As if on cue, an employee from the hotel walked in to collect the tray. His face fell the moment he saw the shattered crystal tray.
“Ms. Surrey, this tray is one of our custom crystal pieces. Damages need to be compensated.”
His eyes flicked between me and Mackenzie, who was standing nearby in her designer knock-offs.
“How much?” Mackenzie asked, her tone sharp.
“One thousand.”
Her expression darkened immediately. “You’re kidding, right? A broken tray costs a thousand?”
“This isn’t just any tray, miss. It’s made from custom-cut crystal. The price I’m quoting is already adjusted for depreciation.” The employee pulled out his phone. “If no one is willing to cover the cost, we’ll have no choice but to pursue legal action.”
I noticed Astrid quietly giving me a thumbs-up. She was impressed.
A luxury hotel going so far as to demand compensation? It was unlikely. Normally, they’d let it slide with a smile. But I had tipped the employee ahead of time, asking them to press the issue. After all, it wasn’t my responsibility to pay for Mackenzie’s mistake. Mr. Finnley quickly stepped in, trying to smooth things over, but in the end, Mackenzie grudgingly handed over the money.
As she made her way back to her desk, I spoke up again, “Ms. Mack Lennon, you’re not done yet.”
“What do you mean? I just paid. Are you blind?” She shot me a glare, clearly still bitter about losing a thousand bucks.
Astrid, however, was having the time of her life. She gestured to the ruined pastries on the floor. “The pastries weren’t free. You broke the tray, but you also dropped the food.”
“Oh, come on. You keep calling yourself an heiress. Don’t tell me you’re going to cheap out over a few pastries?”
Mackenzie’s icy glare shifted
between us before she dug into her bag and threw a few hundred-dollar bills onto the table. “Here! Enjoy the pastries! It’s not like you’ll ever get to eat something that nice again in your lives!”
Unbothered, Astrid picked up the cash and waved it in the air. “Perfect! Coffee’s on me, everyone!”
Mackenzie spent the rest of the afternoon sulking at her desk, skipping even the company meeting. I thought the ordeal might have humbled her a bit, but I was wrong.
Before the end of the day, she pulled another stunt. She announced loudly, “Everyone, there’s a live performance at Silent Bar tonight. Drinks are on me!”
The room fell silent for a beat before gasps and whispers broke out. Silent Bar was the luxury hotspot in town, infamous for its minimum spend per person.
Astrid’s eyes went wide as she
glanced at me, and she rubbed her hands together in anticipation. She clearly wanted to trip Mackenzie up again, but Mackenzie didn’t give us the chance.
She said with a saccharine smile, “Rinatta, Astrid, you two can probably skip it. After all, you can afford five-star afternoon tea. A place like Silent Bar is beneath you, right?” Her words dripped with mockery, daring us to respond.
Astrid’s jaw clenched, and she shot Mackenzie a death glare. But I squeezed her hand tightly, holding her back.
“Have fun,” I said with an easy smile, my tone calm and unbothered.
Mackenzie raised her chin triumphantly before marching out with the rest of the team in tow.
“What’s there to gloat about?” Astrid grumbled, glaring at the door. “She didn’t even want to cough up a thousand bucks earlier. How’s she footing the bill for a night at Silent Bar?”
Just then, both our phones buzzed at the same time. Astrid grabbed hers first and lit up with excitement.
“Eva, Katie’s in town! Let’s grab dinner with her tonight!”
I smiled apologetically, shaking my head. “Sorry, I think I’ll have to pass. Zack just arrived in Erewhon too. He’s invited me to dinner.”