The tension was palpable, and Jess excused herself to the restroom to regroup. As she splashed water on her face, her phone buzzed with a message from Adam: ‘How’s it going?’
Jess was livid. When she returned, Stewart was still arguing with the staff. The situation had escalated to the point where a security guard was now involved.
Stewart looked at Jess, desperation in his eyes. ‘Can you help out? Just this once?’
‘I can’t,’ Jess replied firmly. ‘I don’t have that kind of money.’
Another message from Adam popped up on her phone: ‘How’s the date going, Sis? ;)’
Jess showed Stewart the text. ‘Did Adam know you couldn’t pay?’
Stewart looked bewildered. ‘I don’t know. Adam set this up. He said he’d transfer some money, but it looks like he didn’t.’
Feeling trapped, Jess turned to the security guard. ‘Can we step outside? I’ll call someone to settle this.’
Outside, Jess called Adam, barely containing her anger. ‘Adam, Stewart can’t pay the bill. What did you do?’
Adam chuckled. ‘Relax, Jess. Just use your card if you have to. It’s just a bit of fun.’
‘This isn’t funny, Adam. Get down here and fix it, now!’
When Adam finally arrived, still grinning, Jess was furious. ‘You’ve humiliated me,’ she snapped.
Adam shrugged it off. ‘I thought it would be fun. It’s all settled now, anyway. No big deal.’
But for Jess, it was a big deal. ‘You crossed a line, Adam. This wasn’t funny.’
As Adam walked away, still treating the situation lightly, Jess apologized to Stewart. ‘I’m sorry about tonight. I didn’t expect any of this.’
‘It’s okay,’ Stewart replied quietly, understanding in his eyes.
They parted ways, and as Jess walked home, she felt a deep sense of betrayal. She knew she needed to set new boundaries with her brother, starting with never letting him set her up on a date again.
What would you have done in Jess’s situation? If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one about a waitress who found herself in an unexpected texting exchange with a stranger.”