The restaurant — Benji's Kitchen— was the same way Adam had left it though the jeers and mocking laughter had died down.
Adam's arrival, however, had reignited the flame.
"What is he doing here again?"
"Has lack of nutrients caused him to run mad."
Walking with a confidence he had never had before, Adam went to the cashier who rejected him not more than thirty minutes ago.
He slapped his hand on the counter,
"How much is your most expensive food?"
Silence!
[Arrogance detected]
He could see it in the cashier's eyes and he supposed others would also be thinking something along the lines of:
Isn't this the guy with an empty bank account? What audacity does he have to come back and act like a rich heir? Did the world turn upside down?
Snapping his fingers, he repeated in a calm voice. "Can't you hear me? What's your most expensive dish?"
***
"What's your most expensive dish?"
Grace was stunned.
Wasn't this the guy she just embarrassed fifteen minutes ago? Why would he come back acting like he owned the place?
Normally, she wouldn't have mocked his poverty since he had a good face but she had heard that one of her friends had constantly been giving him a discount while balancing the rest with her personal money.
Due to a personal issue that made Olivia swap shifts, Grace took the shift and waited for the parasite. She had wanted to give him a piece of her mind.
She didn't know he would be that broke. Which made it worse.
She normally didn't like poor guys and seeing her friend begin to develop an interest in one made her icky so when she saw her chance to put him in his place, she took it.
Was he bluffing? Trying to act cool?
She didn't know but she was certain that he couldn't have much wealth. Looking at his clothes once more, she decided.
She'll play with him.
"Our Cheesesteak is the most expensive item on the menu but it's worth it."
"Price" he replied unfazed at all the attention he was getting.
Literally nobody else was focused of their food anymore. If he wasn't still wearing the same clothes he came in with some minutes ago Grace would have thought this was another person entirely.
His presence had changed. There was a bit of confidence in him... No! Not a bit.
He oozed superiority at this point.
"$45" she said slyly. Someone with an empty wallet wouldn't have made that much in fifteen minutes.
She saw him frown slightly.
'I've got you now you arrogant bastard', she thought. She heard him murmur something about it being cheap but she didn't let it bother her. He was just trying to save face.
"Give me two cheesesteaks to go then." he said then brought out his card; sliding it towards her.
This wasn't going according to what Grace had planned.
"Are you messing with me? We all know this card is empty." she said, loudly.
Thinking he'd probably apologize or try to calm her down, Grace was stunned when he looked at her coldly.
"You wouldn't know true wealth if it slapped you in the face. Take the order and swipe the card."
"Hey, you shouldn't-" someone walked up to confront him but was suddenly cut off.
"Trash shouldn't run their mouth", said the newly confident parasite , curling his upper lip in a snarl.
Gritting her teeth, Grace snatched the card and swiped it.
Transaction confirmed - $90
What? There could only be one explanation as to how someone could get that much in fifteen minutes.
"Hmph! Running an errand and acting all arrogant about it. Do you think we're easily deceived." her statement had the desired effect and snapped most of the observers from their daze as they realized that it was possible he was bluffing.
Unfazed by the murmurs, Mr. Arrogant just stared at Grace without emotion; which if she was honest, unnerved her.
The order was put on the priority list and within a couple of minutes, the Cheesecakes were ready.
Taking a bite of one at the counter, Mr. Arrogant scrunched his brows then casually tossed it behind him.
It took a moment for Grace to realize he had tossed a $45 cheesecake with half a bite taken from it into the bin. That was half of her daily wage tossed into the bin.
If someone who was obviously wealthy did something similar, she would have only felt envy since that person would be far above her in life but someone who was supposed to be on her level... Grace was pissed.
What vexed her more was that the action seemed to slap her face, after all she had claimed he was only running an errand.
She could feel the transfer of attention from him to her. The whispers also began as if some moments ago they didn't all join her to laugh at him. She shouldn't have said he was running an errand.
Someone running an errand wouldn't toss his errand into the waste bin unless he was crazy.
Without a means to escape from the shame, she could only glare at him as he reached for the other cheesecake.
Picking up the second one, he turned to the man who had tried to confront him some time ago. "You look hungry. This is for you or whoever you want. I don't really care about trash."
Before the sentence could land, he turned back to Grace. "Your cheesecakes weren't all that. Bring ten cups of coffee then. At least you guys should be capable of making coffee."
Grace could feel every body look at her again.
She knew they were as stunned as her with the sudden display of confidence but they were also enjoying her humiliation.
'These bastards' she thought. Using me as a scapegoat.
She could only take the card again and place the order for $13.
At this point Grace didn't care about the person in front of her anymore. She just wanted the day to end so she could scream out in frustration.
Immediately after making the payment, the arrogant man before her scoffed and turned away from the counter.
"I don't have time for this. If you can't afford a coffee, you're free to take from mine." then he left the place.
Grace noted that when he left the first time with a hunched back, everyone had been talking about him but now everyone would be talking about him for an entire different reason.
But she hated him since she had to find a way to deal with the leftover coffee cups.
"Why did I even do this in the first place" she could only sigh while swearing to tell Olivia about today's event.
Of course she'd leave out the part where she humiliated him.