Three years after high school graduation and after quitting college, childhood friends Marcelo and Barry find themselves waiting on tables at the popular Vineyard Restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL. A year earlier they had made a pact to work, save and open their own place, but Barry's wasteful spending had derailed those plans. One evening Barry is captivated by Emily, a new waitress on vacation from her studies at Miami State, but her eyes are set on Marcelo. Soon their lives soon intertwine in the summer of 1978 - a season that would bear rewards for heroism, the bliss of romantic love, and the despair of insanity. "Gratuity Not Included" will strike a cord with every reader who has questioned the best-laid plans, has been inspired by love, or has been bound by loyalty.