Zoe

Yeah, I'm actually in Ireland at the moment, but from the Pacific Northwest. So it's where the story takes place. It's the summer of 2018. I was 17 at the time and I'm looking for a summer job. So I'm going to restaurants, shops, cafes, and I end up getting a job at this little cafe and it's owned by a couple who I'll call Linda and Derek.

They're probably in their mid to late 50s and very well-meaning, but definitely things could get a little awkward because they worked alongside us and the relationship would kind of get in the way sometimes. Which was kind of awkward for a teenager and everyone who worked there were young girls. The town that this was in, a lot of eclectic people. We had a lot of interesting customers.

They're probably in their mid to late 50s and very well-meaning, but definitely things could get a little awkward because they worked alongside us and the relationship would kind of get in the way sometimes. Which was kind of awkward for a teenager and everyone who worked there were young girls. The town that this was in, a lot of eclectic people. We had a lot of interesting customers.

They're probably in their mid to late 50s and very well-meaning, but definitely things could get a little awkward because they worked alongside us and the relationship would kind of get in the way sometimes. Which was kind of awkward for a teenager and everyone who worked there were young girls. The town that this was in, a lot of eclectic people. We had a lot of interesting customers.

I think a highlight is a man once brought a full-size dining room table into the store and then took a nap on it.

I think a highlight is a man once brought a full-size dining room table into the store and then took a nap on it.

I think a highlight is a man once brought a full-size dining room table into the store and then took a nap on it.

It was allowed. Like, what am I going to do? Oh, wow. Wow.

It was allowed. Like, what am I going to do? Oh, wow. Wow.

It was allowed. Like, what am I going to do? Oh, wow. Wow.

That is really odd. Okay. After about a month of being there, I'm pretty happy because I'm realizing that I'm making probably six or seven dollars an hour in tips on top of my minimum wage pay. I'm like, this is way more money than I thought I was going to be making here. But then suddenly that goes down to like one to two dollars an hour.

That is really odd. Okay. After about a month of being there, I'm pretty happy because I'm realizing that I'm making probably six or seven dollars an hour in tips on top of my minimum wage pay. I'm like, this is way more money than I thought I was going to be making here. But then suddenly that goes down to like one to two dollars an hour.

That is really odd. Okay. After about a month of being there, I'm pretty happy because I'm realizing that I'm making probably six or seven dollars an hour in tips on top of my minimum wage pay. I'm like, this is way more money than I thought I was going to be making here. But then suddenly that goes down to like one to two dollars an hour.

I talked to my coworkers and they're like, yeah, we also noticed that suddenly we've lost all of our tip money, which didn't make sense because it was the height of summer. It was way busier than it had ever been. So we're like, you know what? Let's talk to Linda and Derek. We approach them one day. We're like, hey, like we noticed some of our tip money is missing.

I talked to my coworkers and they're like, yeah, we also noticed that suddenly we've lost all of our tip money, which didn't make sense because it was the height of summer. It was way busier than it had ever been. So we're like, you know what? Let's talk to Linda and Derek. We approach them one day. We're like, hey, like we noticed some of our tip money is missing.

I talked to my coworkers and they're like, yeah, we also noticed that suddenly we've lost all of our tip money, which didn't make sense because it was the height of summer. It was way busier than it had ever been. So we're like, you know what? Let's talk to Linda and Derek. We approach them one day. We're like, hey, like we noticed some of our tip money is missing.

We don't think anyone's stealing it, but just wanted to alert you to the situation.

We don't think anyone's stealing it, but just wanted to alert you to the situation.

We don't think anyone's stealing it, but just wanted to alert you to the situation.

The cash tips, if people gave us change, we put them in a tip jar and then we'd empty that into like a big tip jar. And then if people tipped on card, we would immediately take that cash out of the cash register and put that also in the big tip jar. So we had basically this massive bin of coins and either two co-workers would roll those coins into like coin rolls or Linda would do it.