The Anniversary Tab

Summary

I was dining at a high-end bistro. I ordered two courses. The bill should have been eighty bucks.

At the table next to me, four guys in tailored suits were feasting like kings—lobster, wagyu, bottles of vintage wine.

When I asked for the check, the server handed me a leather folder. Inside was a bill for $1,850.

I stared at him. "I just had the steak and a salad."

The server pointed to the empty table beside me. "Sir, your friends already left. They said you were picking up the tab."

I didn't know them. I had never seen them before in my life.