Friday Night Date Night: “Order Anything You Want”

This story was recounted to me by a friend a couple years ago, and I was so amused by her misfortune that I tucked the story away, waiting for an appropriate time to share it with as many people as possible. Because that’s what good friends do.

Having been in a relationship for several months with a man she described as “a bit of a deadbeat,” she discovered he had been cheating on her, and naturally, was ready to break things off. He pulled out all the stops, apologizing profusely, buying her flowers, and promising he was a changed man. And, to show her how serious he was about his new found commitment to the relationship, he offered to take her out for a fancy dinner.

It turns out the fancy dinner was at the Outback Steakhouse, and he only had enough money to cover about a meal and a half. Since he knew he was on the ropes, and wanted to impress, he told her she could order anything she wanted. And she did.

She ordered a Filet, which apparently dipped into his budget a little too deeply. As a result, he was forced to either opt out of having a meal or risk not being able to pay the bill. So, he made the chivalrous choice and sat quietly for about half an hour while she enjoyed a nice juicy steak and he was left continually asking the server for more bread.

When the bill came he was able to scrounge up enough to cover it, but it was hardly the romantic dinner and step in the right direction she had hoped for.

Sadly, they are no longer together today.