I blink and look up to meet Finn’s concerned gaze.
“Finn? What are you doing here?”
“I’m so sorry about my dad.”
“Your dad?” I frown. Is he still on about last night? He doesn’t need to apologise for that. Especially not now.
He tilts his chin up and I follow his gaze to my right. I didn’t even realise that Emily’s nightmare customer – now my nightmare – was Mr Nyugen. Fuck. He’s currently screaming at Maggie that I should be fired because of my language and unprofessional attitude.
“Maggie, I’m so?—”
She holds up her hand to cut me off, gaze firmly on Mr Nyugen who’s still ranting about me. I cringe.
Shit. I can’t afford to lose my job! Surely they can’t fire me over this? It was an accident, and not even my fault! Sure, I shouldn’t have sworn, but I defy anyone to have scalding hot liquid poured over them and not react.
“Lani, breathe. You’re not going to lose your job. I swear,” Finn tells me gently.
I take a deep breath and try to calm myself down, but the pain in my chest, along with my throbbing head and the fear of losing my job are making it difficult for me to focus. I look back at Finn, appreciating his calming presence.
I take a deep breath and try to compose myself. “But he’s saying I should be fired. Maggie can’t just ignore him.”
“Trust me, Maggie knows how to handle customers like him,” Finn says with a reassuring smile.
“Thanks, Finn,” I say, feeling a little bit better for his calming, kind words.
Maggie comes over to me and puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Lani, don’t worry about it. You’re not going to loseyour job over this. It was an accident and Mr Nyugen is just being difficult.”
I let out a small sigh of relief and nod my head, grateful for her support.
“Thank you, Maggie,” I say, my voice still shaky.
She smiles at me kindly before turning to Mr Nyugen, who’s still yelling and making a scene. “Sir, I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but we can’t tolerate this kind of behaviour in our restaurant. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Mr Nyugen splutters in anger, but Maggie stands firm as one of the other managers comes over to escort him out. I let out a shaky breath and try to steady myself as Emily comes over to me, concern etched on her face.
“Are you okay?” she asks, her voice low and sympathetic. “What happened?”
I nod, feeling a little embarrassed at the attention. “Yeah, I’m okay. It was just a little scary.”
“I can’t believe that guy. What an arsehole,” she says, her eyes flashing with anger. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here. I literally just popped to the loo for a minute. They had everything they needed.”
I give her a small smile. “Thanks, Emily. I appreciate it. And don’t worry. It absolutely wasn’t your fault.”
We stand there for a moment, both taking deep breaths and trying to calm down, when Finn speaks up.
“Hey, why don’t I take you home and you can change out of that shirt? Do you need medical attention?”
I look at him, surprised by the offer. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I don’t want to cause a fuss.”
“Let me finish serving your table, Lani,” Emily offers. “I’ll get the Marshalls their coffees and settle up their bill. They’ll get a discount. I’ll pass your tip on too.”
I feel a wave of gratitude wash over me at Emily’s offer.
“Thank you, Emily. I’ll take you up on that if that’s okay?”
Maggie comes back into the dining room, looking seriously pissed. Shit. My heart sinks.
“Maggie, I really am sorry.”