She looked toward the dining room.
"I'm sorry."
He lowered his eyes.
She continued.
"Here, I expect you to take your work seriously. I expect you to learn. And I expect you to tell somebody if something goes wrong."
The young man nodded.
"But I don't expect you to be perfect."
For the first time, he smiled.
"Thank you."
She nodded.
"Now go home and get some rest. You've had a long evening."
He collected his belongings.
Then stopped near the doorway.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"I heard what happened with that billionaire."
The owner smiled faintly.
"Apparently everybody has."
The waiter looked embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to bring it up."
"It's all right."
He hesitated.
"Is it true you were wearing a waitress uniform?"
"Yes."
"Even though you owned the restaurant?"
She nodded.
He looked confused.
"Why?"
The owner glanced toward the service station.
Several clean white aprons hung neatly beside the wall.
She walked over and lifted one from its hook.
Then she turned toward him.
"Do you think wearing this makes someone less important?"
The waiter shook his head quickly.
"No."
"Good."
She held the apron in both hands.
"Neither do I."
He considered her answer.
Then smiled.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
After he left, the young woman remained beside the service station.
She looked at the apron.
It was plain white cotton.
No expensive designer label.
No fine jewelry.
No elaborate embroidery.
Just a clean garment intended to help someone perform a job properly.
She thought about the billionaire staring at that apron and deciding the woman wearing it couldn't possibly understand his language.
She remembered the laughter.
The thrown money.
The look on his face when she answered in Hindi.
And the moment he discovered that the person he'd mocked had the authority to refuse his offer.
For a long time, she'd considered that confrontation the turning point of her career.
Now she understood it differently.
The important moment hadn't been when she revealed she owned the restaurant.
It had been when she decided not to let someone else's contempt determine her response.
She had defended herself.
She had defended her employees.