Autumn 2017. It had been a while since my BF and I had spent any quality time together. It was an exceptionally busy summer for both of us with our work. I was travelling so much and he was working evenings and weekends.
We were ships passing in the night – morning, noon and night in fact.
That’s why it was so great when we finally had a Saturday where both of us were free as a bird and we could get some quality time together. It was just a day but a day that we could drive up to our favourite outlet mall and enjoy dinner at this new little bistro recommended to us by our pet store guy.
Yes. We have a “pet store guy”. He owns this little independent pet store in our town and we much prefer to give our business to him than the big box pet store.
We were there the night before to get dog food for our “Angel” and told him where we were heading. He said that we just HAD to try out this great restaurant that was not too far from the outlet stores.
We had a little trouble finding it – it really is a very LITTLE bistro – but, after driving past it twice, we finally made it. We parked in the back where another car had just arrived and was parking also. We got out of the car and so did the woman in the other car.
Nobody got out of the passenger side of her car.
As always, my BF gets to chatting with this older woman on the way to the front of the restaurant. I could hear some of the conversation. Apparently she had been dying to try this restaurant for ages but didn’t make it before her husband passed a couple years ago. And since none of her kids had been home in a while she decided to go to dinner by herself.
“I don’t have much time left to wait for a date now do I” she said.
Her chuckle was genuine; she wasn’t looking for sympathy. I was impressed with her. It’s something I would do. Hell, it’s something I’ve done. Read “learn to enjoy your own company”.
So I’m first in the door and the hostess asks “how many”. I’m just about to say two when I hear my boyfriend say from behind me:
Table for 3
What? I looked at him, very confused, and he pointed his eyes toward the woman that we walked in with.
What! I said again. But this time it was a statement and not a question because I already knew the answer. He had invited this woman to join us for dinner!
I looked at her and she was smiling so brightly; she appeared so delighted. I looked at my BF and his eyes were begging me not to make a scene. Well, of course I wasn’t going to make a scene. I mean, what the hell could I say? But I was NOT happy.
We hadn’t been out for dinner in months and, even before that, our dinners out never included linen napkins. We finally got some time together at a romantic bistro on a cool autumn evening and we are asking for a
Table for 3 please
Not happy was an understatement, I was pissed. And when the waitress came, I didn’t order a glass of wine – I ordered a whole bottle. He was going to pay for this – literally. He just smiled as they uncorked the bottle; he knew.
I barely spoke for the first 20 minutes but that didn’t stop the woman (damned if I can remember her name) and my BF. He kept asking her questions and she was happy to tell her stories. She was fascinating. She was in her late seventies and had lived a very interesting life.
We got to hear about how she met her husband; how they emigrated to Canada from England; the challenge of raising six kids and how successful they have become. She beamed when she talked about her kids; she was so proud.
And then we got to hear how her husband passed and her kids moved away. And that she doesn’t resent her kids because they need to live their own lives. She gets to see them (and the grandkids) every now and then.
On and on she went. It was like she hadn’t spoken to anyone at length for a very long time.
She was sweet and funny and, I don’t know if it was the wine but, my heart just went out to her. I now felt horrible for being upset with the whole “table for three” thing. I imagined that, one day, I could very well be in her shoes and how nice it would be to get invited out for dinner.
I decided then and there that I was going to invite an old person out for dinner once a week! But that was definitely the wine talking.
Then I looked at my BF and felt like a class “A” shit! I remembered, at that moment, why I love him. He just couldn’t bring himself to watch this older woman be seated at a table by herself and he was willing to pay whatever price he had to pay to not have that happen.
Dinner was outstanding. The best food I think I’ve ever had – before or since. And little, extra touches that made it special. There was a complimentary canapé to start (three little canapés on a long tray; one for each of us) And then a little palette cleansing sherbet ball (one for each of us) before the entrée was served. I’d never seen that before, it was pretty cool. And dessert was to die for.
The dinner ended and we walked her to her car. Her thanks was genuine and it was followed with a hug that I will never forget. I don’t know who got more out of that dinner – her or me. My BF was just being himself and didn’t think anything of it but he did a good thing that night.
I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the restaurant but I have to tell you that I am not getting paid to – not even with a dinner. The restaurant is called “bistro seven seven” in Alliston, Ontario. Check it out if you’re ever in the area.
By the way, I almost never have dessert but, even though I wound up enjoying myself, he still had to pay.
Note: this actually happened.
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