I went to lunch today with a coworker. (one of the HR triplets) We went to a place that serves salads and sandwiches that had just opened up. The seating is some small 4 person tables and mostly long community style tables. (the kind with about 10 chairs on each side) We ordered and sat towards the end of one of the long tables one chair over from a couple at the end of the table.
As we're waiting for our sandwiches a lady comes along, taping strips of paper to the open end of the table. They are photo copies of the word RESERVED on regular copy paper. I don't pay much attention until she is standing across the table next to my friend. She leans over the table and tapes one of her strips to the table right between K and me. Then tells us that this table is reserved and people will be arriving at 12:30.
Huh? Just 10 minutes ago there were people sitting where she had put her little signs. I haven't gotten my sandwich yet and there are no open smaller tables. She's not wearing an apron or a shirt with the restaurant's name so I ask her if she had previously reserved this table. Note that I did look her over to see signs of employment or other "authority" to kick me out of my seating.
She looks at me like I'm speaking in tongues. I'm pretty sure I was speaking english. I know my mouth wasn't full, because I'm still waiting for my sandwich. I ask her again if she has previously reserved this table.
She gets this fuzzy look about her and looks at K and tell her that we don't have to leave the table NOW, but people will be arriving at 12:30pm. She takes a step to the other side of my friend K and tapes another little sign in the center of the table between the couple next to us. By now she has broken eye contact with me and wanders off. I'm a little annoyed. I've been ignored and she's tried to bully me into leaving the table just because she hasn't planned her little get together far enough in advance.
Only a few minutes later while I'm sitting at my place at the table eating my sandwich do I see that she is about 6 months pregnant. I'm feeling a little guilty, but am not sure exactly why I feel that way. She tried to bully me into leaving the only available seating despite the fact that she had no real cause to other than poor planning on her part. Should I have let it go because she's pregnant?
So now I'm feeling kind of proud that I stood my ground, but like I was "beating up" on a pregnant lady. It's a conflicting moment.
