Amanda and Jeff invited us to dinner to celebrate their 15th anniversary. Amanda’s message was cheerful: “It’s our treat, honey. Just bring yourselves.” So we brought a card with $200 cash, a gesture of appreciation for the invite. The dinner was lovely — candlelight, velvet dresses, matching vests on Amanda’s kids. We kept things modest: veggie pasta, grilled chicken, mac and cheese. One shared dessert. But when the check came, Amanda gestured with flair: “We’ll take this one. And they’ll take that one,” meaning us.
I was stunned. “Wait… aren’t we your guests?” She smiled sweetly. “The invitation was to join us. Not to pay for everyone.” Jeff added, “Splitting by household—it’s only fair.” Our share? $1,122. Amanda didn’t even mention the envelope with the cash gift.