Chapter 396
Some people just couldn’t stand to see others enjoying themselves. Sure enough, a server approached their table and tried to mediate: “Excuse me, but a guest over there says the noise at your table is too loud and it’s affecting her meal.”
Effie’s eyebrows arched in disbelief. “Sorry, but the whole restaurant is full tonight. Why does that guest assume we’re the ones disturbing her? It sounds like everyone’s talking at the same volume, doesn’t it?”
Effie couldn’t help but suspect that someone was deliberately picking on them, especially since the server hadn’t warned any other tables.
“Effie, let’s just let it go. We’ll keep our voices down,” Shirley murmured, glancing around nervously. The others nodded, not wanting to cause Effie any trouble.
Effie turned back to the server. “From the moment we sat down, we’ve kept our voices down. If we’d really been making a scene, wouldn’t you have come over sooner?”
The server looked uncomfortable but nodded. With guests on both sides, he could only try to keep the peace.
Effie sighed. “Fine. We’ll be even more mindful of our table manners and keep our conversation quiet. But if that person keeps complaining, the problem’s clearly hers, not ours. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, that’s fair. I’ll go let her know.” The server walked off toward a woman sitting with her back to Effie. Effie watched him speak to her and felt a strange flicker of recognition-she was sure she’d seen that silhouette before.
Thanks to Effie’s calm handling, everyone at the table felt grateful and tried even harder to keep quiet, eating their meals in near silence.
But moments later, the server returned, looking even more troubled.
Effie didn’t need to ask. “Let me guess-she complained again?”
The server nodded helplessly. “I’m afraid so…”
Effie dabbed her lips with a napkin and stood up gracefully. “Alright. I’ll handle it.”
Shirley shot her a nervous look and quickly grabbed her hand. “Effie, just be careful.”
Effie gave Shirley’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Relax. I’m reasonable. And besides, if a dog bites me, I’m not going to bite back.”
Shirley couldn’t help but think-the woman targeting them really was acting like a dog.
Effie strode over to the complainant’s table. The woman had been smirking, but as Effie’s shadow fell across her, she looked up in surprise.
Recognition flickered across Isabel’s face, along with a flash of embarrassment.
Effie rapped her knuckles lightly on the table and addressed her coolty, “Miss Isabel, I didn’t expect you to be so childish. Is making trouble for others really that entertaining to you?”
Isabel sniffed indignantly. “You were disturbing me. This is a free country-you can’t restrict my rights.”
Effie responded with a polite smile.
“Of course not. I just thought I
should mention that you might want to have your hearing checked.
el.r
Sometimes, when people get sensitive to normal conversation, it’s a sign something’s wrong.”
She reached into her purse and placed a business card on the table. “Here’s the card of Dr. Smith, an excellent ENT specialist. I’m sure he can help with any hearing issues you might have.”
“You-you witch! What did you just say to me?!”
Isabel’s voice went up an octave, shrill enough to turn heads.
Effie remained perfectly poised. “Miss Isabel, raising your voice like that in public
isn’t very polite.”
She turned to the server. “Her outburst is disrupting everyone’s meal now. Perhaps it’s time to ask her to leave?”