Yes, Really

A lady comes into the store one rainy evening. She had rented out two new releases a few days earlier. “So, these are a little late.”

Fernando reclaims his property. “Did you want to kill off the late fee on them now?”

“Yeah, sure,” she says, pulling out her money satchel. “How much is it?”

“Fourteen dollars.”

The woman looks at Fernando in shock. “You're kidding me.”

“Afraid not.”

“I don't see how it could be that much.”

“You did have them out for five days.”

“That's just stupid. There's no reason it could be that much.”

Fernando shrugs. “Were I to have charged the full rental amount for each additional night rather than the somewhat lesser amount which I do, your total would have come to thirty-five dollars.”

“Jesus. I just forgot them in my car for a few days and now you're charging me fourteen dollars,” she grouses as she digs out money.

Fernando does not mention to her that it's not his fault that she neglected to return the movies in a timely manner. That would be crass of him.

She throws a ten and a five over the counter at Fernando. The paper flutters to the floor. “There's your fourteen dollars.”

Mmm.

Fernando stoops to retrieve the money. “Indeed.” He makes the dollar in change from the till and passes it over to her. “Have a pleasant evening.”

His politeness and responsibilities to this wretch of a customer exhausted, Fernando returns to his computer without a backward glance. The woman sees herself out.