Chapter Twenty-Six
“Bully - A person who is habitually cruel or overbearing, especially to smaller or weaker people.”
Piper
As if getting up early on a freezing cold morning, riding a bus that makes you feel like a traitor, and worrying the whole ride about your best friend’s life wasn’t enough, I get to work and find out I’m stuck with Emilio.
Yay.
Emilio is a new addition to the diner’s staff (any other time I might’ve said family, but I would rather get poked repeatedly with a sharp object than call that guy family), and he has to be the hardest person to get along with I’ve ever met.
Frankly, he’s a bully.
None of us like him, but we all have to tolerate him.
I was the first waitress to arrive, on time, but Emilio was already there, standing on the sidewalk in a thin coat with his hands shoved into the pockets.
The minute I stepped on the sidewalk, he started complaining about us waitresses and how we were never on time.
He blamed me for his frozen toes and nose the whole time I unlocked the diner and he was still complaining after I let us in and flipped on all the lights.
“I’m sorry you had to wait. I know it’s very cold this morning,” I said to be polite. Really, I wanted to tell him it wasn’t my problem he showed up early and had to wait. I guess I should be glad he showed up at all.
“I think I might call the boss and let him know you didn’t show up on time. Made people wait on you.”
I didn’t say anything as I started the coffee makers. When I tried to move past him toward the back and the ice machine, he blocked my path, staring down at me with a sour look on his face.
“Excuse me,” I said, holding on to my temper. Giving this guy a reaction is what he wanted. I wasn’t about to play into his hands.
Just then the other waitress working the morning shift walked in and behind her was our first customer of the day. He stepped aside and I went past to get the ice. I let out a deep breath. If the start to my morning were any indication, this was going to be a very, very long day.