The total came to $585.
We divided the amount among the people who were paying, sorted everything out, and added a $60 tip. There was no lengthy discussion about it. Nobody wanted to make a scene or leave the restaurant arguing about money.
As far as we were concerned, everything had been handled fairly.
Then the waiter made his comment.
*The Comment That Changed the Mood
After noticing the tip, the waiter said something along the lines of expecting a double tip.
In other words, he appeared to think that the $60 we had left should have been closer to $120.
At first, it was difficult to know how to respond. Maybe we had misunderstood him. Maybe he was making an awkward attempt at humor. But the way he delivered the comment didn’t sound particularly playful.
He didn’t seem to be laughing or trying to make the situation lighter. His tone made it feel as though he genuinely believed we should have left more money.
That was what made the moment uncomfortable.
We had just spent nearly $600 on dinner. We had no complaints about the food, no complaints about the service, and no intention of leaving without tipping. Yet suddenly, the conversation was no longer about the meal or the time we’d spent together.
