Customers Ask To Settle Bill In Private But Server Sees Check And Realizes Why

She blinked and glanced from the group of men to the unpaid bill again, not quite understanding what they were asking her. But again, they motioned to the back room. Her eyes swept through the crowded bar, searching for help.

The warning bells in her mind were almost as loud as the human din and clinking glasses around her.

She readied herself for the trouble she knew was coming.

A Server’s Work Is Never Done

Ashley Latella was working the night shift at the Seagrape Café in Fairfield, Connecticut when she noticed the group of men saunter in. The December holiday season was in full swing and she was struggling to keep up.

The tables quickly filled up for dinner service, the overflow of diners bustling into the bar area as she rushed from table to table taking orders.

Run Off Her Feet

Another wave of students swept into the bar, jeering and whooping before they ordered their first rounds and hammered them down.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ashley noticed three men take their seats in the corner. Carlos Carmo, her manager, noticed them too. He knew they didn’t belong. He had meant to keep an eye on them but was soon carried away on other business.

Uneasy

Ashley took the men’s orders and bustled to make them comfortable. But as experienced as she was at her job, she couldn’t help but feel taken aback by their behavior.

The men ordered round after round, and every time Ashley walked away from the table she could feel their eyes burning into her back. And every time she approached with their orders, they would fall completely silent.

But it was only when she brought them their bill that she would understand their true motivations.

The Wildcard

Ashley knew from experience that it was usually the quieter patrons who gave the most trouble. There was always one table that was holding a wildcard. Usually, if she felt uncomfortable she would swap tables with one of her male staff members, just to be safe.

But there was no chance of that happening tonight – everyone had their hands full. Unfortunately, the men waited until the last possible minute to show their true colors.