The plates vanished from my hands before I even reached the kitchen.
"I've got it, Max," I said, following the tall woman from behind, feeling a bit awkward. "You're a customer. You shouldn't be working."
"Oh, come on, Lyra. Everyone knows me here." She looked past her shoulder and winked.
In just a few steps, she was already at the kitchen, moving faster and more efficiently than I could.
"Just give me some service fee later."
I glanced at the manager sitting at the bar. After seeing her not saying anything, I didn't press further. Trying to stop her only made me look like the odd one out.
Besides, Max had been haunting the bar like a stray cat that had finally decided a specific closet was home.
While it was normal for regulars to drop in a few times a week, Max was there daily. It got to the point where the rest of the staff would actually mention it if she missed a day.
