𝙒𝙤𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙛 (𝙂𝙭𝙂)

18. Laura

GANGA'S POV
 

"That was the best night of my life," I said.
 
"Hmm, poor girl, she looks tensed," he said, eyeing Mahi. I won't lie, it's true.
 
It's been three days since what happened. I remember everything perfectly, but I won't lie, I never expected her to look that scared.
 
"Is she really a scary cat?" I asked as Lucas snickered.
 
"In all honesty, I have no clue." 
 
"She was legit panicking," 
 
"Stop it; I feel bad."
 
"Whatever,"
 
"GANGA one loaded baked potato with no tomatoes, extra olive, extra cheese, no beans, and extra pickles," she yelled.
 
"Yes, chef!" I replied.
 
"Who the fuck ordered that?" Lucas questioned.
 
"Someone thinks they are in Sub," Sumaira added as I giggled.
 
"Wait, what the fuck?" I heard Mahi say, 
 
Lucas walked towards her, handing her the blueberry custerd.
 
She was reading the recipe, and Lucas looked over her shoulder before he burst out laughing.
 
"Who the fuck is that dumbass?" She said this as Lucas wheezed.
 
"What's the matter?" David asked, curious at the reaction of the two who read the order.
 
"The person ordered medium-rare potatoes," she mumbled.
 
"I have never heard of potatoes being cooked to medium rare," Sarah said as Shu-fen nodded.
 
Chef walked towards the window before she pressed the bell, making one of the servers come.
 
"Ask her what she means by medium-rare potatoes," she said.
 
I worked on other dishes on the main while the server came back. I walked near the window and saw her worried face.
 
"Chef, the customer is very rude; she keeps on saying medium rare means medium rare." 
 
"The fuck?"
 
She turned towards me before saying.
 
"Just cook the potatoes normally; it's probably a high-class wannabe." I let out a giggle hearing her dialogues before I started working on the dish.
 
I kept the potatoes to boil, working on the ingredients while.
 
After a while, I finally took the potatoes and cut them in the middle. I added the cheese as I mixed it, making it all smooth and creamy before I checked the order receipt.
 
I added the pickles, and then the olives; I added some extra cheese; and I added some spices to give it its classic taste.
 
"Ganga, are the loaded-backed potatoes ready?" She asked,
 
"YES, CHEF!" I yelled, taking the dish to her as she double-checked.
 
"Fantas...tic," she paused in the middle when our eyes met. Looking away, she completed the word.
 
The server took it as I went back to my counter.
 
"Ganga, 2 classic fried chicken cheese burgers with onions," 
 
"Yes, chef,"
 
"Lucas, one black sesame soup," 
 
"On it, chef," he responded.
 
I began working on my burger, this one being fairly simple. I was peacefully making the burger.
 
I ducked the chicken into the bread crumbs, coating it before I placed it in the hot oil, watching it bubble up as the chicken turned crispy.
 
"Chef, they are asking for the chef who made the loaded baked potatoes," the server said.
 
I shot up, looking in the direction, as the chef was already looking at me.
 
"Ganga, go, James; keep an eye on the chicken," she instructed as I nodded.
 
I walked out, feeling a bit nervous since it's my first time being called by a customer.
 
"Why do you think they called me?" I asked as the server shook their heads.
 
"I don't know; actually, the customer seemed very angry; she has been shouting at me for the past 10 minutes," she said as I felt bed for her.
 
One thing about servers is that they have to deal with the shite of customers; mostly we have good ones, but every once in a while there might be some rude ones.
 
"It's that one, Ms. Laura, table 9," she said as I took a deep breath before I walked towards her.
 
My eyes scanned the table; it seemed to be a young girl, almost the same age as me, sitting with a group of her friends, I assume.
 
There were around three girls. I walked towards them and put on my best smile.
 
"Good evening, I am." 
 
"Oh my god, why did you invade me?" The girl said, I was caught off guard as I looked at the server, who gave me an apologetic smile.
 
"I'm sorry, I'm the chef; I made the baked potatoes," I said as the girl groaned. The other girls were quiet, one just scrolling through her phone as the other gave me a soft smile.
 
 
"Chef! I need to speak with you right now," Ms. Laura declared, her voice echoing with annoyance.
 
"Yes, ma'am. How can I help you?" I asked, and the girl didn't waste a second as she began,
 
"The potatoes you served me were absolutely disgusting. They were undercooked and tasteless. I don't understand how a restaurant this fancy can serve something so awful."
 
My heart sank as I heard her words. Feeling absolutely crushed, I looked down, trying to remember how I made the potatoes.
 
I double-checked everything; the potatoes were cooked to the accurate time; how can they be undercooked?
 
And tasteless?
 
That's impossible; with the amount of cheese and olive, it's already supposed to have a tangy taste. Plus, the spices sure add a kick.
 
"I'm very sorry to hear that. May I ask what specifically was wrong with them?"
 
"They were still raw! I could taste the starch, and they weren't even seasoned properly. You call this fine dining? It's a joke."
 
I felt my blood boil; she was being quite rude for no reason. It started to get under on my skin as I took a deep breath.
 
"I assure you, the potatoes are prepared to our standard. We cook them until they are perfectly cooked and still maintain the right texture. If there's a specific issue with the seasoning or texture, I'd like to address it."
 
The girl folded her arms across her chest, clearly unimpressed and slightly annoyed.
 
"Well, I don't know much about cooking, but I know when something isn't right. I've been dining out for years, and I know how fucking potatoes should taste."
 
"If you'd like, I can have a new batch prepared for you. Perhaps if you describe exactly what you found unsatisfactory, we can make sure it's corrected." The server interrupted.
 
"Shut the fuck up; did I say you can speak?" She snapped.
 
"Just get me a refund," she said, leaning into her chair with her arms crossed.
 
The server looked at me, worried.
 
"Ma'am, we offer refunds if there is something actually wrong with the food; most of the time, we serve a new batch," she said as Ms. Laura scoffed.
 
"I don't want another order! I want you to understand that this experience has been nothing but disappointing. It's embarrassing for me to have to deal with such filth," she yelled, catching the attention of other customers.
 
I felt a knot form in my stomach, my tears almost threatening to fall as my hand trembled.
 
"I understand that you're frustrated, and I apologize for any disappointment. If you would like, I can prepare something else for you," I mumbled, my voice almost cracking in between as I felt all the customers eyes on me.
 
Her face looked at me in annoyance as she hit her arm on her table, hitting the spoon in the process, which made the salad fly all over, some of the dressings falling onto my uniform as she yelled.
 
"Just shut the fuck up; I told you, I don't want to eat your disgusting food; just give me a fucking refund."
 
I felt the tear almost fall as I took a deep breath, swallowing the lump that formed in my throat as I nodded.
 
"Miss, please be respectful; otherwise, I would have to call security," the server said sternly as Ms. Laura laughed.
 
"These fucking waiters work in a high-end restaurant and think they are shit," she said to her friend, who looked away, embarrassed. 
 
"I'm truly sorry that we couldn't meet your expectations tonight," Ganga mumbled, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness.
 
"Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." 
 
"Can you fucking leave?" She asked as I nodded, walking away.
 
THIRD PERSON POV
 
Unbeknownst to the ladies, someone had witnessed the entre drama, feeling their blood boil in anger as their hand turned into a fist. They watched the girl run off while Ms. Laura laughed with her friends, getting up as she moved to the restroom.
 
"Chef, I should have called you earlier," the server said, feeling guilty.
 
"You go and serve other customers; I have to teach some lessons on manners," the female said, rolling her sleeves up.
 
"Pardon, chef?"
 
The girl smiled, walking towards the restroom as she saw one of the cleaners.
 
"Mahi, what are you doing here?" The older woman asked, and the younger one pressed her index finger against her lips, making a shush sound as she smiled.
 
"Is there anyone in?" she asked.
 
"Hmm, just one customer, a blonde one."
 
"Okay, thank you," she said, walking in.
 
Upon entering, she saw the young girl stand in front of the mirror, applying some mascara.
 
Mahi walked towards the girl, standing beside the sink as she washed her hands.
 
"Ms., don't you think you were being a bit too aggressive?" She said this, making the younger girl look at her in annoyance.
 
"And who are you to get so worked up?" Ms. Laura asked.
 
"Me?"
 
"Do you see anyone else here?" The girl taunted, and it made the older one chuckle glad to know that this young moron doesn't know who she is; hence, she can't file a complaint against her.
 
Mahi turned to face the girl, resting her hand on the sink as she looked at the young woman, who was acting like she didn't see her.
 
"You know, we should treat the server with kindness, and moreover, the chef has spent many years studying how to make food. Be a little kind," Mahi said, making the younger girls' blood boil.
 
"That dumb server couldn't even take a proper order, and that chef, yeah, she needs to go back and study because clearly she doesn't know how to cook fucking potatoes," she snarled, making the older ones brows crash in confusion.
 
"You can say that you didn't like that food in a more kind way; there is no need to call them dumb or humiliate them," Mahi stated. The girl turned, crossing her arm as she scoffed.
 
"I'll say whatever I want; I'll call them dumb if they are dumb and a bitch if they are a bitch," she fumed turning to Mahi as she said the word bitch.
 
"You know, the consequences of speaking without thinking will hit you," Mahi added.
 
"Do I look like I fucking care, and can you just leave? I have places to be," she snapped, making the older one chuckle.
 
"I'm sorry," she said, extending her arm as she cracked the bone.
 
"You should be,"
 
Mahi smiled calmly. The girl looked away for a second, and the next thing she knew, she got a punch right across the face. The girl fell to the floor, holding a bruised cheek.
 
"AAH-" 
 
"Shut it," Mahi said calmly, crouching down to her level.
 
"See, I told you, the consequences will hit you."
 
"I'll sue you!" the girl cried, making the older one smile.
 
"Make sure to find a good lawyer."
 
The girl glared at her, feeling absolutely humiliated but also scared to do anything.
 
"So, Ms. Laura, what do we learn from this?" Mahi taunted the girl, huffing as she glared at her.
 
"That we should treat our servers with kindness, and also to treat the people who make our food with kindness," she instructed.
 
"Will you treat them with kindness?" She asked as the girl nodded.
 
"What a good student!" She said she was getting up.
 
"Now go, give your server a big fat tip, and say, Thank you for tolerating me," she said as the girl got up, stomping out as the older one stretched, groaning as she mumbled.
 
"Damn, I should have been a teacher," she mumbled to herself.
 
She was about to leave the restroom when suddenly,
 
"Damn, you can fight?" 
 
"HOLY FUCK!" Mahi yelled, flinching hard as she heard the unknown voice.
 
She looked around nervously and sighed as she realized who it was.
 
"How long have you been in there for?" She asked, making the younger girl smile cheekily.
 
"Since you started your free kindness course," Mahi noticed the girl's puffy eyes, likely because she just got humiliated.
 
"Where are you crying?" Mahi asked, feeling sympathetic to the girl in front of her.
 
"Well, at first, yeah, I was really crushed; I wanted to leave this place and go back," she said. Mahi's eyes softened for a minute, her heart hurting as she heard the girl say she wanted to go back.
 
"But then I realized she is A-one b-i-y-a-t-c-h," she blurted, making the older one snicker at the unexpected name.
 
"I won't lie, I am glad she didn't ask for a new meal to be sent because I would have definitely spat on that," she confessed, making the older one hit her arm playfully.
 
"That's not very professional, Ms. Reddy," she teased.
 
"OoOoHhh, so what you just did now was very professional, right, Ms. Roy?" 
 
Mahi presses her lips into a firm line, trying to hide the smile that came up as she looked away.
 
"But why did you punch her? I feel quit bad," she said, catching the older one off guard. 
 
"After all, she looks young; she probably doesn't know how to act mature." The younger one said.
 
"She humiliated the server too and called me a bitch,"
 
"Oh, fuck that cunt,"
 
Mahi choked, gearing the last word as she looked at the younger one.
 
"Language!"
 
"I am an adult. I can say that," she snapped. The older one sighed, nodding in defeat.
 
"Let's go; the kitchen is understaffed," Mahi said as the younger one hoped she was in the kitchen, the older one following her slowly.
 
Just as she was about to open the door, she stopped turning as she said,
 
"By the way, what you did was very romantic, you know?"
 
"Thanks,"
 
"If only you were this bold two nigh-"
 
"GO!"
 

TO BE CONTINUED 
___________________________________________
A/N
 
I was legit hungry when I was writing the baked potato scene; my stomach was grumbling.
 
I'm going to go and eat something.
 
Update: I got Bhindi