Dinner with a Friend

Clara had booked a table for seven o'clock to celebrate Ana's new job. She arrived ten minutes early, hung up her coat and chose a seat by the window. The restaurant was small, with red signs outside and a long menu of pasta dishes.

At seven fifteen, Ana still wasn't there. Clara checked her messages. Ana was usually punctual, and she had sounded excited about dinner. Clara ordered water, waited another five minutes and finally wrote, “Everything OK? I'm by the window.”

Ana replied almost immediately: “I'm here too. I can't see you.” Clara looked around the room. There were only six tables, and Ana was definitely not at any of them. Then another message appeared: “The place on Green Street, right?”

Clara stared at the screen. She was sitting in a restaurant with the same name on King Street. Both had red signs, but only the Green Street location was near Ana's office. Clara rang her friend. For a second they were both silent, and then they started laughing.

Clara apologised to the waiter, paid for her water and walked to the other restaurant. Ana had kept their table and ordered some bread to share. By the time dinner arrived, the mix-up had become a joke. Before they left, they agreed that next time they would share a map link rather than just a restaurant name.