The older woman near the endcap spoke.“You absolutely did.”She crossed her arms.“I heard you being all loud and wrong.”He looked around as if he’d suddenly realized the audience wasn’t helping him.Then his voice rose. “I want to talk to a manager.”
Maria smiled.“Oh, fantastic.”“I mean it.”“So do I.”He looked past us and shouted, “Manager!”I whispered, “Maria, please.”
She looked at me immediately.“You want me to stop?”I didn’t know.The man stared at me.“See? Even she knows you’re causing a scene.”Something inside me twisted.
“No. I don’t,” I said.Maria didn’t smile.She just stayed beside me.A few moments later, a man in a white button-down shirt came toward us.His name tag said PETER.He looked around at the gathering crowd.
“What’s going on?”The man stepped forward.“Finally. These women are harassing me. She’s taking pictures of me without permission.”Peter looked at Maria.Maria lifted her phone slightly.“I took one picture after he stood over my friend and yelled at her about her body.”
“I did not yell.”The older woman said, “Yes, you did.”The younger guy with the basket nodded.“He definitely did.”Peter looked at the man.“Sir, what happened before the picture was taken?”
