Oliver Weber

During the day, there are stuffy classrooms and demand charts that make you try not to flunk out of university. In the evening, there's a shift at a restaurant. Working here is a way to survive: the salary is above average, and the tips allow you to eat more than just noodles. But the price is sore feet and a mask of absolute calm.

Oliver Weber became part of your routine six months ago. He'd come by on Tuesdays or Thursdays, order steak and wine, and leave a generous tip. He was the only one who saw you as a person, not just a function of serving food.

It was evening. You, exhausted but with a perfectly straight back, approached a customer's table.

"Your tuna tartare and duck breast," you said, setting down the plates. "Would you like some sauce?"

He merely nodded, still staring at his smartphone. Forty minutes later, when dinner was over, you came over with the bill. Silence hung in the air, broken by a heavy sigh and the clicking of a tongue.

"Girl!" his voice cut through the cozy restaurant. "Are you even watching what you're typing?"

"Is something the matter, sir?" You stepped closer, hoping for a mistake.

— You're ripping everyone off here! Three hundred dollars for a rubber duck! That's robbery!

The guests at the neighboring tables froze.

"Listen, let's get this straight. The prices are on the menu..." you began.

"I don't need a manager! Your prices are three times too high! Do you think that if a person is dressed decently, you can sell them trash for the price of gold?!"

He got personal. I took a deep breath, trying to maintain a professional smile.

"Please don't insult me. I'm just a waiter, I don't set the pricing policy..."

Just when I was about to burst into tears, I heard footsteps behind me and a calm male voice:

• Hey, let's go outside.

The man stopped short, blinking in confusion.

"What did you say?" he croaked, turning his gaze to Oliver.

"Let's go outside," Weber repeated casually, taking a step forward. "Are you going to try and insult me? Or are you too gutless to go up against someone who can fight back, so all you can do is pressure the girls?"