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The sun was shining brightly and the tables on the terrace were packed with club members having a late lunch or just a cocktail in the early afternoon enjoying a pleasantly warm day in autumn. She visibly got an entire morning of work done already, serving the guests, cleaning up tables, being polite whatever happened. She looked tired and thought that she should better go home soon or something stupid would happen.

And of course it happened.

At the balustrade with the wonderful view across the small green of the club's back garden, saved from the hot sun by the shade of the huge chestnut trees, there was an elderly couply sitting alone and enjoying the perfect weather. Their table was a bit away from the others who were all sitting in the sun. They still enjoyed themselves and apparently were deep in love. They huddled together, exchanged small kisses and chuckled a lot.

She was just bringing them a tray with two glasses of champagne when suddenly a chair was pushed into her way. Although she had become slower during the day she still was skilfull after years of working as a waitress and this was not the first chair that had crossed her way all of a sudden. So she turned her hip just an inch, made a step to the side and moved her hand with the tray in the opposite direction. Unfortunately today she was not able to keep it from flying through the air. The chair had come into her way too abrupt and it was too close to her legs to keep the tray in balance. At least the champagne did not hit the elegant and presumably very expensive clothes of that careless man but just dropped to the ground, the breaking glass making an enormous noise. Everybody seemed to look at her.

"Sorry, Sir." she murmured to the man.

He gave her a grim glare and hissed something like "Clumsy cow!" or exactly this but then he went past her unfazed by the little accident he had caused. His chair still stood in the middle between two tables when the waitress' boss appeared moments later to dress her down as if she had set the table cloth on fire. She only murmured tired excuses like "Sorry, Sir." and sadly nodded her defeated "Yes, Sir.". After years of working here she knew by now where her place was. And if her boss was angry she was the last person to talk back to him. She needed the job.

"I'll put it on your bill." the master waiter grumbled. Instead of helping her clean up the mess he just stood there with hands akimbo and looking down with an angry face observing how accurate her work was.

"Of course, Sir." the waitress sighed.

"Now you better should clean-"

"Excuse me, Sir." another female voice chimed in.

"What?" he spat and turned around but his features took on a syrupy expression immediately. He added a much politer "Ma'am." Actually it was a guest addressing him, although she was not a club member as far as he could recall but he would not want to disgruntle the Mistresses of the Lords.

"Sir, it wasn't her fault." the woman told him. "I've seen the... sorry to say it like that, bloke, who now sits at your bar over there. He had carelessly pushed his chair in the way of your waitress. He had not looked at all but your waitress couldn't have reacted better."

"I'm sorry I have to say this, Ma'am, but I hope you do understand, that this is an internal affair." Another greasy smile hit her like a slap.

"Are you saying it's none of my business?" the woman's voice turned sharper. Her eyes had narrowed.

"If you put it that way, Ma'am, then yes."

She clearly looked as if she was about to punch his nose. "In fact it is very much my business. Because it's more than unfair to let your waitress pay those two glasses. I really can't say I appreciate this."

"Well, I can't ask my guests to pay for something they hadn't consumed, could I?"

"You very well could in cases like this."

"Ma'am, we have a high standard and a certain reput-"

"How much?" The woman cut him short. If she had to talk to him for longer she really would forget her good manners. Hearing the price she swallowed but whipped out her purse anyway and silently paid two glasses of champagne.

The poor waitress still knelt on the floor tidying up the mess when she gave a thankful smile answering the nice woman's encouraging nod.

.

...