The perfectly coiffed blonde had chosen her usual table near the window. The glass wasn’t necessarily clean, but I knew she liked to look out at the narrow cobbled streets and the Arno River outside.
“Just my usual.” Her wistful, bright blue eyes lifted to meet mine. “Thank you, Adaline.”
“One Caprese salad with pesto sauce and a sparkling water with lemon coming up,” I recited her order from memory and only wrote her name down on my notepad. It was all I needed to remind me to place her order. “Still not ready to call me Addy, huh?”
“Adaline is a beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” she said. “You shouldn’t shorten it.”
“Right. Thanks.” The corners of my lips tipped up into another smile at my sweet customer. “Adaline it is, then. Let me go place your order.”
Mrs. Romano and other regulars like her made my job tolerable even on the worst days. Also, I didn’t have any other viable employment options, but I had bills to pay, so I kind of had to stick it out.
Over the years I’d been in Italy, I had gotten used to the way most locals wore their hearts on their sleeves. They truly were a passionate people. While comments like Mrs. Romano’s might have sounded cheesy to me back in Portland, I had come to learn that they were genuine compliments here.
While I didn’t really think of myself as beautiful, I’d been single for long enough to enjoy hearing it from someone else. Even if it was a retired widow.
Humming to myself as I crossed the room, I noticed another one of my favorite customers sliding into his seat. Mr. Canali waved at me and pointed at the menu. I nodded my response, knowing exactly what he wanted too.
I’d always had a pretty good memory. Kyle, my brother, thought I was wasting my talent by only wanting to travel and working in the restaurant. I strongly disagreed with him.
As far as I was concerned, traveling enriched the soul in a way only it could. I didn’t need to be enriched in any other way. Experiences outweighed money in my opinion.
I had a roof over my head and could afford food and some basic luxuries. It was good enough for me.
After I placed my orders, I welcomed a few more customers, wiped down my empty tables, and delivered drinks, condiments, cutlery, and crockery. Mrs. Romano gave me a grateful smile when I delivered her meal, and Mr. Canali tucked into his tender steak with gusto.
The older man beckoned me closer when he caught my eye about halfway through his meal. A deep frown wrinkled his brow when I walked up to him. Seeing it on him worried me.
Mr. Canali wasn’t a complainer. In all the time I’d been serving him, I’d only heard positive things from him.
“Is everything okay here?” I asked, glancing down at his plate. The steak was perfectly cooked, just the way he liked it. Nothing obvious was amiss.
At least it wasn’t until he lifted his fork and I saw a long hair hanging from it. “I found this in my spinach.”
I felt the blood draining from my cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see it.”
He nodded, but his mouth turned down. “I didn’t think you had. I must tell you I’m very disappointed, Addy. This is not good.”
“No, it’s not. Absolutely not. It’s unacceptable.” I picked up the plate. “Let me get you a new meal. It’s on the house.”
His wrinkles deepened along with his frown, but he agreed. “Thank you. I’m not sure I’m going to trust it, though. Finding that hair is deeply disturbing, dear. It makes me question the cleanliness and hygiene standards of your kitchen. It makes me quite sick to imagine what else I’ve consumed here.”
There was nothing honest I could say to answer that. Our kitchen wasn’t the cleanest, and I questioned the hygiene standards myself.
“I understand. I’m so very sorry about that. I’ll be right back with your fresh plate.”
I went through the motions, pointing out the hair to the staff in the kitchen and ordering the replacement meal. Unfortunately, as I was explaining the situation to one of the cooks, Antonio walked in.
“You told him his meal was on the house?” He glowered at me, his graying eyebrows knitted together and vicious murder in his eyes. “I thought I made myself clear this morning.”
I sighed and pulled my shoulders back. No way this is ending well for me.
It wasn’t like I could deny it or try to come up with some excuse, though. He’d caught me red-handed. Or red-tongued, in this case.
“I told him that, and you made yourself clear,” I started. “These are exceptional circumstances, though. There was a hair in his food.”
“Did I stutter this morning?” His skin turned that mottled-red color again. I seemed to have a knack for bringing it out in him. “Did you hear me mention any exceptions to the rule?”
“No, but—”
“But nothing.” A cruel smirk formed on his thin lips. “I won’t let his meal be comped, Ms. Tidwell. Either he will pay for it or you will.”
“Fine. I’ll pay for it then.”
The smirk widened, and malice entered his gaze. “Very well. It will come out of the money you have made today.”
“That’s fine.” Totally unfair but whatever. Arguing with him would only make it worse. “Do what you need to do.”
“I’m glad you said that.” He might as well have been rubbing his hands together like a villain from the way he was suddenly looking me. “You are fired, Addy.”
“What?” My heart skipped a beat as my jaw loosened. “You can’t fire me.”
“I can and I am. I gave a very clear order this morning. You chose to ignore it. I need to set an example and you are it.”
Shock radiated through me. I truly hadn’t expected this. Antonio, for as much of an asshole as he was, wasn’t known for taking such hard actions.
“You can collect your final
