Once my shift was officially over, I clocked out under Mel’s disapproving stare. He didn’t like that I had neglected my work to sit and talk with Matteo. I didn’t like it either, but what can you do?
I went over to my designated tip jar to collect my money for the night, and I frowned. It was like a hundred dollars over what it had been moments ago.
I called out to Thomas— the dude who handled the register— to tell him there must have been a mistake.
“Nope,” he said. “No mistake there. Mr. Dellucci left you those tips.”
My frown deepened. “I don’t—”
“He said it’s because he wasted the time that you could have spent getting tips from other customers.”
Oh.
Nodding in acknowledgement, I took the money and yelled out goodbye to everyone. I stepped out into the cold, calling Sean with
