Miguel’s face showed he still didn’t quite understand, but he nodded and looked concerned.
I realized I needed to be clearer.
I grabbed a napkin and quickly drew a crude picture of a phone and a dollar sign, then crossed them out. “Juan took these from me,” I said, pointing to the drawing, then to Juan.
Miguel’s eyes widened in realization. He looked at Juan, then back at me.
“Police?” he asked, mimicking holding a phone.
“Yes, but wait,” I said, an idea forming in my mind. “Can I borrow a waitress’s uniform?”
Miguel looked puzzled but nodded. He quickly fetched a uniform and handed it to me.
I rushed to the restroom to change, my heart racing with both fear and determination.
Once I was dressed, I took a deep breath and adjusted the uniform. I needed to get that phone back.
I walked out into the hall, trying to blend in with the other staff. My eyes were locked on Juan and the new woman he was with.
They were engrossed in their conversation, oblivious to my presence. I approached their table, my hands shaking slightly.
“Excuse me, sir,” I said, using the most professional tone I could muster. “You dropped this earlier.” I handed Juan a napkin, hoping he would be distracted enough not to recognize me right away.
Juan looked up, mildly surprised.
As he took the napkin, I quickly reached for his phone lying on the table. I grabbed it and hurried back to Miguel, my heart pounding in my chest.
Miguel looked confused as I thrust the phone into his hands. “Look at the messages,” I said, opening the chat between Juan and me.
“And there are dozens of other women, too.”
Miguel scrolled through the messages, his eyes widening in shock.
He looked at me, then back at Juan, who was still laughing with the woman.
Miguel’s expression hardened with understanding and anger. He nodded and pulled out his phone to call the police.
Minutes later, the police arrived. They spoke with Miguel, who gestured towards Juan.
The officers approached Juan’s table, and I watched as they questioned him. Juan’s face went from confident to confused to panicked in a matter of seconds. The police escorted him out of the restaurant, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
