A Blank Receipt

***
The juxtaposition was stunning.

Nancy, a woman of around thirty smiled obsequiously at Doctor Greyson (as she continually addressed him during the ride) hanging on his every word. Then she turned to me from the shotgun seat and, with a look combing hostility, arrogance and, perhaps, sadism - snarled,

"Cabbie - you will give me a blank receipt!"

Doctor Willis, Doctor Chopta and Doctor Murphy were riding with Doctor Greyson in back. I know this because they all addressed each other with their formal names. They were delicate and polite as they asked each others opinions and ventured ideas of their own. They were slightly less polite to Nancy, if for no other reason than that they called her by her first name and showed no interest in her opinions.

Nancy broke off her smiling admiration of the physicians twice more en route to loudly command,

"You will give a blank receipt!"

None of the doctors appeared to notice her ejaculations.

When we arrived, they all got out and Nancy came around to my window to pay me $9 for an $8.05 ride and to once again announce,

"You will give me a blank receipt!"

I took a receipt and slowly and carefully began to fill it out, beginning with the date.

"You will give a blank Receipt!" she repeated more emphatically.

I slowly wrote out $9 in both numbers and prose, signed the receipt and held it out to her with a smile.

"Why? Did you take a blank ride?" I asked.

She looked at me with an expression combing frustration and humiliation with hatred. Finally, she snatched the receipt.

As I drove off I heard her call after me,

"Next time we're taking a limo!"

You know, thinking back on it, that was the first time I'd filled out a receipt in four or five years. Usually, its just too much trouble.