As we worked, Kevin asked, “So, what exactly did Mr. Grady say?”
When I told him everything that had happened, Kevin shook his head and laughed.
“That’s classic Robinson,” he admitted. “Heard from my friends he’s like that with every tenant. Always trying to get more than he deserves. But he’s in for a real lesson this time.”
We carefully removed all the essential parts from both appliances. Kevin showed me how to do it, and I followed his instructions. It didn’t take long before we had everything we needed.
“Perfect,” Kevin said, standing back to admire our work.
I grinned. “Mr. Grady is going to be in for a surprise.”
Kevin chuckled. “Yep! But he’s not going to know what hit him until it’s too late.”
We packed up the parts and left the apartment. As we walked out, I was thinking about what Mr. Grady would look like once he noticed our little gift for him.
“Do you think he’ll figure it out right away?” I asked Kevin.
“Probably not,” Kevin replied. “He’s too focused on getting his way to notice the details.”
But just two days later, while I was settling into my new apartment, my phone rang. It was Mr. Grady.
I knew why he was calling and took a deep breath before answering. “Hello?”
“Please, DON’T DO THIS!” he begged. “I’ll never find the parts, and I need those appliances to work for the new tenants, Paige!”
I decided to play dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mr. Grady. I just took what was mine.”
“You have to come back and fix this!” he pleaded. “I’ll give you your security deposit back!”
I smiled and decided to let him know that I was the one who had taken the parts. But I didn’t agree to his offer right away. I told him I’d think about it and hung up. A few hours later, my phone rang again.
This time, Mr. Grady was practically in tears.
“I’ll return your full security deposit and give you an additional $200 for the inconvenience,” he offered. “Just come as soon as you can and give me those parts. Or, I’ll lose a good deal.”
I pretended to hesitate. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the apartment,” I said.
When I arrived, Mr. Grady was waiting anxiously. I had a box with all the parts, but I made sure he handed me the cash first. He looked relieved as he took the box from me.
“Thank you, Paige,” he said, opening the box. But the moment he saw the contents, his face fell.
“This isn’t everything!” he exclaimed. “Where are the power cords?”
I shrugged. “Oh, I must have misplaced those. I’ll have to look for them. Maybe in a week or two?”
“You can’t do this!” Mr. Grady’s face turned red with frustration.
I looked him straight in the eye. “Remember, Mr. Grady, you tried to take my things first. Consider this a lesson from a ‘stupid waitress’ in respecting other people’s property.”
He stood there, speechless, as I turned and walked out, feeling victorious. Mr. Grady would have to scramble to replace the parts, which would cost him more than if he had just let me take my appliances.
He had learned his lesson. But that wasn’t all.
Later that evening, I met up with Kevin to thank him. We spent the evening reminiscing about the whole ordeal, laughing at the absurdity of Mr. Grady’s actions.
“Can you believe he actually thought he could keep your appliances?” Kevin said, shaking his head.
“I know, right?” I replied. “It feels good to have stood up to him and won.”
Kevin nodded. “Well, you did great. Here’s to your new apartment and no more Mr. Grady!”
We clinked our glasses and toasted to new beginnings, feeling triumphant and ready for whatever came next.
Always remember that respecting other people’s property is important, no matter who they are.
