I wasn't going to argue over a free meal, especially after such a pleasant evening. We went out together, and he asked if he could call me back soon.
"I'd like to," I replied, and I really meant it.
He hugged me goodbye (a perfect balance of friendliness and interest without being creepy). I went home smiling, thinking it was one of the most amazing first dates I'd ever had.
The next morning, I woke up to a notification from Eric. My sleepy brain was expecting a nice "I had a great time" message, but instead, I saw an attachment.
I made coffee, then went back to bed. Curious, I opened it, perhaps expecting a picture of the restaurant or something equally harmless.
It was an invoice. A detailed invoice, professionally formatted.
At the top, in bold professional font:
Fracture for the appointment – Amount due: 1 Balance remaining to be paid.
Below, there was a complete breakdown of the services provided, along with the associated costs.
At first, I thought it was a joke, some bizarre attempt at humor that didn't quite land. But as I read on, my morning coffee almost came back up.
