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Stiles doesn’t know why he keeps applying for—and then accepting—jobs as a waiter. He does not have the temperament for it. Case in point, the belligerent customer who has just about screamed at Stiles because he ordered chicken salad, not salmon salad, he was allergic, was Stiles trying to kill him? Stiles had apologized and offered to replace the man’s food—nevermind that he had the order written down and the man had absolutely ordered salmon—but apparently he hadn’t been obsequious enough about it, because the dude had gone beet red in the face and shouted for the owner.
Stiles hasn’t actually met the owner yet. A manager had conducted all his interviews. So he waits, arms crossed, stony faced. He knows how this goes. The customer is always right, after all.
The man who emerges from the back of the cafe has a pleasant smile on his face, but there’s a curiously dangerous glint in his eye when he arrives. “I’m Peter Hale, I own this cafe,” he says. “What seems to be the problem?”
The belligerent customer puffs up self importantly and stabs a finger in Stiles’ direction. “Your incompetent staff brought me a salmon salad! I’m allergic to salmon! He could have killed me! I ordered chicken. I want him fired.”
“Did you eat any of the salmon?” Hale asks with a raised eyebrow. Stiles can’t help a little twitch of surprise. There’s a dozen questions Hale could have asked, if he hadn’t just rebuked Stiles immediately. That’s not one of them.
“Of course not!” the customer blusters.
“That’s too bad,” Hale says, “because this conversation could only be improved by your throat closing up.” The customer’s mouth drops open in shock and Stiles has to swallow a laugh. “I don’t tolerate anyone screaming at my staff,” Hale goes on flatly, eyes narrowing. “If there is a problem, you may ask for it to be corrected. Politely. You, I could hear all the way from the office in the back room. Get out. Now."
It’s not quite that easy, of course. Hale ends up literally dragging him out of his seat and throwing him out. Stiles watches with pleasure. Hale is impressive. In more ways than one.