“Ma’am, that’s not an option. Would you like a regular butterscotch latte?”
“No, I want agrande smokedbutterscotch latte!”
Wasn’t she listening to the barista at all?
“I’m afraid that’s impossible, ma’am.” The barista maintained her forced smile. “You’re welcome to place your order at Starbucks if it absolutelymustbe a grande smoked butterscotch latte, or you can order something else.”
“Well, now I’m ‘ordering’ a conversation with your manager!” The middle-aged woman actuallystomped her footand slapped her hand on the counter. “What’s your name, you little bitch? I’m getting youfired.”
The barista arched a brow, pointing at her nametag, which read “Kim” in blocky chalk letters.
“Manager!” The woman fumed, slapping the counter again. “Now!”
“Okay.” Kim shrugged, and turned to the back office. “Hey Mom! Some rude lady wants you to fire me!”
The customer’s face dropped as a petite blonde woman came out from the office, looking tired but stern. “Is that so?”
Michael watched in astonishment as the irate, screeching woman did a complete one-eighty in personality.
“This is a misunderstanding,” she demurred. “Your daughter was explaining the difference in your sizes, and I was a bit short with her, because I’m in a rush. I was hoping she’d be able to make a modified version of my Starbucks order.”
“Ma’am, this isn’t a Starbucks, the sign clearly says ‘Java di Jody’ above the door.”
“Right, but I was in a rush…”
Kim tossed her long blonde ponytail. “If you’re in such a rush, wouldn’t it have been easier to just order the modified drink I suggested instead of throwing a fit?”
“Kimberley,” her mother chided.
“She called me a bitch!” Kim defended herself, and Jody’s head snapped toward the customer so fast the woman shrank back, alarmed.
“Out.” Jody said simply. The woman seemed frozen in place. “I said, out. Out of my café, immediately.”
“B-but, I didn’t?—”
“My daughter may be blunt, but she isn’t a liar.”
“I—I didn’t?—”
The mother turned to Michael, as if noticing him for the first time. “Did this woman call my daughter a bitch, sir?”
All eyes swiveled to Michael, and he flushed at the attention but cleared his throat and nodded firmly. It felt good to pass a deserved judgement again.
“Well, that settles it.” Jody smiled, a hint of something dangerous in her almost sharp expression. “Get the hell out of my café before I have you removed.”
The woman huffed out a disgruntled breath but quickly snatched up her purse and stormed out on her tottering heels. The three remaining at the counter watched her go, until Kim broke the spell with a rap of her knuckles against the counter.
“Thanks for clearing that up, sir,” she grinned. “Your drink is on us today.”
Jody nodded her consent. “But you, young lady, havegotto work on your customer service skills. I can’t afford to keep pissing off every Karen that comes to the counter.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
Jody kissed her brow and waved it off. “Do better next time, Kimi-Pops.”
“Mooooom, we’re at work!”
Michael smiled at the clear love between the two, despite the way Kim stuck her tongue at her mother’s retreating back. Then she turned to him and smiled.
