“No dessert for you, sweetheart,” he said, giving me a patronizing wink. “I like skinny women.”
But the real test wasn’t his passive-aggressive comments; it was the unseen presence of his boss sitting just inches behind my chair.
“I’ll take the chocolate soufflé, the crème brûlée, the tarte Tatin, and every other dessert on the menu,” I told the server, my voice ringing clearly through the quiet dining room.
“Also, please bring a bottle of your finest vintage champagne to the table behind us,” I added, locking eyes with the stunned server.
“Wait,” Steven hissed, his face turning an alarming shade of blotchy red. “What do you think you are doing?”
But the real test wasn’t his passive-aggressive comments.
“I’m ordering, Steven,” I replied, smoothing my napkin. “You said dessert was a privilege, and I’ve decided to treat myself.”
“You are not charging that to my card,” he whispered, leaning across the table with his teeth clenched. “Are you trying to ruin me?”
“You’re the one who wanted to impress your boss, right?” I asked, flashing a bright, fake smile. “I’m just helping you share the wealth.”
The server hesitated, glancing between us. “Sir, shall I proceed with the order?”
“No! Absolutely not,” Steven snapped, looking frantically over his shoulder to see if Eleanor had heard. “She’s confused, ignore her.”
“I am perfectly clear, thank you,” I said, looking directly at the server. “Please, bring everything we ordered. And make sure to mention that the champagne is a gift from Steven.”
The server hesitated, glancing between us.
“You are a psycho,” Steven growled under his breath. “Do you have any idea how much that bottle costs?”
“I imagine it’s quite a lot. But isn’t a good impression worth the price?”
“You’re going to get me fired,” he pleaded, his bravado crumbling into pure, pathetic panic.
“Maybe you should have thought about your behavior before you insulted me,” I replied. “Did you really think I would sit here and let you police my appetite for your own gain?”
“I was just joking about the calories,” he stammered, his eyes darting toward Eleanor’s table again. “Can’t you take a joke?”
“I don’t think insulting a woman’s body is a joke, Steven,” I said, finally letting my smile drop. “It’s a character flaw.”
The server waited, holding the order pad like a shield.
“Cancel the order,” he commanded the server again, his voice cracking. “I am not paying for this ridiculous stunt.”
“If you don’t pay, I’ll be forced to inform the entire room why the order was placed,” I warned him, leaning back in my chair. “Do you want to discuss your standards for women in front of your boss?”
The server waited, holding the order pad like a shield.
For the first time all evening, I could see the whole night clearly. He had invited me there as scenery, a polished prop for his ambition, someone pretty enough to flatter him and quiet enough to obey. The humiliation he planned for me had changed direction and found him first.
“Fine,” Steven spat, trembling with rage. “Just make it go away.”
