call security?”
“No.”
“Did you tell anyone she stole it?”
“No.”
Maya looked at him.
“I should not have asked again.”
Aaron thought.
“Maybe.”
Her face fell.
He continued.
“But that is a service judgment.”
“Not theft accusation.”
“Those are different.”
Maya nodded.
“I could have checked the floor first.”
“Yes.”
“I could have asked the busser.”
“Yes.”
“I was rushing.”
“Yes.”
He was not going to lie to make her feel better.
Maya stared at the folded napkins.
“She said she spends more here than I make.”
“I heard.”
“I hate that I cared.”
Aaron frowned.
“What?”
“She wanted me to feel small.”
“I know.”