4
Felix
Dread curled unpleasantly in the pit of my stomach, just like it did the night Larry threw me out.
The group of alpha customers at the next table stared beneath Elijah’s table, wide-eyed and disbelieving. When I followed their gaze to see what was so troubling that they needed to cause a scene, I saw it--a dog laying still and silently at Elijah’s feet. His head wasn’t even raised from his paws. He wore a red vest with patches, and a handle attached to it.
A service dog, just like Brooke’s.
Truthfully, I hadn’t even noticed the dog until now. He’d been so quiet and well-behaved.
Unlike the alphas.
Elijah took a sip of his coffee, like he didn’t notice being he was being stared at and accosted. “This is wonderful.”
Does he really not notice?I wondered.Or is he purposely ignoring them?
“I’ll have to come here for coffee from now on,” Elijah continued, looking vaguely in my direction. He didn’t wear sunglasses, so I saw his warm, dark eyes. “Maybe when it’s a bit less crowded, though.”
I realized he was joking and I chuckled. “Yes, maybe.”
“Yo,” a rough male voice yelled. “Is that even allowed?”
“Yeah, this is a place that sells food,” another alpha added. “Dogs shouldn’t be in here.”
A few other customers had paused and were staring at the scene with a mix of horror and curiosity. My patience with these men had already worn thin. I forced myself to retain my best customer service voice, as much as it pained me.
“Sir, please sit down,” I told him.
But the three big alphas didn’t seem moved by my words. They were like a pack of hyenas, trying to rubberneck and see the dog--who was pointedly ignoring them, just like his handler.
“Seriously, can you call a manager or something?” one alpha growled. “I don’t want to eat with dog hair everywhere. It’s gross.”
“Right? He’s bothering us.”
My jaw dropped now. The dread in my gut exploded into fiery anger.
“Service animals are legally permitted here and everywhere else,” I stated as politely yet firmly as possible. “We don’t tolerate harassment here.”
“No, it’s not!” one alpha protested. “He doesn’t even look blind! He’s probably faking it.”
This time, I saw Elijah flinch. The neutral expression on his face twisted into open irritation.
I have to stop this--right now,I thought.
“Sammy?” I called. “Kaden?”
I hoped that any other staff on duty would answer my plea, if they weren’t already alerted to the issue by the commotion. Sammy’s head popped up and he stormed over, the furious expression on his face not dampened by the halo above his head.
“What’s the problem here, gentlemen?” he asked, his polite smile as fragile as glass, ready to shatter.
“These alphas have an issue with a guide dog in their presence,” I whispered. “As in, a service dog for one of our visually impaired customers.”
The other customers had gone silent except for murmurs amongst themselves as they watched the scene unfold. The alphas seemed to notice people staring at them now, instead of Elijah.
“Is that true?” Sammy asked firmly, crossing his arms.
Ever since Sammy and his girlfriend Brooke helped me land this job, I felt a great deal of respect towards both of them. But now, watching Sammy stand up for Elijah because of his experience with Brooke’s disability, my respect grew fiercer.
