TJ and the Shortcake

So at The Restaurant we have this obscene family-style strawberry shortcake. It's layers of ice cream, strawberries in some sugary goop, poundcake and whipped cream. It's seriously disgusting. On the menu it says that it serves 2 to 3 people but in reality, it could feed a small army of sugar-craving lunatics.

Anyway, TJ is waiting on two people who decide to order this thing. As they're eating, they pay the check. After TJ runs the credit card and they sign the receipt, they hand the check presenter back to him. 12% tip. Wonderful.

The couple proceeds to (shockingly) not be able to finish the dessert and ask TJ to wrap it up.

I've said before that the staff of The Restaurant is not one to put things in food, spit in food or anything gross like that--but they will fuck with you.

TJ takes the dessert into the back server station where, at the time, we had a bread warmer. It must be said that this bread warmer was dangerous. If you accidentally leaned on it or brushed up against it, you would get seriously burned--which is part of the reason we got rid of it.

So what does TJ do? He tosses the dessert into a metal to-go container, sits it on top of the bread warmer and just crosses his arms and watches it. Juan, one of our head busboys, comes to the back and asks if TJ needs it wrapped up. "Nope, I got it," he says. Juan looks a little concerned and hesitantly walks away.

The dessert melts into a veritable chunky soup with small mounds of poundcake and lumpy strawberries. TJ seals the container very tightly and double bags it.

I mean, really what are they gonna do? Get home and call the restaurant to complain that their ice cream melted? I can hear our manager now..."So let me get this straight...you took your ice cream...to go...and you got home and it was melted? Hmm."

Moral of the story? Tip your fucking server.