Red Rage
She stood at the counter, her hands trembling at her sides. The woman on the other side continued shouting at her, holding onto the remnants of her half-eaten quesadilla like a weapon.
The server flinched with every insult, struggling to maintain her calm. A red haze clouded her vision, and anger surged through her. It would be too late when she realized what had happened.
An Unexpected Turn
For twenty-three-year-old Ana Dameron, it was meant to be just another day. She had woken up early, hoping to make enough tips to pay the overdue light bill that had been out for a week.
While most her age were preoccupied with post-college plans, Ana's thoughts were consumed with where she and her grandmother's next meal would come from. Little did she know, her life was about to take a sharp turn.
Making the Best of It
Ana had always been a quiet, steady person. A native of Quincy, Massachusetts, she kept her composure no matter how tough life got.
She never complained. Orphaned at a young age, she had learned to make do. Juggling community college and odd jobs, her only hope was for things to get better. But this encounter threatened to set her progress back.
Striving for Excellence
Ana had been through more than most people at her age. Yet, she had learned early on that nothing worth having came easily. That knowledge pushed her to excel at everything she attempted.
Before working at the restaurant, she’d worked long double shifts at a nightclub in a nearby town. She rarely spoke about it, but those who knew her feared her presence more than they realized.
The Arrival of Trouble
Ana had only been working at the restaurant for a month when the woman walked in. She carried herself with an air of superiority, chin held high and gaze looking down at everyone around her.
Despite her plain attire, she moved with exaggerated flair, as if walking down a Parisian runway. The moment Ana saw her, she knew it was going to be a long shift.
The Dismissive Customer
"Good morning. How can I help you today?" Ana recited the greeting she’d been taught during training. The woman stared her down, sizing her up from head to toe before letting out an audible sigh.
With a piece of gum in her mouth, she chewed loudly and finally spoke, "You may." She sat down without another word, but she wasn’t done.
Judgmental Eyes
"I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t expect service," the woman said, her eyes scanning Ana’s uniform. When they rested on her collar, she commented, "Your blouse is wrinkled."
Ana felt a wave of heat flood her face. She couldn’t iron her blouse—her electricity had been out for days. She’d hoped no one would notice.
Gluten-Free Demands
"I," Ana began, but the woman quickly raised a finger to silence her. "I don’t care. Do you have anything gluten-free here?" she snapped.
"Yes," Ana replied, caught off guard by the rudeness. The woman’s nose wrinkled in distaste as she continued to glare at Ana’s blouse. Ana should have known better than to keep serving her, but she didn’t step away.
A Perfectly Odd Order
Still frowning, the woman ordered, "Two quesadillas, please." Ana quickly entered the request into her tablet, but before she could walk away, the woman added, "Make them gluten and cheese-free. And vegan."
She then listed a series of other things she didn’t want, some of which made no sense. Ana hesitated—she needed to intervene.
A Costly Mistake
Ana carefully listed the ingredients for the quesadillas, but the woman rejected every suggestion. What she was essentially ordering was a gluten-free lettuce and tomato wrap, which Ana was happy to provide.
However, keying it in as a ‘quesadilla’ would cost the woman $12—without any of the requested ingredients. Hoping to help, Ana made an unexpected move.
A Lettuce Wrap With Tomato
"I can just get you a lettuce wrap with tomato, and it will be $2.25," she said while looking around. Out of everyone in the restaurant, she understood the value of money.
There was no need to charge the woman $12 for something she could get for $2.25. She wasn't hoping for a better tip or anything and was genuinely looking to help. But she didn't stop there.
Trying To Help
"I'll even heat it for you," Ana suggested with a smile. But the woman glared at her. Didn't she want the help? She insisted on what she'd ordered.
Ana had to explain thrice that what the woman was getting was six times more expensive than what Ana was willing to give her. And that's when things started going south.
The Insults
The woman sighed, then chuckled. There was venom in her laughter, a certain poison lingering in her hazel eyes that made Ana step back.
"You don't look like a stupid girl," she seethed. "Are you stupid?" "Ma'am, please be respectful," Ana wanted to interject. But she knew how some of these things went. The customer was always right; she might lose her job if she talked back.
Her Past
Holding her tongue, she listened to the woman talk down on and insult her. She remembered her last job at the nightclub and what she'd done to people who didn't respect her or her customers.
Before working there, she'd had a burning passion for boxing. She even participated in several flyweight matches in town. Her knowledge of fighting had come in handy at the nightclub when she needed to protect herself or teach someone a lesson.
What To Do
"You need this job," she kept repeating internally. The paycheck here could have been better, but it was almost double what the nightclub job paid. Could she stand here and take these woman's insults because she needed the money?
Ana was by no means a violent person. But she was never one to take a beating while lying down. Her fingers formed fists, and her jaw ticked as the woman continued talking.
Get The Manager
"I know what I want," the woman said. "I want my quesadillas this way, and if you can't understand this, go get the manager."
That snapped Ana back to reality, and she took another step back. Did she really consider squaring up against a customer? She shook off the chill that clambered up her spine and told the woman she'd have her food ready in a minute.
She's Happy With It
Ana did as the woman requested. She had the chef prepare the vegan, non-gluten quesadillas and brought them over. The woman smirked at her, tugging thick blonde locks behind her ears as she stared at the food.
"See," she said. "I knew you could do it!" Ana's heart rate spiked at that, and she used everything within her to maintain the fake smile she was shining at the woman. Little did she know that this was far from over.
Ten Minutes Later
The woman dug into her food, getting lost in it as the second went by. But at the ten-minute mark, she called out to Ana, who came running to her table.
Ana had just handed her the bill and had expected this to happen. "Excuse me," yelled the woman. The entire restaurant fell into silence.
The Bill
The woman slid the bill across the table to Ana, her brows narrowed and eyes alight with questions. "$24 for two quesadillas is completely insane," she stated.
Although she still had that air of importance about her, she seemed shaken by the price tag. Ana smiled inwardly, not knowing the woman still had an ace up her sleeve.
It's Too Expensive
"What?" Ana asked, feigning surprise. She picked up the bill, looking at it before sliding it back to the woman. "$24, that is indeed insane, ma'am. But what can I help you with?"
"What do you mean 'what can you help me with?' None of what I ordered amounts to all this money!" the woman said. "Why on earth is it $24 for my two quesadillas?"
Is It Over
"Because the price on the menu is $12 each," Ana answered calmly. She'd been waiting for this exact moment to see the regret flash before the woman's face.
She'd tried to help her, and the woman didn't listen. The ends of Ana's lips curved, and she turned to leave. A perfect ending to a stressful situation, she thought. Or so it seemed.
It Begins
The screech of a chair being scraped against the floor jarred her ears. She turned to find the woman standing behind her. "My bill can't be $24," she declared with her hands on her hips.
But didn't Ana try to warn her some twenty minutes ago? The server recalled the woman's mean words, how she'd called her stupid, and asked if she was "using her brain as a hat." Instead of defusing the matter, Ana added more fuel to the flames.
That's The Price
She reached for a menu and opened the quesadilla page. "Here," she pointed at the prices. "Basic quesadilla with a side of guacamole, $12. You had two, which makes it $24. But I might be mistaken, seeing as I use my brain as a hat."
The woman flinched at that but said, "I didn't get any of the included items on the menu." "Yes," Ana agreed. "But you ordered two quesadillas. Therefore that is what you got charged."
Her Big Move
"Alright," the woman waved her arms about, throwing her quesadilla's entrails everywhere. "Enough of this. Let me speak to your manager." Looking around, she said, "Can I get the manager here, please?"
She walked to the counter, leaving Ana where she stood. The manager, Mr. Timmerman, quickly showed up. He didn't want any bad press falling on the restaurant while he was in charge.
Talking To The Manager
The woman talked to him briefly, pointing at Ana several times. Her face had morphed entirely from the scary entitled person she was a second ago to a helpless lady.
Her eyes sparkled with damned tears, and her lips quivered as she explained what had happened between her and Ana. It wasn't long before Mr. Timmerman waved the server over.