Eight hundred dollars or more money. Those were Jack’s “boys’ night out” costs, and he thought his wife Lora would pay them. Melanie, the waitress, saw how sad Lora was and came up with a bold plan to stop Jack’s night from ending the way he had planned.
Ten years. I’ve been doing that job for that long at one of the nicest places in town. People from all walks of life work in this field. There are couples on first dates who look like they could glow, families enjoying birthdays with sticky-fingered toddlers, and sometimes business lunches that look more like interrogations than meetings. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw last night…
There was a couple named Jack and Lora who came often. As cute as a button, they always smile when they split the bill. After dinner once a week, they’d order the same rich chocolate cake and look at each other like they were teenagers.
These days, though, things have changed. The smiles were gone, and there was a heavy, nervous silence between them. It’s always been Lora who has to hold the bill folder at the end of the night for the past few months.
Jack, on the other hand, looked like he was going on a shopping trip. The most expensive cuts of meat and boxes of wine were brought in in a parade every time he came in.
And do you know who always paid the price? Lora would quietly swipe her card, looking paler and more worn out.
But on this rainy night, things got even sillier. When Jack walked in with eight loud, rowdy friends, he bragged like a king that it was his “treat.”
It was all fun and games for them, but I got worried when I didn’t see Lora walk in with them. They ordered enough burgers and steaks to feed an army.
She showed up just as I was about to see if she was coming. She looked like she had just run a race. She walked up to the group with shaky steps and red circles around her eyes.
Jack didn’t even look up when she sat down because he was too busy telling me to refill their drinks.
As the night went on, I picked up empty plates while listening to their table. I heard a part of their talk at that point that made my blood run cold.
“This time, I won’t pay,” Lora told Jack with a shake I had never heard before. “Jack, I’m serious.”
He just laughed. “Okay, honey. Don’t stress out about it. “I’ll take care of everything.”
I thought to myself, “Easy for him to say.”
But when the bill came, it was a big one that was just above $800, and Jack pushed it right into Lora’s hand.
It looked like Jack was playing a cruel joke on her because her face was losing color and tears were coming out of her eyes as he kept pushing that damn bill at her.
Lora quickly ran to the bathroom and said she had to go. I ran after her quickly, and as I got to the opening, a loud yell came from inside.
“Now I make 25% more than him and have to pay for all of his friends?” What a WRONG idea!” Lora was holding back tears on the phone. “How can he always expect me to pay the bill?” This is not fair at all!”
It wasn’t just about money; it was also about power. I wasn’t going to stand for him being mean to her like that.
I could still hear her teary phone call. I took a deep breath to calm down and walked up to Lora as she came out of the bathroom with a torn napkin to wipe her eyes.
I asked Lora, “Are you okay?” What else can I do?”
Again, her eyes got teary. She choked out, “Jack keeps making me pay for everything.” “I can’t afford to do this all the time!”
Right there it was: proof of what I already thought. It hurt my heart for her. It wasn’t right.
Before I could say anything else to make her feel better, I had a crazy idea. It might not be the best way out for her, but maybe it was the only way.
My thoughts were going fast. As a waitress who barely made enough to get by in this pricey city, I was about to help a customer, even though it might take away from my job.
But when I saw the fear in Lora’s eyes and how Jack treated her like an ATM on the street, I knew what I had to do.
“Listen,” I said in a low voice. “This is what we can do.” When I get back, act like you have an important call and leave right away. “Don’t worry about the bill; I’ll take care of it.”
A short flash of confusion crossed Lora’s face, but then a spark of hope lit up in her eyes.
She asked in a whisper, “Are you sure?” “What about your job?”
As I squished her hand to reassure her, a promise was sent between us in silence. I told them, “Don’t worry about me.” “Just trust me.”
She paused for one more beat, and then, with a nervous nod, she picked up her phone and began tapping away as she walked toward her table.
As I walked back to the kitchen, my heart was pounding in my chest as I prayed that my plan wouldn’t go horribly wrong.
I fought the urge to peek out from the kitchen for what seemed like hours. I took a deep breath, put on my biggest smile, and walked over to their table.
While I cleared my throat, Jack was still talking with his friends and didn’t even look up.
“Excuse me, sir,” I said in a loud voice that everyone at the table could hear. “The manager just informed me that there’s been a bit of a mix-up with your reservation.”
Jack puffed out his chest like a rooster getting ready to crow. “What a mess!” We made a ticket for nine people, which was fine.
“Well, sir,” I said next, pretending to feel sorry for him, “it looks like there was a double reservation for your table tonight.” We’re about to have another big party, and they specifically asked for this booth.”
In shock, Jack’s face changed shape. His “friends” could tell that something was wrong because they started moving around in their places and talking less and less.
When Jack looked at the pile of barely touched food, his mood took a clear turn for the worse. “But… but we ordered already,” he stuttered.
I said, “I understand, sir,” in a firm but polite way. “However, since the reservation was made under a different name, we wouldn’t be able to accommodate you at this table any longer.”
Jack’s bluster went away and was replaced by a desperate, frightened look.
He had wide eyes and hoped for the best as he looked around the room. There weren’t any empty booths big enough for his group, and the tables that were all over the place didn’t really fit with the picture he was going for.
“Can’t we just move to another big table?” He begged
As I said, “Unfortunately, sir,” I said, “we’re fully booked tonight.” I can only offer to pack your food to go, or maybe… I took a long pause.
“You and your friends might want to go to the bar down the street.” There is a lot of room for big groups.
Jack’s face became as pink as a steak that has been cooked all the way through. His “friends” thought he was trying too hard to make the bar look fancy, but he knew it was just a dive known for its cheap beer and fried comfort food.
It was like Lora “remembered” her “urgent call” at that very moment and stood up, acting scared.
The way she spoke, “Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!” was filled with fake worry. “I need to meet with a client. I need to leave now!”
She quickly said “thank you” to me and gave Jack a look that said a lot. Then she took her purse and left, leaving Jack stunned and defeated.
When his “friends” got the idea, they began making up reasons for their own “sudden emergencies.” They slowly left, leaving their boss behind like rats running away from a sinking ship.
Now that Jack was by himself with the remains of his expensive meal and the huge bill, he finally saw what he had done wrong.
“But… but the bill!” he stuttered, his voice tense and high.
I apologized with a shrug. “Unfortunately, sir, you’re responsible for the bill for the entire party.”
Jack sputtered and argued, and the color of his face changed from red to purple. He asked to talk to the boss, but I told him nicely that he was busy.
In the end, Jack had to pay for the whole meal himself because Lora wasn’t there to help out with the money and his “friends” were long gone. His fun night out with the guys turned into a bitter taste of loneliness and a big bill.
The look on his face as he reluctantly swiped his card showed that he was happy.
The next day, while people were still coming in for lunch, Lora walked through the open door. She looked around the room until she saw me, then she ran right to my station.
It was a warm voice that she used to say, “Melanie!” Another time, thank you for everything you did last night. Her voice got a little shaky as she spoke. “You saved me more than just money; you saved me from…”
“Being picked on,” I finished for her in a soft voice. We both knew what was true.
Lora agreed, and tears came to her eyes. She took a crisp $100 bill out of her bag.
She insisted, “Here,” and pushed it toward me. “This is for you, for your trouble.”
I was unsure. Even though I hadn’t done it for the money, I couldn’t say no when I saw the sadness in Lora’s eyes.
I said, “Thank you, Lora,” and smiled as I took the bill. “But honestly, seeing the look on Jack’s face was reward enough!”
The fact that we both laughed made us feel like we had something in common.
When I asked, “What are you going to do with all that extra money you saved last night?!” I asked with a sly grin.
Lora’s eyes were bright. “Well,” she said with a cheeky smirk, “I was thinking of giving myself a fancy spa day.” It could be a massage.”
We both laughed out loud, and all the stress from the night before went away.
As the day went on, I couldn’t help but think about Lora and all the other people who might be in the same position. I thought that my small act of defiance might encourage someone else to do the same.
Going through what Lora did taught me that the best things we can offer aren’t always on the table. Giving someone a little kindness, a little bravery, and a lot of support is sometimes the best thing we can do.
So, have you ever seen someone get picked on like that? What would you have done?
