Page 63 of Unbelonging
Brittney tapped her foot. "Well?"
Amber stood up straighter and put her hands on her hips. She cleared her throat again and licked her lips like they'd just gone dry. And then she said in a loud, clear voice, "I'm not a man either!"
Around her, people at neighboring tables burst out laughing. Someone hooted from the bar area. Brittney looked around the crowded restaurant, glaring at anyone who met her gaze.
Amber looked wide-eyed, frozen in place, until she blurted out, "I'll be right back," and bolted for the door.
Brittney stared after her. Her gaze shifted sideways until our eyes met. The silence stretched out as she glanced again toward the door. Amber was gone. And for some reason, I didn't think she was coming back.
Brittney turned her head to face me. "You'd better watch your back," she said, "because this isn't over."
She didn't scare me. Compared to Loretta, Brittney was about as menacing as a cupcake. I blinked stupidly at her. "So, uh, you're saying you want dessert?"
She gritted her teeth. "No, that'snotwhat I'm saying, and you know it."
"Lemme tell you our specials," I said. "Our apple cobbler –"
"Shut up!" she screeched.
Someone at a nearby table laughed.
With a noticeable effort, Brittney collected herself. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared around the room before announcing, "I'm outta here." After a final dirty look in my direction, she said, "And I hope you know, you're not getting a tip for this."
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Chapter 35
Five minutes later, I was in Keith's office, giving him the vouchers, redeemed in full.
"Were they happy?" he said.
"Hard to say."
Giving me the squinty eye, he opened the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a typed sheet of paper. "Here," he said, thrusting it at me.
"What's this?" I asked, taking the sheet from his outstretched hand.
"The summary of what you owe. That's your official copy."
I looked it over. "Wait a minute," I said. "This isn't right."
He leaned back in his chair. "Sure, it is."
"But this shows me paying for their dinner," I said, "the one from the other night."
"No, it doesn't."
I held out the sheet, pointing to the line-item in question. "Yes it does. Right here."
"Oh, that's not for their dinner," he said with a big smile. "That's for their drinks."
I felt myself grow very still. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said with a self-satisfied smile," that our agreement stated you were off the hook for dinner. It didn't say anything about their drinks."
"Drinks were part of their dinner," I said.
"Nope. Sorry."
