Chapter 130: Gifts and Checks
Ethan pushed open the door to the Williamsburg Diner, and the bell above it rang crisply.
"Ohhh—our globe-trotting doctor has returned!"
Caroline looked up almost instantly, lighting up like someone had flipped a switch.
"How was Rome? Did you have dinner with the Pope? Or at least share a bathroom with him?"
"He actually wanted me to take his seat."
Ethan walked in while taking off his coat, completely serious for about half a second.
"But the paperwork sounded exhausting, and there's still a massive population of suffering poor people in New York waiting for me to save them, so I politely declined."
"Sounds like the Pope's loss and our victory."
Max leaned against the counter, giving him a slow once-over.
"So what, does the Italian Mafia discriminate by region? Don't like rich New York doctors?"
She narrowed her eyes dramatically.
"No missing limbs, no missing organs, nothing visibly damaged…"
"Overall, I'd call this trip a success."
"Even the Mafia needs doctors."
Ethan placed several beautifully wrapped bags on the counter.
"Brought you guys some gifts."
Caroline's eyes lit up instantly. She practically lunged for the bags.
Inside were two luxury designer handbags with clean, elegant lines and slightly different colors and styles.
Two bottles of niche handmade perfume.
Several bags of premium coffee beans.
And handmade chocolate.
The air went silent for two whole seconds.
"Oh. My. God—"
Caroline stared at one of the bags like she was reconnecting with a lost part of her soul.
"These lines… this leather…"
She inhaled deeply, her voice suddenly filled with nostalgic emotion.
"I finally understand now—bags like these aren't meant to carry things."
"They're meant to make it look like your life never fell apart."
Max, meanwhile, had zero interest in Caroline's emotional breakdown.
She had already ripped open the chocolate, then lifted the coffee beans to her nose and inhaled.
"This smells like the kind of thing I was never supposed to deserve…"
"…but God still decided to let me have one bite anyway."
She took a bite of chocolate and narrowed her eyes.
"Alright, Doctor. Your Roman vacation has officially earned my respect."
Ethan laughed and stepped forward to give Max a quick hug.
Caroline sprayed the perfume once, sniffed it, then sprayed herself again.
"I now smell like a woman who's about to inherit a European estate…"
"…but still temporarily works as a waitress."
"Shockingly accurate description," Max nodded approvingly.
Ethan watched the two of them for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded check.
He handed it to Max.
"This is the payment from the clinic orders for your cakes."
"About two thousand dollars," he added. "I rounded it up a little."
Caroline immediately leaned in.
"Two thousand? We made two thousand dollars delivering cakes to the clinic?!"
"Look here! LOOK HERE!"
Max stabbed a finger dramatically toward the name written at the top of the check, her voice already starting to distort with emotion.
"It doesn't have a person's name on it."
"It says—"
She slowly lifted the check like it was a sacred artifact.
"'Max's Homemade Cake Shop.'"
The room went quiet.
"This…"
Her breathing slowed.
"This isn't cash."
"This…"
"…is a check."
She stared at it in disbelief.
"Our little shop got its first check."
"We officially exist now."
Max took a deep breath.
"In my entire life…"
"I've accepted cash."
"I've accepted coins."
"I've accepted sweaty twenty-dollar bills."
"I've even accepted money people pulled out of their bras."
"But I have never—"
She raised the check dramatically.
"NEVER received a check before!!"
Max and Caroline burst into celebration.
"We're finally moving forward instead of running in circles!"
"Our little shop is actually growing!"
Max got so excited she jumped straight onto the counter, waving the check overhead like a revolutionary flag.
"Listen up, food addicts!"
"Your girl! Just! Made! BANK!"
"Starting today—"
"I no longer have to serve food to you pathetic losers!"
"You can all go eat crap!"
"My waitress era—"
"IS OFFICIALLY OVER!!"
The diner fell silent.
A customer sitting in the corner slowly raised his hand.
"Uh… could I get a refill on my coffee?"
Max froze.
The next second, she hopped off the counter, grabbed the coffee pot, and instantly switched back into waitress mode.
"Right away, sweetheart."
"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll pour you extra."
Ethan ordered his food and sat down.
Caroline and Max carefully put away the gifts and check before returning to work, serving customers like everything in life was suddenly perfect again.
Back in the kitchen, Max lowered her voice while carrying plates.
"Remember that pill I took earlier?"
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I honestly would've forgotten," Caroline replied. "So? Any conclusions?"
"Yes." Max nodded seriously.
"I can now confirm…"
"…that it definitely wasn't ecstasy."
"Then what was it?"
Caroline suddenly froze.
Then her eyes widened in excitement.
"Oh my God."
"Isn't this perfect?!"
"Luck seriously adores Ethan!"
"The problem is…" Max suddenly looked troubled.
"I don't want him thinking I'm only doing this because he bought us gifts and gave us that check."
Caroline stared at her blankly.
"What difference does that make?"
"Of course it makes a difference!"
Max lowered her voice fiercely.
"I don't want him thinking I'm the kind of woman who trades her body for money or gifts."
She crossed her arms stubbornly.
"So maybe I just won't tell him anything. I'll just act normal."
"You cannot be serious."
Caroline looked genuinely horrified.
"You're sacrificing physical pleasure for your so-called dignity…"
"And more importantly—you're willing to waste money?"
She pointed dramatically.
"Do you have any idea how expensive condoms are?"
"Have you forgotten your responsibilities as a poor person?!"
"...Okay."
The second Max heard wasting money, she folded instantly.
"You should've led with the poor-people argument. I would've understood immediately."
"Don't worry." Caroline patted her shoulder confidently. "I'll solve the problem you were worried about."
"I'll just tell Ethan that before he arrived, you accidentally took a pill thinking it was ecstasy, and later realized it wasn't."
"No no no!" Max immediately panicked and grabbed her.
"It's fine! He'll only be happy about something like this. I'll go tell him right now—"
Caroline stopped mid-sentence and looked around.
"Oh. Looks like he went to the bathroom."
Max visibly relaxed.
At that moment, a man in a light-colored trench coat entered the diner.
He looked around nervously, tension obvious in every movement.
"Don't say anything," Max muttered quietly before stepping out of the kitchen.
"Hi there. What can I do for you?"
She approached with her usual smile.
"Wow, I'm in such an unrealistically good mood today that even I'm impressed by how sincere I sound right now."
"But don't worry—once you sit in my section, you'll meet the real sarcastic version of me."
The man ignored her joke completely.
He didn't seem interested in sitting down either.
Lowering his voice, he asked:
"I've got a question for you."
"Do you want to stay alive?"
Max blinked.
"Today? Absolutely."
She nodded seriously.
"I just got a check for the first time in my life, and I've also got… plans tonight."
The man's expression darkened with impatience and threat.
With one hand, he tossed her a black bag.
The other stayed inside his coat pocket, but the outline was unmistakable.
A gun.
"See this?" he asked coldly, staring straight at her.
"Now go tell everyone in the diner to put their wallets and valuables into the bag."
Max's eyes widened instantly.
Her mouth parted slightly in panic, but she still took the bag.
"You cooperate," the man warned, "and everyone walks out alive."
"Okay. Got it."
Max opened the bag slowly, following instructions.
"But honestly, I don't know how much money you're expecting to get out of this place."
She glanced around the diner.
"Most of our customers pay with loose change…"
"…and homegrown tomatoes."