Page 54 of Petite Fleur
Apparently, everyone is going to slowly clear out a few at a time until Maeve is left sitting alone to pay for the entire group's tab.
My girl is already cutting a close budget, and she didn't eat a single thing other than the free pico that comes with stepping foot in this place. Yet they want to stick her with the entire bill from all 12 people here?
They've all been drinking, and they all had full meals and desserts, but they want to stick my girl with the bill?
Fuck that.
I flag down the waiter with a frustrated sigh. I hate this, but I can't let her get stuck with the bill, and I can’t let her find out about their plan; it will crush her. "That entire table is on my tab." I tell him with an annoyed huff as I hand him my credit card.
"Make up some lie. I don't care what it is; just do not point me out. 1,000th customer? Birthday special? An anonymous patron wanted to treat them. Whatever." I say, waving my hand for him to ring up their table.
I listen in as the waiter excitedly tells the table, which has now dwindled down to four, that their bill has been covered by an anonymous patron.
Everyone cheers and claps, darting out the door a moment later without even bothering to wait for Maeve.
I wonder if they'll try to leave without her or if they'll actually wait…
Either way, she doesn't seem to move until everyone leaves. She just sits quietly while everyone clears out until only she and the waiter are left at the table; that's when she quietly speaks to him and starts digging through her purse until she pulls out a crumbled-up $20.
The waiter thankfully refuses, pushing her hand away and shaking his head, but she doesn't stop trying. She even leaves the bill on the table after he walks away with a stack full of dishes in his hands.
I know how tight her budget is, so I know that is probably all the money she had.
My beautiful, selfless girl.
She looks around the table with a slightly heartbroken expression, seeing that everyone left without her and that nobody had bothered to tip.
Yep, it's official, I hate Maeve's friends.
They're not good enough to be graced with her presence.
She makes a quick scan of the restaurant when she stands up. I assume she's hoping someone will smile, nod, or in some way acknowledge that they paid the tab, but I hide my face behind my menu when she makes her way to my little corner of the dining room.
I don't want credit or acknowledgment for managing to surpass the very low bar that her friends have set.
When nobody acknowledges her glance, she quickly leaves the restaurant without a word, and I follow closely behind.
I think it surprises her and I both when one car stays behind to wait for her, the one driven by her roommate is sitting at the curb.
While I'm glad they didn't ditch her, part of me is ready to go home, but I'm not ditching my girl on her birthday.
On to the next stop, I guess.
Chapter 19
Maeve Henderson
Why did I agree to this?
I hate going out, I hate spending money, and I hate large crowds of people, yet here we are at one of the largest bars just off campus.
It's loud, crowded, hot, and I'm already grumpy from being hungry.
Sean ate my little bowl of pico, and the waiter couldn't promise me anything else would be safe for me.
I should be home right now.
I should be binging on the birthday cake I spent half of my grocery budget on!