40 Returned In Kind (1/2)

As Alan finished speaking, both Gerald and Natasha's mouths dropped.In this situation, he dared to demand she finish the cake?

Natasha gave a snort.”You want me to finish the cake?And if I don't?”

Alan remained calm.”Then I'm afraid I'll have to blacklist you from my cafe.I can't abide by a person who doesn't finish their food.”

Natasha eyed him coldly before putting her jacket on and leaving without a word.As she left the system's voice rang out in Alan's head.

”Customer Natasha Bianchi did not finish her coffee cake.She is henceforth banned from the cafe.Host is forbidden from serving her any more food or drink.”

Alan sighed.Truth be told he didn't really care if she finished the cake or not.In his mind a customer was a customer and it was fine if they paid.Unfortunately, the system didn't give him a choice.

Gerald remained seated where he had been.He watched Alan.”To think he would actually blacklist a customer.I really underestimated his guts.Still, this is exactly how that guy should be.People like him, artists, have to have pride in their work.”

Alan walked back to pick up Natasha's plate of cake, unaware of the fact that Gerald mistakenly thought he had some sort of pride.If he'd known he'd have said something like, ”What are you crazy?Can pride pay my bills?”He took the cake into the kitchen and then came back out.

”Sorry if I caused trouble for you,” Alan told Gerald.

Gerald shook his head.”There was already no hope that she would put her clothing line in my store at that point.I just enjoyed seeing her getting knocked down a peg.”He gave a slight grin.He quickly finished his slice of coffee cake and drank the rest of his espresso.

Alan shook his head.”I'm not one to talk as I'm not some relationship expert, but I don't think that was the way to go about the date.”

Gerald sighed.”I know.I just got annoyed with the way she was behaving.She already forced me to go on a date with her against my will, and then she complained that I wasn't the way she imagined?So I have to change my personality just to please her?From the beginning I'm someone who thinks about business first.If she couldn't handle that then she couldn't handle dating me.”

Alan understood where Gerald was coming from.Still, if he had been able to fake it better he might have at least been able to convince her to put her clothing line in his store.However, Alan quickly stopped thinking about it.”It doesn't have anything to do with me,” he thought to himself.

Alan and Gerald said goodbye as Alan cleaned up the cafe.Just like that, he put the events of the morning behind him.He readied the cafe to receive customers, putting the furniture back where it had been.

Then he went and took down the sign on the door.Since the date had ended early he'd go ahead and open early.

He picked up his phone and sent out a tweet saying the cafe was once again open to the public.