“Of course. I—fish?”
“Doubt that. Your biggest fanboy would’ve told me if you fished.”
I’m rather wary of the tone she’s using.
It’s ominous.
I shake my head. “No, no—this is a burger bus. Why are you selling fish?”
“Called a secret menu, dude, and you ordered all of it,” Daphne says.
A secret menu.
This is the best and worst experience I’ve ever had.
Highly inspirational.
Highly mortifying.
“Your kids did it, didn’t they?” Bea says to me.
“I find there’s no good answer to that question that doesn’t ultimately leave the blame for your experience this morning solely on my shoulders. And I do apologize. For myself, and for the role my children may have played as well.”
The two women share a look.
“Didn’t expect that,” Daphne murmurs.
“Still don’t want to keep seeing his face,” Bea murmurs back.
And I smile.
Itismy default facial expression, but in this case—“You both rather dislike me.”
It’s odd these days.
Also oddly refreshing in a way I’d like to not examine.
Daphne pins me with a flat stare that makes uneasy tingles dance down my spine. “We don’t know you, you pulled a double cross on my best friend and got her sent to jail, and I’ve met a few celebrities in my life. Too many of you think you can get away with anything just because you have a pretty smile. I’d say we’re suspicious, but sure, we can use your words and say instead that werather dislikeyou. Are you going to fix the payment problem or not?”
I’ve also met a few celebrities in my life—clearly—and while many of them are marvelous human beings, I can, unfortunately, understand her suspicions.
I dig into my trousers for my phone again. “I do apologize again. Little fuckers can be quite sneaky. I’ll call the credit card company myself straight away.”
“You know it’ll take days to get this straightened out?”
“Of course. Happy to pay again. Immediately. The rest shall sort itself out in the wash.”
They share another look, and then Daphne grabs a tablet, navigates the screen, and holds it out to me with the card reader attached.
I glance at the readout on the card reader she’s extended my way, verify it’s roughly what I’d expect, and I add a fifty percent tip.
Once again, the women eyeball each other.
Then they share a shoulder shrug.
And then they both look at me with matchingare we done now?expressions.
Utterly fascinating how they’re in sync. Now that I’ve made this situation right, I need to wrap this up so I can get home and take notes. Make some character sketches.
