“This idiot who works for you doesn’t seem to understand what it means when I tell herno dairy.She’s made this same salad for me three times, and every time she brings it to me, it’s wrong.”
I frown down at her salad. “I don’t see any dairy there.”
She scoffs and shoves it forward, almost making it spill over the side and onto the floor. “Are you fucking kidding me? What do you call that?”
She points her red-tipped nail at the center of the lettuce. I look from the bowl to her and raise an eyebrow.
“I call that a hard-boiled egg.”
“Exactly.”
“I told her—” Tandy begins, but the bitch in front of me cuts her off.
“You told me what? That you didn’t do it wrong? Because you clearly did, you stupid little?—”
“Stop.” The hard crack of my voice has her taking a step back. “Number one, you won’t abuse my staff. Not today or any other day. Number two, eggs arenotdairy. They’re poultry.”
“You’re stupid if you truly believe that,” she says. “Why are they in the fucking dairy section of the store?”
“Because the store keeps them cold to make them last longer, but they’renotdairy. Google it. In the meantime, if you don’t like eggs, we won’t add them to your salad. But you won’t call my staff, or myself, stupid for knowing our jobs.”
“You’re wrong.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“You can go now.”
Her jaw drops. “I’m not leaving until you make me the salad the way I want it.”
“Yeah, you are. You’re done.”
“I wouldneverbe treated this way in LA.”
“Then go back to LA. Now, are you taking this with you or not?”
“Are you hearing impaired, you stupid redneck?”
I glance at Tandy, who’s staring in shock. “Call the police.”
“Are you fuckingcrazy?” The customer is screeching now, and everyone in the restaurant has stopped what they’re doing to watch us.
“You have five seconds to get the fuck out of my building before I have you arrested for trespassing.”
Her lip curls in a sneer before she turns and stomps away, and once she’s gone, the place erupts in applause.
“You go with your badass self,” Billie says, a grab-and-go salad in her hand as she steps up to the counter. “What a bitch. I hope she doesn’t go over to the bookstore.”
I rub a shaky hand over my forehead. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, I feel unsteady.
“I hate people,” Tandy says with a deep sigh. “Thanks for having my back, Jules. I knew that eggs aren’t dairy.”
“Everyone knows that.” Billie rolls her eyes. “I want a brownie, too. I’m eating this salad, which is delicious by the way, but I need something sweet to go with it.”
“You got it, Bug.” I wink at her and ring her up.
“Did you pick up the new book club read?” she asks me. “It’sWarby Brittanée Nicole, and it’sso good.”
“I did pick it up, and I started it last night,” I reply with a grin. “Daddy War might be my new favorite hero.”
“He’ssohot,” Billie agrees. “Okay, gotta run back. See you later!”
