Pet Peeve
by Danielle Mott

“O my gosh, will you just be quiet?” I want to scream. But I can’t. Mr. Sliver smacks his lips one last time and licks his lips. My boss sent me out on a lunch date and all I have to do is compliment this annoying customer so he will buy a fancy new car from our company. It turns out, there is not much to praise. He has the table manners of a pig and the stench of one too. The meal started off okay, with him ordering a tuna sandwich. However, as soon as it arrived, he proceeded to pull out the pickles with his bare hands! Then he shoved bucketfuls into his mouth. As his yellow teeth opened I caught a whiff of rotten egg (somebody needs a lesson on brushing their teeth). Mr. Sliver's lips parted to reveal crunched up tuna salad. I have had enough; all I want is for the meeting be over. “So, Mr. Sliver, do you have any specific models you admire?” A high-pitched beep fills the air. “Hold on one second,” he says through his tuna-coated mossy teeth and reached for his phone with his pickled stained fingers. He then proceeds to text for the next half hour, while I sit there with a frown plastered to my face. Some people just need to keep their mouths shut!