The Owner Is Wok And Roll
As a poor college student in the early 2000s, I regularly ordered from a local Chinese restaurant and stretched the food over several days. It got to the point where the employees knew my number on the caller ID and told me my order would be ready in fifteen minutes. I was kind of embarrassed, but it actually saved me later on.
I was on a date with a guy I didn’t really like, but I didn’t want to reject. I suggested the Chinese place because it’s a good price for a lot of food, and I planned to take my leftovers at the end.
Employee: “Hi! Welcome!”
Date: “Hi, table for two. We’ll take that booth.”
He pointed to the corner away from everything.
Employee: *To me.* “That okay?”
Me: “Yeah, I guess that’s okay.”
[Date] grabbed my arm and pulled me to the table. I sat on one side, and he sat beside me, forcing me to move in. [Employee] came over and gave me a questioning look. I shrugged and gave a tiny smile.
Employee: “Okay, what you want to eat?”
Date: “I’ll have [some food I don’t remember], and she’ll have [something else].”
Employee: *To me.* “That what you want?”
Me: “Actually, I—”
Date: “—That’s what I said.”
The employee ducked his head and left. The outing continued in a similarly uncomfortable fashion; [Date] bragging about how rich his family was, how he was only in college to fulfill his inheritance requirements… nothing about getting to know me. When the food came out, it was what [Date] had ordered for himself and my usual food.
Date: “That’s not what I f****** ordered.”
Employee: “No, but it is what she likes.”
Date: “Look you f****** [Asian Slur], you need to—”
Employee: “Look, little boy. You need to leave the nice girl alone before I put you in my next beef and rice. You hear? Go!”
[Date] hesitated, but when two more (much larger) men and a small elderly woman clutching a large knife came out from the kitchen, he left. They came and sat with me for a while to make sure I was okay. When I was ready to go, they boxed up all the food and told me to take it free of charge. I saw (Date) a few more times around campus, but he never acknowledged me. I continued going to that restaurant every chance I got, even driving two hours to go back after I graduated to continue giving them my business until I moved out of state.
