— There is no allergy, — I answered. — But there is slight anxiety when you see the menu.
She smiled.
— Believe me, you’ll like it here.
A waitress appeared. The badge read: Maya. She gave us the menu. Chloe barely looked into hers.
— I already know what I want, — said Chloe. — I’ll take the lobster. With butter sauce, please. And also an additional sauce separately.
— They have a lobster! I love lobster.
Maya nodded and recorded the order.
— Great choice. What about you, sir?
— Salmon, please — said I. — And there is enough water.
Chloe leaned back in her chair with her hands folded.
— So, is this your first date from Tinder?
— Not the first, but the first in a long time, — I admitted. — Do you have it?
She shrugged.
— There were several. But most men are too nervous. Or too greedy. — She smiled. — And you seem calm. I like it.
I laughed nervously.
— I try. Before that, I rehearsed a conversation with the guys.
— Most men are too nervous. Or too greedy.
She raised her eyebrow.
— Really? Then surprise me.
— Okay… I can reach my nose with my tongue.
Chloe laughed.
— It’s terrible, Evan.
— Perhaps, but the ice has melted.
She shook her head, still smiling.
— Okay, you get points for trying.
When the drinks were brought, she took out her phone.
— I hope you don’t mind. I document my gastronomic journey.
— Really? Then surprise me.
— Sure. My dish has never looked so worthy of a photo.
She took a photo, then took a photo of us.
— Smile. My friends will want proof of your existence.
I smiled.
— Tell them I survived the first round.
Chloe winked.
— Oh, it’s too early.
We clinked glasses, the hall was noisy around, and the conversation flowed so easily, as if we had already done this hundreds of times.
For a moment I thought I might have misjudged her. Maybe Chloe is just brave, not demanding.
«My friends will want proof of your existence».
We finished dinner, and when Maya removed the plates, I almost relaxed.
Then they brought the bill and put it in the middle of the table. Chloe didn’t reach out to him.
I looked at her, then at the check. Her lobster alone cost $150. If you add wine, dessert and side dishes, part of it clearly exceeded half of the total amount.
I took out the card.
— Okay. We share it as agreed, right?
Chloe leaned back, smiling as if I had missed some joke.
— I don’t cry.
I looked at her, expecting her to laugh.
— What?
Her lobster alone cost $150.
She shrugged.
— You are a man. Men pay, don’t they? This is exactly what I have always had.
My ears rang from the heat.
— But… you agreed to share the bill.
She took the phone and scrolled through the screen indifferently.
— Yes… but I didn’t think you were serious. Men don’t usually do that.
There was silence between us.
Something old and familiar woke up in me: memories of moments when I was made to feel insignificant, as if my feelings didn’t matter, as if I had to apologize for expecting honesty.
— You are a man. Men pay, don’t they?
But I kept a calm voice and tried not to retreat.
— I spoke seriously, — I said quietly.
Chloe rolled her eyes and her lips folded into a half-smile.
— Are you really going to embarrass yourself at dinner, Evan? In front of all these people?
— Why should I be ashamed that I want to stick to our agreement?
She laughed easily, almost sympathetically.
— God, how stubborn you are
Chloe rolled her eyes.
I put the fork down.
— We agreed to divide the account.
She looked in front of her as if she was looking for a way out, but did not find it.
— Well… maybe I changed my mind.
Maya walked to the table again, holding a stack of plates in one hand. It seems she immediately felt the growing tension.
— Are you okay?
Chloe smiled at her quickly.
— Everything is fine. Just a little misunderstanding with the score.
— Are you okay?
I met Maya’s gaze.
— We agreed to split the bill. Now she says she won’t pay.
Chloe snorted as she turned to Maya.
— Honestly, he’s causing a tragedy out of nowhere. Men pay for dates. That’s how it is.
Maya fell silent for a second and looked carefully at Chloe.
— Actually, I think I remember you. Were you here two weeks ago? At the same table, but with a different man?
Chloe tensed.
— What? No. It wasn’t me. — Her voice became lower.
— At the same table, but with a different man?
But Maya didn’t even blink.
— You ordered it then too lobster, right? And the conversation about the account was very similar. That evening your companion paid for his part and left. But you — no.
It became quieter at the neighboring tables. I felt like people were listening and watching.
I saw Chloe’s self-confidence falter.
— Maybe you’re wrong.
Maya shook her head.
— I’m not wrong. I remember faces. — She paused, then added: — Give me a minute. I’ll call the manager.