My salary was higher than most, sure, but higher than a department manager's? Not a chance.
I was done wasting my breath. I slammed my laptop shut, kept my face blank, and said one thing:
"If anyone wants coffee, they can buy their own. I'm not paying."
What I didn't expect was the delivery guy showing up the next afternoon, arms loaded with two overstuffed bags, asking,
"Are you Matilda Chavez? Twenty-eight drinks. You paying by app or cash?"
Twenty-eight drinks. All Starbucks.
The delivery guy's voice carried across the entire open-plan office.
Heads swiveled. Conrad was the fastest, craning his neck until he spotted the logo on the bags. His eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.
I stared at those two bulging bags, and the anger looped all the way past fury and came out the other side as dead calm.
"I didn't order these. Whoever did can pay for them."
The delivery guy blinked.
"The person who placed the order said Matilda Chavez is covering it. Said it's her treat."
Before I could respond, a saccharine voice floated up from behind me.
"Oh, they're here already?"
I turned around. Mercedes, of course.
She stood with her arms crossed, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
"Come on, Matilda. The drinks are already here. All you have to do is settle the tab. You're not really going to make this poor delivery guy run back for nothing, are you?"
Her words were wrapped in politeness, but her tone dripped entitlement, as if spending my money were the most natural thing in the world.
I stared at her, cold and unblinking.
"Who told you I agreed to this?"
Mercedes blinked, all wide-eyed innocence.
"Everyone's been waiting. I figured last night was just you blowing off steam. You wouldn't seriously embarrass the whole department over a few dollars, would you?"
The words barely left her mouth before several colleagues had already torn open the bags.
I almost laughed. The bill hadn't been paid and they were already helping themselves. Did they really take me for a pushover?
I pressed my hand down on the bag, and my voice dropped to ice.
"You want afternoon coffee? Fine. Whoever drinks, pays. But don't pin it on me. I'm not covering a single cent."
The smug grin slid right off Mercedes's face. She hadn't expected me to shut her down in front of the entire office without leaving her an inch of dignity.
Her eyes narrowed, glaring at me.