She also reminded the staff that private guests and employees weren't to be filmed or publicized without appropriate permission.
Nia arrived for her shift feeling physically ill.
She entered through the service door, hoping to avoid the photographers who had begun gathering outside the building.
Grace met her in the corridor.
"How are you holding up?"
Nia forced a smile.
"Wonderful, if wonderful means wanting to hide in a supply closet."
The manager laughed.
Then grew serious.
"We can adjust your schedule if you need time."
Nia shook her head.
"I need to work."
Grace nodded.
"Then you work. You're not a tourist attraction."
For the first time that day, Nia relaxed.
She went to the staff room, changed into her uniform, and prepared for dinner service.
But when she checked her phone during a break, she saw a new statement attributed to Holloway's public relations office.
It described the wager as a lighthearted moment intended to celebrate cultural talent.
The statement also suggested that the waitress had used the occasion to promote herself and a community organization involved in a dispute over the development project.
Nia stared.
For several seconds, she couldn't move.
Then she read the statement again.
She hadn't promoted the center at dinner.
She hadn't requested the wager.
And she certainly hadn't expected the man who insulted her to become part of a debate over the place where she volunteered.
Now Holloway's company was connecting the two events.
And doing so in a way that made her look opportunistic.
Nia called Evelyn Shaw, an attorney who occasionally assisted East River Music House with tenant and nonprofit matters.
Evelyn was fifty, meticulous, and rarely impressed by people who used expensive stationery to make ordinary threats sound more authoritative.
She listened to Nia explain the statement.
Then asked her to forward the exact text.
Nia did.
For several seconds, the attorney remained quiet.
Finally, she spoke.
"You're entitled to respond accurately, but don't let them lure you into exaggerating."
Nia nodded.
"I don't want to exaggerate anything."
"Good."
Evelyn continued.
"Document what you personally witnessed, distinguish it from what other people told you, and don't speculate about why Holloway's company made particular decisions."
Nia looked toward the restaurant corridor.
Then asked whether she could publicly describe the music house's relocation concerns.
The attorney said those concerns could be discussed through verifiable records and official community statements.
But she cautioned against disclosing private business information obtained through restaurant service.
Nia understood.