Chapter 9 — Todd Is Sent Back to the Employee Locker Room — Then Apologizes Under Pressure
Marcus snapped the black logbook shut with a sharp, echoing thud.
He pointed the silver end of his pen toward the swinging kitchen doors at the back of the dining room.
Back to the employee locker room, Todd, Marcus said.
Take your apron off and wait there until I finish my shift rounds.
Todd swallowed hard.
He dropped his gaze to the scuffed linoleum floor near the base of the red vinyl booth.
The waiter took a slow, heavy step backward.
He muttered a reluctant, barely audible apology while staring entirely at the floorboards.
I am sorry about the mess, Todd mumbled toward his own shoes.
He did not look up at Brenda or at the boy sitting beside her.
Todd turned his back and shuffled away down the center aisle toward the kitchen entrance.
Marcus watched him leave until the heavy swinging doors stopped swaying.
He turned back to the booth with a softened expression.
Marcus reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a clean white service cloth.
He knelt down beside the booth to wipe up the remaining moisture near Caleb’s seat.
Let me get you a fresh juice replacement right away, Marcus told the boy.
Caleb finally stopped crying.
He wiped his damp cheeks with the sleeve of his dry jacket.
He accepted the fresh glass of orange juice that Marcus brought out from the service station a moment later.
Marcus then placed a small laminated discount card on the corner of the wooden table.
I am comping the entire meal for you both as compensation for the distress, Marcus said warmly.
Brenda gave a polite nod of appreciation as she pulled her plate closer.
Marcus stood up and tapped the screen of his handheld service terminal.
He began entering the final administrative details of the afternoon into the terminal database.
Marcus updated the tablet security logs to permanently archive the incident file for human resources review.