"I mean, it wasn't you who was rejected at this restaurant. In fact, your order is ready and just needs to be served at this table, but it was him who was rejected," the waiter said, pointing at Ken.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand!" Lydia started to get angry as the hunger she was feeling now made her start to resent the waiter's words.
"We're just servants, sis and we only listen to orders from our superiors."
"Okay, then, get your manager over here, quick! Lidya glared at the waitress.
The waitress immediately raised her hand towards a small man wearing a tie and white shirt who seemed to have been looking from a distance at the table where Lidya and Ken were so he came straight to this table.
Meanwhile, Ken, who was no longer nervous about the waiter's behavior and because he loved Lidya so much and he knew that Lidya was currently holding a very hungry, therefore, Ken had asked Tony to find information about this restaurant through wa messages that he sent to Toni and also to Andreas.
"Why are we being denied a table, sir? Do you think we don't have the money to pay for the food we ordered?" asked Lidya while glaring at the newly arrived Manager.
"Relax, Sister Lidya. In this restaurant, you will even be treated like a grand guest, as you are considered a friend of the owner," replied the manager with a friendly smile towards Lidya.
"Then why did that waiter say that we were rejected at this restaurant and why do you know my name?" Lidya furrowed her brow.
"Maybe the waiter didn't fully say what I told him. But my point is this, Sister Lidya. You are considered a grand guest because the owner of this restaurant is a friend of Mr. Ardi from Mulia Investments."
"Oh, so the owner of this restaurant is Ardy's friend, huh?"
"Yes, sis. So, you've never been kicked out of here but for this person who was with Kak Lidya." The manager pointed at Ken. "He's the one who shouldn't be in this restaurant, so we had to kick him out."
Hearing the manager's words alluding to Ardi, Lidya nodded her head, she now understood what was going on here. She now knew what game was going on in this restaurant.
Because of that, Lidya immediately held Ken's hand. "Let's just move out of here. This restaurant is not friendly to customers, I promise that from now on, I will no longer eat at this restaurant."
"But you're already hungry, Lidya. You have to eat soon, if we move the restaurant, it will take longer to prepare while you're already hungry," Ken argued.
"That's right, Lidya. It's better for you to just eat at this restaurant, especially since all the food you ordered earlier has already been prepared and just needs to be served. As soon as I snap my fingers, the food will be delivered to this table. But..."
"But my boyfriend has to go. Right? That's what you mean? That's what Ardi means, huh?! He deliberately arranged all this so that I wouldn't feel comfortable with my boyfriend. Right?" asked Lidya in response to the manager's words.
"This is what we demand in this restaurant, Sister Lidya. Please forgive us. If Lidya wants to eat well in this place soon, then she must leave from beside Lidya."
Lidya was inflamed by the restaurant manager's words. "If my boyfriend has to leave, I'll leave too!"
Lydia pulled Ken's hand again but Ken had just gotten some good information, so he said, "Just be patient. Maybe things will change."
"How can you be patient, Ken? They kicked you out of here and there's no way I'm going to eat alone here. Even if I'm really hungry, even if there's good food here, I won't feel at peace if I eat alone without you."
"Be patient, Lidya. Maybe you don't have to eat alone, maybe we can still eat together in this restaurant and maybe this manager will be fired soon. That's my hope," Ken said.
Hearing Ken's words, the manager burst out laughing. "You're so funny. I heard you're just a cleaning service, right? That's why you were rejected here. Now you say you want to fire me, on what basis? By what authority are you firing me, huh?"
"You'll see. Just wait." Ken's tone was still flat and hadn't risen.
"That's for sure, it's like this. If you ever want to apply for a cleaning service job at this restaurant, I'll be the first one to kick you out!"
"Okay, what you're saying is threatening and I don't like people who threaten me. Remember, there is a committee that takes care of people who work as managers in European and American class restaurants and hotels like this restaurant and I can report you so that when you are kicked out of this restaurant, you will not be able to work as a manager in any high-class restaurants and hotels in this world."
Ken's words inflamed the manager. "I do know about the committee but rest assured, even if you report to the committee, your report won't be heard by them. Who would listen to a cleaning service like you!" the manager sneered.
"We'll see what happens. Because my report just went in there."
"You won't be heard by the committee. They will only hear the complaints of the rich people so that the managers blacklisted by the rich people won't be able to work in European-American restaurants and hotels, but you? You're just a cleaning service, get a grip!"
"I may be a cleaning service but I know the ins and outs of reporting to the committee," said Ken.
"Hahaha. Whatever. It's not going to happen anyway, because there's no way I'm going to get fired from this restaurant. I've moved around from restaurants and luxury hotels in Europe and America. My name is known, I've made many rich people praise my service so there's no way I'm getting fired from this restaurant, get that!" said the manager.
Lidya was silent as she heard the argument between Ken and the manager. After that, she pulled Ken's hand again. "Let's get out of here. I don't have the appetite to eat at this restaurant anymore!"
"Just wait, Lidya. I don't have the heart to make you wait in hunger again at another restaurant, therefore, you should eat at this restaurant, you haven't eaten since noon so you should eat at this restaurant."
"But I don't want to eat alone in this restaurant, Ken. I want to eat with you."
"Who said you're going to eat alone? You're going to eat with me. I promise it will happen after this manager is fired."
The manager seemed to burst out laughing but then the mood changed quickly.