A Normal Day
The day started just like any other. Alex was out, getting his usual morning coffee. He was completely unaware that on this day, something strange would happen to him and his family.
He took a seat in his usual spot, unaware that something as little as a sticker would make him pay for the most expensive coffee in the world.
He Was A Regular
Alex Hogan went to the same coffee shop every single morning. It had become part of his routine. All the waiters knew him, and they all wanted to serve him, often fighting over who got to take his table. They all knew that Alex was a generous tipper.
Some days, Alex even enjoyed sitting at his usual spot and working from the coffee shop. They served the best coffee, and he often enjoyed their lunches. But one day, everything would change.
A New Employee
He got on well with the staff, but on this day, he noticed a new employee that he’d never seen before.
She wasn’t serving him, but he thought it would be good to introduce himself since he did spend so much time there. He wanted to be friendly to all the servers at the coffee shop. That was until he saw something from the corner of his eye.
Grumpy Woman
The new girl was nothing like the other waitresses working there. She was a lot older, and she always seemed to have a grumpy frown on her face.
She never gave any customers the same warm and friendly service Alex had received over the years. He could sense that this would become a massive problem for his favorite place.
They Were Unhappy
As a few days passed, Alex could tell that the rest of the staff were unimpressed with their new coworker.
They were always complaining about how she was late for her shifts and had a horrible attitude towards all of them, even the kitchen staff. Alex couldn’t understand why such a popular establishment would hire an employee like her.
Susan
One day, when Alex arrived for his usual coffee and a sandwich, someone approached his table.
It was the new waitress, Susan. It appeared that she would be serving him on this day. He decided to introduce himself politely, but he received a surprising response.
A Rude Response
He held his hand out to shake hers, but she just stared at him blankly before taking his order to the kitchen. He couldn’t believe how rude she was being.
It appeared that she didn’t want to be there. The rest of the staff shook their heads as he shrugged. Soon enough, he would witness something he couldn’t stand for.
A Fight
As he tucked into his delicious chicken and mayo sandwich, he heard a loud voice coming from somewhere in the coffee shop.
He looked over to find that there was a big commotion. Other customers were getting up to see what the fuss was all about. It was Susan. She was arguing with a regular while another waiter tried to intervene. Alex didn’t feel good about this. Bad things were to come.
Defusing The Situation
He couldn’t believe it. Kevin, the regular, was one of his friends and he wanted to help him get out of the annoying argument.
He got in between the two of them and managed to defuse the situation. This did not look good for the coffee shop and he wanted to avoid any bad publicity for Dave, his friend who managed the place. This would not end well for Alex.
Nasty Temper
Susan turned to face Alex and looked him right in the eyes. He didn’t know what to expect, but she seemed to have a nasty temper.
She shouted at him to mind his own business as he took a step back. She continued, telling him that the matter did not concern him. Alex couldn’t believe this. He’d never experienced anything like this before, let alone in public. He had enough.
A Plan
He decided to back off and go back to his table. It was something he rather wanted to stay out of for now.
But things were not looking good for his favorite coffee shop and it seemed like no one could do anything to stop Susan. It was then that Alex thought of something that he could do.
Time For Change
It was time to have a talk with his good friend Dave. Alex told him there was no way it can continue the way it has been. No one was happy with her service.
And soon enough, if he wasn't careful, they would lose valuable clientele. He was only helping him as a friend and as a regular customer, he could see everything happening on the ground. But what Dave would say next, would leave Alex baffled.
Nothing He Could Do
Dave couldn’t do much. He could just talk to her and address the issue but couldn’t let her go. It seemed like there was something more going on.
Alex saw this as an opportunity to dig around and see what was going on. Who was this lady and why was she getting special treatment even though she was so bad at this job?
Asking Around
Alex would go to the coffee shop as per usual every day. His plan was to find out more about Susan. She seemed to have an arrogant air about her.
He didn’t know how he was going to do it. He supposed he had to ask the other waitresses about her but it came to nothing. Alex would soon learn that his digging would cost him dearly as Susan would make him pay for snooping around.
Empty
He could see how empty the coffee shop was getting as the weeks went by. It seems word got out about the terrible waitress working there.
So far, he was the only customer who had come in that morning. It was getting worse and Susan just sat around looking at her phone and briefly looking up at Alex. It looked like she was planning something.
Not A Care In The World
Looking at the faces of his friends, he could see they were getting worried. These were students and they relied on tips to get by while they were studying.
It looked like Susan was just here as a favor and didn’t really need the money. This frustrated them most of all. She was sabotaging their livelihoods. But they hadn’t seen the worst of her just yet.
Car Problems
It was the one day that Alex couldn’t make it to his beloved cafe because he was having car problems. He knew he had to take it in but just didn’t have the time.
He would have to skip his coffee and sandwich today and work from home. But he would be back at the coffee shop in no time and this would be the beginning of Alex’s nightmares.
Finally Back
Alex was pleased because, after a few days, he finally made it to the coffee shop again. His car was taking longer than expected but he could finally have the coffee and sandwich he had been craving so badly.
He sat down at his usual table and was warmly greeted by the staff, it seemed they missed him. But the cheer would be cut short as it would be Susan that served him today and she would give him something more than his usual order.
A Great Day
She already looked grumpy but Alex decided that he wasn’t going to let her spoil his day. He was having a great one so far and no angry woman was going to ruin it for him.
He noticed that she kept looking at him every time and he wondered if she was trying to start an argument. It was time to leave and Alex paid his bill as per usual. But he hadn’t noticed something crucial until it was too late.
Being Nice
He got into his vehicle and noticed Susan waving to him from the inside. How strange was that? He decided to wave back. Maybe Dave gave that talk after all.
He was pulling into his driveway when he got a call from his wife Jessica saying that their card was declined at the grocery store. Alex was confused.
What Happened?
Jessica was furious and embarrassed because she had to leave all their groceries and come back home.
She asked Alex what had happened to their money. He had no explanation and couldn’t understand what had happened. He checked all their transactions for the last week and then came across something that almost made his heart stop.
A Massive Bill
He pulled out the bill from the coffee and sandwich he had just had and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
He was charged over $4000 for one coffee and a sandwich. His wife became angry and asked him why he hadn’t checked. But Alex reassured her that it was an honest mistake and that he would rectify it in no time.
Mistakes Were Made
He drove back to the shop and saw that they were just closing up. He quickly knocked on the door and was let in.
He walked over to the counter and showed one of the waitresses the bill. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing and called her colleagues over to look at the massive bill Alex was holding.
Unbelievable
Everyone was amazed and gasped out loud. They looked around at each other and wondered who could’ve made such a colossal error.
But then as they turned, they saw Susan sitting down at one of the tables looking very pleased with herself. Alex remembered. It was her that served him and charged him. But the question was, why?
Refund Needed
He went over to her with the bill and showed the huge error. By now everyone was talking in hushed tones.
But eventually, Dave came out to see what was going on. Alex was relieved and showed him the bill and just asked to be refunded because he needed to buy groceries. But Susan would quickly interrupt and explain herself.
Make No Mistake
Susan stood up and walked over to Alex and Dave. She took the bill from his hands and examined it.
Alex was clearly getting annoyed with this woman. She really knew how to ruin someone’s day and this after he thought she was coming to her senses. Then all she blurted out was, “There is no mistake on this bill.”
Excuse Me?
No mistake? This was the last straw. Alex had just about had enough of this woman and her antics. The time for talking nicely to her was over.
He wanted his money back and he wanted it now. She needed to explain to all of them why the massive bill was not a mistake. They would all be mystified by her answer.
Payback
Dave pulled Susan aside and asked her what the meaning of this was. Alex was a regular and like all other patrons, he needed to be treated with respect.
But Susan was having none of it. She insisted that Allex was in the wrong and he needed to pay for what he had done. Alex was confused as to what exactly he had done and then, all was revealed.
Offended
Susan demanded compensation for all the pain and suffering she had endured looking at the bumper sticker on his truck. As a mother of four kids, it offended her.
She wanted Alex to pay for driving around being so arrogant. Alex was dumbstruck. He had never in all his life dealt with such an issue and it was an issue that was not his to deal with. It wasn’t his truck.
Matter Put To Rest
Alex had borrowed a friend’s truck while his car was being repaired. It wasn’t his fault that people didn’t like the sticker on the truck. He hadn’t even noticed it. It seems like Susan was indeed working there as a favor. She was the boss’ sister and was filling in for someone else.
The absurd matter was put to rest and Alex eventually got refunded. Of course, he returned to his favorite place and even got a meal on the house for his pain and suffering. He was happy to see that Susan was no longer there and welcomed the old waitress back with open arms.