The inciting event occurred when Lana walked up to the counter and ordered a muffin. Tina stared at Lana for a long minute and did not ring up the muffin.
“What, Tina?” Lana, a regular customer at the coffee shop, asked.
“What happened to the New Year’s resolutions?” Tina asked. The cashier next to her, Walker, immediately left his position, despite the long line of customers. He knew what was coming. He wanted to be far away when the bomb went off.
“I’m just asking for a muffin,” Lana said. Lana could see fire in Tina’s eyes.
“Do you not remember last week?” Tina replied. Lana said nothing, so Tina continued. “Last week, when you came in here and blamed all of your problems on my muffins?”
“Well, I don’t know if it was your muffins…”
Tina raised her voice slightly, “You said that my muffins were the root of your problems. You said you were going to eat healthier, stop drinking, and start exercising. Then you said everything would work out as long as you didn’t eat my muffins in the New Year.”
“Well, I think I was hungry that day,” Lana tried to say, but Tina continued.
“You asked if I had any resolutions and then said that I needed to get my life together. You told me my resolution should be to not sell these muffins anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Lana said quietly.
“I don’t want an apology. I just want to know why you’ve already had this change of heart.”
“I had a donut yesterday. It wasn’t very good. I need your muffins.”
Tina stared Lana down again. Lana thought about bolting. Then Tina yelled into the back, causing a crashing of pans. “Walker! Get Lana a muffin!”