Unraveled by Jordan Everett

Author:Jordan Everett [Everett, Jordan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2020-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

***

The tidal wave of shouting incapacitated Kaden the next day. She stood stunned, holding out a clean dishtowel and watching the customer’s face turn redder with each sentence. Specifics were lost, because Kaden only comprehended that this man was furious that he’d spilled a soup all over himself.

She looked to Madeline, who stood at the register, fiddling with the point-of-sale system. Madeline considered tough customer situations great learning opportunities. Kaden was on her own, so she strained to set aside his absurd aggression to listen.

He said, “You’ve been sabotaging me from the moment I walked in here!”

Moments like these, Kaden sympathized with full-time servers. She said, “I think you could use this towel.” She grimaced, embarrassed that she blanked when customers were this irate.

“You’re discriminating against me! If I looked different, you’d be over here, cleaning the soup off my shoes. I should slap you to the floor so you can lick my shoes clean!” He looked normal, to Kaden anyway.

Madeline was suddenly at Kaden’s side. She snatched the towel from Kaden’s hand and tossed it over the counter. “You’ve been out of line since you walked in, but my colleague has been gracious despite that. Now you’ve threatened her with violence, which is both unwelcome and illegal. I’m calling the police.”

She went straight for the phone. He huffed, glaring from one woman to the other.

Kaden’s patience cracked. “You’re deciding how much worse to make all three of our days. Let me help—just leave.”

The man deflated. He mumbled, “Needed to do laundry anyway,” and left with a dripping shirt.

After he was out of sight, Kaden said, “You always know how to handle every angry customer. It’s a gift.”

Madeline laughed and put the phone on the cradle. “You get used to handling people acting ugly. Give yourself some credit, though, because that one was a team effort. Hey, you take the whole pie for sticky situations in here. This guy threatened you of all people. You handled the worst customer ever like a boss. He mustn’t watch the news much. Look, and the mop’s even out again.”

Kaden laughed louder than the joke called for, but she welcomed it anyway. Back to chopping onions to avoid the spotlight on her talent for fighting. She aimed for the sure change of subject. Something safe. “How’s Ronald?”

Madeline stamped her foot and said, “That ass ghosted me! I was actually worried about him. But nope, spotted in the wild at the grocery store.”

Kaden jerked her head back. The couple had survived three months, and last she’d heard, were getting serious. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Madeline’s lower lip quivered. “Am I out of line for being so pissed? I want to swear off dating forever.”

“Not at all. What a coward. I’m so sorry, and I’m sorry I even asked,” she repeated. Kaden hadn’t meant to upset her, and was sure she’d never grasp how to comfort others.

Madeline covered her face with her hands. “Ugh. Kaden, I’m the sorry one. Your problems are a thousand times worse than mine.

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