Everything was perfect.
We had gotten into the most exclusive restuarant in town. This place was so high-chain that you had to book months in advance for it.
Six in fact. A whole half a year spent waiting to eat some overpriced salad or salmon with eggs sprinkled on top.
I got us both seats; me and my bestie. I scraped together every doller from my paychecks just to afford this experience.
Working at a Lush Body shop didn't pay well. The only incentives were I got to keep the broken bath bombs people crumbled in thier fat fingers.
I didn't even have a bath either. I made a mote in the bottom of my shower with a tower of towels and door stoppers to try and pretend I was laying in luxury.
But, we had done it. Seats at the Golden Apple. I heard even celebrities dined here.
Smiling to myself in the mirror, I brushed my blonde hair and frowned at the dark roots peeking through.
I should have touched them up, but I had no time.
I got out my best black dress for the occasion. I had worn it for my grandfather's funeral two years ago, but no-one needed to know how old it was.
"Bestie!" I heard the famailar voice at my apartment door "you ready?"
I was so nervous.
Spritzing myself with the tester perfume bottle I kept on my bathroom sink, I grimaced at the cheap roses clinging to my skin before shuffling to the door in my high heels.
"It's time!" I lightened and squealed to her.
"Oh my gosh! This is totally happening!" she shrieked back and stamped in delight.
Whatever. I joined her in her little dance of happiness and grabbed my purse.
"Got your phone charged? I want all the photos of this place so I can brag to those hating snitches on Socials!"
I grinned and flicked open my purse currently charging my phone.
It was the most luxurious thing I had, and it was just a sewn-in power pack charged at inflated prices.
I was so glad I got it. It looked so suave and pulled away how cheap I felt walking down the narrow stairs to the front of the complex.
We had to walk the whole way. I didn't have a car, and my bestie couldn't park hers here. There was no space anywhere in the city.
"We are going to rock this town!" she squealled again, shaking me "we look hot!"
She had gone for a black dress too to match her black hair. Her large golden fan earrings certaintly weren't cheap, and were on show for all to see.
Maybe this had been a bad idea? It was so expensive just to be doing this for some gloating power.
I was going to need to fill myself on junk food afterwards, I could tell. The portion sizes would be wafer-thin.
She walked with confidence. I matched her posture.
This wasn't so bad. The breeze was nice and the walk was all flat pavement.
I could feel excitement creeping up when I saw the golden chains out the front of the resturant and the red carpet laid on the sidewalk.
They had even blasted the pavement to make it clean. It shone silver in comparison to the stained black we walked on.
"We've got this" my bestie grinned in encouragement and fluffed her hair.
I tugged on my dress and dusted it off before ascending the stairs to the receptionist desk.
"Two seats for Mrs Smith" I glowed and shot my bestie a grin.
The receptionist was cute too. He wore an all red tuxedo and even had on a little cap with a gold tassle on top. I could see myself in his golden buttons.
His face frowned and my grin slipped.
Did he see how nervous I was? Did he smell my discount perfume? Maybe I was too cheap to be walking in here?
"Whats wrong? I made sure it was booked."
"It's all good. It's under Smith. It's been paid for" Bestie chimed in.
"There's, uh, been a change of plans" he glanced up from the wooden podium "Mr Snowball has taken your seats. He's quite an exclusive character to be dining with us tonight."
He glowed at this, but my heart fell into my stomach before boiling there.
What did that mean for us? We would still get seats, right?
"As you are aware, we carry a no-refund policy.." he started.
"NO REFUNDS?!" I screached, lowering my voice instantly and chuckling nervously "you don't understand. I saved for this...."
"And I truly am deeply sorry" he replied like he was reading lines.
"Where the fuck is he?" I snapped and was only met with a blank stare "I'll tell him what to do, taking our places!"
I barged past the podium and into the resturant, searching wildly for the man who had the audacity to snatch this from us.
"Table 2A!" Bestie read from the sheet in front of the receptionist she was shoving aside "in the corner!"
In the corner.
I charged for it, seeing it was already being waited apon.
The waiter in his black tuxedo had his back to us as he made the stealing son-of-a-bitch comfortable in OUR seats.
I had poured months into this. I wasn't about to have it snatched by some rich pig!
The waiter saw me and moved away, another calmly attending to the table I stood in shock at. His gloved hands placed down a heaping plate of leafy salad before who had stolen it from us.
I felt my Bestie stand beside me, also frozen at what she was seeing.
Her hands held me back when tears welled my eyes and I lunged forward, jabbing a finger.
I had lost everything to this... this... THING being pampered like it was a king.
That was supposed to be us!
"YOU GAVE MY TABLE TO A FUCKING CAT?!"
ns 172.70.174.98da2