Ending the call, Karen smoothed her blouse and drew a deep, calming breath. Her gaze landed on Greg, who stood by the counter, cleaning up. She approached, feigning a polite tone. “I’ll need to wait here until my boyfriend arrives. Surely, you can allow us to stay a bit longer?”
Greg looked up, meeting her gaze with an expression as calm as it was resolute. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but this small-town, dingy diner is closing soon. We don’t make exceptions for disruptive customers.” His voice was smooth, his words landing with a quiet finality that left no room for argument.