“Oh, god,” I think to myself when I see the look on Daisy’s face. “What did he do this time?”
“What happened?” I should have gone over there when I saw him talking to her. I knew he was up to something, sticking his nose in something that he shouldn’t be, but I guess I gave him the benefit of the doubt when I shouldn’t have.
“He told me to button my shirt up,” she says.
“He told you to… what?” I ask, genuinely confused.
Daisy nods. “He said it was too low. I buttoned it up, but he keeps giving me dirty looks now.”
I didn’t notice it before, but she’s got the collar practically buttoned to her throat. Usually, she wears it with a few buttons undone, like a lot of my waitresses do. For one, it’s way more comfortable. The collars are tight, and they’re a little scratchy. I’ve been meaning to replace them for some time now. And secondly, as shitty as it seems, having a little sex appeal is Waitressing 101. It’s a good way to get tips, and I’d never look down on my servers for doing what they can to make extra money.
“Did he say anything else?” I ask, trying to keep the anger out of my voice. I don’t want her to think it’s directed at her.
Daisy pauses. “He… said this is a classy place, and that I shouldn’t show so much cleavage,” she says, staring down at her lap as she fiddles with the hem of her skirt. “I’m sorry, Abby. I didn’t know.”
“Don’t apologize,” I say.
She sniffles again, and I reach behind me for my box of tissue. I hand it to her, and she gives me a grateful look.
“I’m sorry for crying,” she says before blowing her nose. “I just don’t want you to think I don’t take my job seriously. Some of the other waitresses do the same thing. I just have bigger boobs than them.”
“Don’t worry about it, Daisy,” I reassure her. “The way you were wearing your shirt before was fine. You must be uncomfortable with it buttoned up like that.” From what I remember, she didn’t even have cleavage on display. The dress shirt just hugs her boobs more than some of the smaller girls.
“Are you sure?” she murmurs, wiping her nose with the tissue.
I nod. “I’m positive. Don’t listen to him; wear your shirt however you want.”
With a small smile, Daisy hesitantly unbuttons two buttons and pauses, clearing waiting for my verdict.
I nod. “That’s fine, Daisy.”
“I know this is a classy place, and I’m not a classy person–”
“You look very classy, Daisy,” I say, cutting her off. It’s not a lie. She has her blonde hair up in a tight bun, and her uniform fits her great. She’s wearing nice, subtle makeup, and looks clean and proper. None of my customers have had an issue with her, and I certainly haven’t. Other than being a bit curvier, and the single tattoo on her wrist, she looks like all my other employees.
“Thanks, Abby.” She wipes off her face and stands up.
I stand up too and follow her to the door. She strides across the kitchen with her head down, avoiding Karl, who’s wiping off the counter in the corner. He doesn’t look at her as she strides by.
“Karl,” I say, barely containing my anger this time.
He looks at me, his eyebrows going up. Chloe’s standing with Ethan on the other side of the room, and I can tell by the expression on her face that she’s enjoying this. She really has it out for him.
“My office, now.”
He puts down his rag and crosses the kitchen. I lead the way into my office, and he follows, closing the door behind me.I whirl on him. “Did you tell Daisy to button up her shirt?”
He shrugs. “Yeah, so? I could see everything. I’m sure your customers noticed it too. It’s not good to have a waitress wandering around looking like a sl—”
“Enough!” I interrupt him before he can utter the word that I hate the most. “Don’t you dare speak about my employees like that, or any woman for that matter. And for the record, if I had an issue with how she wore her uniform, I would have mentioned it to her myself. It’s not your place to bring concerns like that directly to my employees.”
He crosses his arms. “This is supposed to be a high-class restaurant.”
“And it is, even if some of my employees have bigger boobs than others.” I know he must have struck a nerve with Daisy. She told me when I hired her that she was worried the others would treat her differently if they found out what she used to do. I don’t think any of them know, but Karl saying that to her probably reignited those worries.
“It’s your restaurant,” he says dismissively, shrugging. “If that’s what you want, then fine.”
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The readers' comments on the novel: Chasing His Kickass Luna Back
Please more updates! I hope Abby gets her happy ending with Karl. I SEE how his chanced and he knows that Abby needs to be her own person too....