The next morning, my phone was flooded with messages.
Aunt Linda: Where are you? We need to talk!
Uncle Joe: You embarrassed us!
Katie: OMG, how could you do that?!
I smirked, sipping my coffee. Oh, I did exactly what they deserved.
See, after I left the table, I walked straight to the manager. I calmly explained that my family was planning to dine and dash, leaving my elderly grandmother behind. The staff was more than happy to accommodate my request.
When my dear, scheming relatives slipped out of the restaurant, assuming I’d be stuck paying, they were in for a surprise. The moment they stepped outside, two restaurant staff members stopped them.
“Excuse me, folks,” one of them had said, “but your bill hasn’t been settled yet.”
Aunt Linda had sputtered. “Oh! Uh, our niece was handling that.”
“You mean the one still sitting inside with her grandmother?”
Their faces must have been priceless.
Since I had warned the staff in advance, they demanded payment immediately. With no escape, my family had no choice but to pool their money on the spot. No sneaky exits. No blaming me. Just pure, beautiful justice.
And the best part? The restaurant tacked on an automatic gratuity for their “group size” and an extra “walkout attempt” fee.
Aunt Linda had to fork over her emergency credit card. Katie parted with her “concert fund.” Mark? Well, he probably had to return a few overpriced sneakers.
As for Grandma and me? We had a wonderful dinner together. I made sure she got the birthday celebration she actually wanted.
Later that morning, I called her up.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, laughing, “you handled that brilliantly. You didn’t let them take advantage of you—and you didn’t let them make me feel like a burden.”
I smiled. “Of course not, Grandma.”
And as for my family? They’ve been awfully quiet about group dinners ever since.