Speak to the owner

Suddenly the owner Kathy appeared beside Lauren.

"I'm the manager and owner." She explained. "What can I do for you?"

"I have to say, this is utterly inappropriate." One of the old women said. "How can you have a child working for you?"

Through the fog of humiliation overwhelming Lauren's brain, the word child cut through. What was she talking about?

"And even worse, that child is half naked!" The other old woman explained.

Lauren slowly realized they were talking about her! Did they... think she was a child? But that meant people who saw her half naked didn't even recognize her as a woman!

"I assure you, Lauren is not a child." Kathy explained. "She's actually 20."

"20!? You expect us to believe that?!" One of the old women exclaimed.

"Just look at her! She's totally bare, for god's sake!"

"Lauren? Care to explain?" Kathy turned to Lauren, who stood frozen like a statue, stupefied with embarrassment, still holding two plates with nothing hiding her lower half.