Back-Handed Complement
When I was 20, I worked as a server at a fancy B&B. It was packed when we hosted a special date night. The husband of an older couple in my section was very nice. He was interested in my experience and even delayed his order to allow me to clear another table.
His wife was always angry and stared at me no matter what I did. As per the date-night feature, after their meals had been cleared, it was dessert time and champagne. She chooses a brand of sparkling white that is technically not champagne. I didn’t wish for them to feel taken advantage of, so I said: “That is a fantastic choice but please be aware that this is sparkling wine and not champagne. Is it okay?
She stared at me for a long time. Her husband looks at her with a mild expression of concern. After a long silence, she finally says the most insulting thing. You might want to get some work done. If you looked a bit prettier, you wouldn’t need to work as hard. Just a thought …”
It took me a while to understand what she was saying. I cried because of her husband’s expression. I can take an offense but the mixture of shame and embarrassment on his face made me cry. I gave him a free dessert and made his drink mainly apple juice. I hope the $27 glass of apple juice with 80% discount was good.
