You are fired!

Chapter one

"Hey waiter! Bring us a bottle of Champagne, and make sure it’s the expensive stuff!"

"We need another round of caviar, pronto!"

The cacophony of calls for more food and drinks were like symphony to the Manager’s ear, as the night was already signaling to be a historic sale for the restaurant.

August was just one among the almost dozen waiters that had lost count of how many times they exited the VIP section carrying orders with them and returned with trays, it looked like they were not stopping anytime soon. He returned with a bottle of Champagne headed to the table that still had more than ten untouched cognac bottles comfortably seated between five men

As he approached the table he could hear one of them say, “Just two more bottles and am done. I have an appointment with my girlfriend tonight, it’s been three long years and I don’t want to… You know what I mean” The man said jokingly and the men erupted into laughter.

Clink! Clink! Clink!

“Attention everyone!” a voice cut through the din as a man collected the Champagne from August and tapped his utensil against the bottle halting the indistinct chats and laughs. The room fell in silent, anticipation hanging in the air.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Thomas Turner, but most of you know me as Tom. Three years ago, I was convicted of murder and locked away. Today, I walked out of prison a free man. So tonight, eat, drink, and be merry—all on me. 

To freedom!" Tom said energetically as he raised his glass cup to the air.

"To freedom!" echoed through the room, glasses raised in a collective toast.

This was not the first time someone claimed the bills of every customer in the VIP section but this was not like anything August had ever seen before. The empty and filled bottles of Azul, Hennessy, Champagne and Vodka that stood on the tables cost a fortune. The bill was already in six figures and still counting.

“Hey you! Clear away these empty bottles and bring us another,” one of Tom’s friend instructed. August nodded deferentially and began to gather the empty cognac bottles on the table one after the other.

As he reached for the last bottle, though laid on its side, it still held a treacherous amount of liquor. Unbeknownst, he carelessly grasped it from the bottom causing the unthinkable to happen; the content spilled out in a disastrous flow.

Splash!

His expression was nothing compared to the other men seated at the table when the drink propelled like a popped Champagne straight onto Tom’s tailored suit.

“I-I’m sorry sir! Forgive me, it was a mis…” 

Slap!

Before August could complete his apology, Tom landed a thunderous slap on his chin echoing his pain throughout the room.

"You moron! You just ruined my outfit. Do you have any idea how much this ensemble cost?" Tom's voice thundered, the weight of his outrage palpable.

He was adorned in a Banana Republic masterpiece, a suit that boasted a price tag of $800, that was seven times the total cost of all the clothes in August’s wardrobe combined.

Speaking of clothes; August only had a single pair of shoes, which was all weathered and faded, the leather was cracked and creased. If the shoes could speak, it would literally beg to be freed from him.

In addition to the waiter uniform he had on, August had two sets of clothes; two shirts and two trousers. Thinking about what to wear the next day was not a problem he had to face, any day he wore a set, the latter eagerly anticipated its turn the next day.

"Oh, my! What a mess you've made, you careless fool!" The manager's voice dripped with disdain as he attempted to diffuse the tension with stern words directed at his employee.

"I'm deeply sorry, Mr Tom. Please accept my sincerest apologies for this mishap. Allow me to escort you to the washroom, where we can have this blot washed off," the manager offered with a forced chuckle, hoping to appease Tom.

"No!" Tom's voice cut through the air with icy determination. "I refuse to let this waiter embarrass me and simply walk away. He ruined my outfit, it is either he pays me back the money I used to purchase it or I empty this cognac bottle on the ground and he gets drunk by licking it up from the floor. Come on guys don’t you want to have some entertainment this night?”

August stood frozen, disbelief coursing through him as Tom's cruel demand hung in the air. But to his astonishment, Tom's friends seemed unfazed by his callous demand, even eager for the spectacle.

"You're incredible, Tom! This church rat will definitely lick the floor clean. Look at those sorry shoes he's wearing; I doubt his live time savings could afford a fraction of your suit," one of them chimed in enthusiastically.

"You never disappoint, Tom! It’s been three years and you are still giving us these vibes. I will definitely video him doing it, a thousand likes guaranteed when I upload this video on TikTok" another exclaimed, already reaching for his phone to record the scene.

August couldn't comprehend the callousness of their laughter. He turned to the manager, desperately hoping for intervention, but the man remained silent.

Refusing to be a pawn in their heartless game, August made his stance clear. "No! I refuse to degrade myself for your amusement. I'll cover the cost of the suit from my salary. My salary is supposed to come tomorrow, the manager can deduct it and reimburse you."

Tom and his friends hesitated for a second before they guffawed at what August thought would come as a disappointment to them. He could not understand what he said that elicited the laughter. He chose to pay for the suit than do the unthinkable, what was so funny about that?

"What are you thinking, you fool? The suit is retailed for $800 your measly salary wouldn't even buy a sleeve of it, let alone the whole thing!" the manager interjected, shattering August's hopes.

The reality hit him like a sledgehammer. He actually thought the suit cost around $20 or less and wanted the money deducted from his $35 salary. It wasn’t his fault to doubt a suit would cost that much, he had never worn one in his life.

"So, what now, waiter?" Tom's voice dripped with disdain, his smirk sending shivers down August's spine. "Since your entire year's salary can’t even buy a button on my suit, I think it's time we explore our second option."

With deliberate slowness, Tom reached for a bottle of Hennessy on the table, the glint of malice in his eyes as he uncorked it and emptied its contents onto the floor, right before August's horrified gaze. He gulped so hard as he wished he had supernatural powers to disappear from their presence.

"Come on, waiter," Tom taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "You should lick it up while it's still cool," he added with a sly chuckle as his friends eagerly removed their phones to capture August’s humiliation for their amusement.

August was devastated, the money he had been saving for the past eight months barely amounted to $180. How would he muster $800 to spare himself from this humiliating ordeal? Stooping that low to lick the liquor on the floor was an option he rather succumbed to death sooner than consider. 

"Please, give me until tomorrow. I'll find a way to borrow the money and pay you back," August pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice.

But Tom was not having it with him. “No waiter, everything starts and end today. If you are going to pay me the money then is going to be today and right now, or I will have to force you to lick up the liquor”.

August's devastation intensified as he realized the gravity of the situation, this was not optional like Tom presented it the first time. His intentions were clear; he did not at all cared about the money all he wanted was to have August lick the floor for their amusement.

He was not the only one persistent, August too was not going to let himself be intimidated by Tom and his friends

“Fine waiter! I wanted us to do this peacefully but now I have no choice but to do this my way,” Tom declared his voice laced with menace

He turned towards his friends and all he did was make a smirk and nod, they clearly understood what he meant. They quickly rose from their seats like a pack of predator closing in on their prey, in a swift motion, they overpowered August, forcing him to his knees and hands in a kowtow position over the pool of liquor.

"No, please! I swear, I'll call my wife. She'll lend me the money immediately. Please believe me, my wife is very rich, she owns a big company within the city, the money will not be a problem for her. Please hear me out am begging you!” " August pleaded desperately, his voice echoing with frustration.

But his pleas fell on deaf ears as he struggled to raise his body from the floor but he was overpowered by the four energetic men who kept pushing him hard against his struggle. 

"Easy man, it didn't have to come to this. If only you had cooperated willingly. But it seems you needed our help all along," Tom remarked with a dramatic scoff, as he prepared to drive August’s face into the glistening pool of liquor.

Buzz! 

Tom’s phone chimed in his pocket and in a change of demeanor he swiftly reached for it like he had been expecting the call for ages. 

“Hey baby…” He excused himself to complete the call. 

It wasn’t up to a minute and he returned. "Let's go, guys. He got lucky today, but he won't be so fortunate next time," Tom declared with a glare, addressing his friends.

Turning his attention to the manager who stood still like a mere observer while his employee was being bullied, “check your money and come collect a check for it at my house. And I don't want to see his face here again, ever!" Tom said angrily pointing at August before striding out, his friends trailing behind.

Though August did not at all lick the liquor on the floor, his clothes were soaked wet with it. He raised his eyes to the manager, hoping for an apology for allowing customers to mistreat him in his presence. However, he was shocked to hear what the man had to say instead.

“August, you are fired!”

His devastation was now tinged with frustration. Did he just hear the manager say he was fired? Maybe his ears were deceiving him. He had worked in the restaurant for two years, and this was not the first time he had mistakenly spilled a drink on a customer. But this was the first time he was taunted for it, and it was right in front of the manager. And in return, the manager fired him?

“Sir, did you just say I’m fired?”

“You heard me right. Now leave from here and never return,” the manager tone was stern and final.

“But sir…”

“I am not asking for your opinion, August. You are fired for real! Now leave from here before I have the security throw you out”.

There was no need trying to convince the man. His mind was already made up and August could clearly see it painted all over his face.

August walked out of the restaurant dejectedly with his shoulders slumped and head hung low. Losing the job hit him like a wrecking ball, he had every reason to be sad, he couldn’t even imagine his life without the job.

Though he was not the one footing all the bills for the mansion he lived in with his wife Mia, he never asked his wife for any change as he covered his personal needs with the little he earned from the restaurant.

He and his wife Mia have been married for over two years. A marriage that most people dubbed a ‘mismatch’ because he was very poor, working as a waiter in a restaurant while his wife owned and managed a big company within the city.

Many people wondered why she agreed to marry a loser like him in the first place; it made no sense when the husband lived under the wife’s roof. 

But Mia was different, she cared less of what people said about their marriage. She defended and supported him like a supportive wife would do.

Despite being married for over two years, August and his wife were yet to consummate their marriage, as a matter of facts they slept in different rooms. Mia insisted that she needed more time to establish her company before starting a family, a decision August respected and supported without question.

On their wedding day, Mia made a unique request: two years of abstinence, and to get intimate only after the two years, which was this fateful day.

The thought of it gave him goose bumps all over his arms and back, who cares if he was fired. His excitement knew no bounds, tonight, he was going to crawl into his beautiful wife’s arm for the first time since their marriage.

Honk! Honk!

“Hey fool! Can’t you watch where you are going?” The blaring horn and angry shouts snapped August back to reality from his imaginations. He was lost in the thought of all sort of romantic things he would do to his wife when he arrived home that he forgot he was standing in the middle of the car’s lane. 

August had been saving for months to get his wife a gift on this special night. He couldn’t count the number of times he had to skip his meals in order to garner the $150 to afford a gift for Mia.

“I’m sure Mia will love this necklace,” August muttered to himself, a smile tugging at his lips as he exited the jewelry store, holding in his hand an elegant package.

He had been trekking all his life, he knew the city in and out; after taking a shortcut left and right he finally arrived home.

He had never felt this excited coming back home, his excitement needed no explanation; he and Mia were finally going to strengthen their union through intimacy tonight.

His attention was drawn to the unfamiliar Ferrari Portofino M parked in the garage. Despite the darkness, the red car gleamed like a ruby. August knew all of his wife's cars intimately, as he was usually the one who washed them. The Ferrari was a new addition, one he hadn't seen before.

Glancing at his old, weathered wristwatch, August noted that it was already 10:35 PM. That was too late for Mia to be entertaining visitors. So, who could be the owner of the car?

“Ah! Now I get it. Mia must have bought herself a new car to commemorate this special day. I can’t wait to see her expression when I gift her this jewelry,” August mused gracefully as he approached the mansion door.

With the necklace pack held close to his chest, August made his way directly to Mia's room. As he neared, he couldn't help but hear muffled moans and heavy breaths growing louder with each step 

It wasn’t entirely his fault for not recognizing they were pleasure sounds, he had never made love before, he mistook the vocalizations to his wife being in some kind of pains or trouble. 

“Mia!” he called out, barging into the room with concern evident in his voice.

But what laid before him shattered his world in an instant.