He Thought the Food Was Free, I Made Sure the Lesson Wasn’t Chapter 04

He Thought the Food Was Free, I Made Sure the Lesson Wasn’t Chapter 04

There was a time when hearing Derek run his mouth like that would’ve tied my stomach in knots.

Now it just felt ridiculous.

I looked at him. Nothing on my face. “Suit yourself.”

He frowned. He’d been expecting me to lose it, and my calm threw him off. His eyes flicked to the bill on the counter, and a sly little smile crept across his face.

“Only two hundred grand so far? No wonder you’re still so relaxed. Guess I haven’t spent enough.”

He turned and shouted at a waitress, “Bring me the menu. I’m adding more.”

The waitress glanced at me for approval. I nodded. She handed him the menu.

Derek flipped through it, dragging it out.

“Truffle fries. One basket per table. Wagyu sliders. One platter per person. Caviar. However much you’ve got back there, bring it all.”

He slapped the menu onto the counter and shot me a smirk, “How’s that feel? Stings a little, doesn’t it?”

I let the corner of my mouth lift. “Not really.”

His face stiffened. He didn’t like that.

“Fine. Add bluefin tuna tartare too. Two pounds per table.”

He glanced around the room at all his guests, chin tilted up:

“And one more thing. Everyone gets a lobster and king crab to-go, plus a bottle of bourbon to take home. Late-night snack, on me.”

The room exploded again, “Derek! You’re too much, man!”

“We eat like kings here and we get to take stuff home? Is this what real money looks like?”

Evan finally pushed through the crowd and pulled Derek aside. He kept his voice low, “Derek, that’s enough. You keep going like this, you’ll empty the whole place out.”

Derek shot me a contemptuous glance and laughed, “That’s exactly the point. I want every expensive thing in this restaurant gone. Maybe then she’ll learn her lesson.”

Patricia wedged herself in, chin high, “Derek’s right. Some people get bolder the more you give them. She pulled that ridiculous stunt, walking out on us, trying to scare us. If we don’t teach her a lesson now, she’ll think she can do whatever she wants.”

Evan looked at me and said nothing.

Patricia and Derek stared me down with undisguised satisfaction. This was their revenge, and they were loving it.

I smiled. Didn’t say a word.

The waitress, though, looked uneasy. She murmured to me, “Boss, do you really want me to put this order through?”

I looked at Derek and Patricia. “Yes. Give them exactly what they asked for.”

She didn’t question it again. She turned and went to the kitchen.

Derek and Patricia settled back into their seats and got back to eating and drinking.

The dishes kept coming. Truffle fries. Wagyu sliders. Caviar. Plate after plate. Then dozens of to-go bags, each one with a bottle of bourbon, placed neatly beside every guest.

The relatives couldn’t help themselves. “This is insane. That’s gotta be five figures a head, easy.”

Derek shrugged it off, “This is nothing. What matters is everyone has a good time. Don’t even think about the money.”

I checked the bill. Their total had climbed from two hundred thousand to half a million dollars. Every expensive ingredient and bottle in the restaurant was gone.

Derek was finally satisfied. He leaned back in his chair, full and content, and let out a loud burp. Then he stood up, walked over to me, and delivered his parting shot, “Claire, I hope you’ve learned your lesson tonight.”

“Remember this the next time you feel like being a cheap-ass. ‘Cause I’ve got plenty more ways to deal with you.”

He turned and led the whole crowd toward the door. That’s when a solid, broad-shouldered figure stepped into the doorway and blocked their path. “Your total tonight is half a million dollars. Pay up.”