My Boyfriend Got Banned from His Favorite Restaurant on His Birthday and He Says It’s My Fault

Leighton envisions a low-key night spent honoring John when she and her boyfriend, John, head to his favorite steakhouse for his birthday dinner. However, as their evening draws to a close, Leighton’s moral commitments prevent her from paying for John’s portion of the meal, which causes feelings and emotions to spiral out of control.

I never thought his birthday would end with him blaming me of spoiling his night and yelling at me in a parking lot. Maybe if I could go back and tweak that dinner a little bit. In actuality, though, I adhered to a boundary I set long before John and I became romantically involved.

I didn’t believe I was in error. I’m not so sure now, though.

Allow me to clarify.

I’ve been dating John for over a year now. And everything was mostly alright. I’m 28 and he’s 30, and like everyone else, we go through ups and downs.

“We’re just figuring it out, Leighton,” he would say to me after one of our fights. “We’ll get past it all.”

I always concurred as it appeared like a unique bond was developing between us. John’s desire to settle down was another something I loved.

However, food has always been a source of contention for us. Since the age of eleven, I have been a vegetarian. Although I don’t force my opinions on others, morality and personal convictions were the main factors in my decision. That just is the way it has always been; it’s a part of who I am.

Moreover, I have stated unequivocally that I will not be using my money to purchase meat. That’s my main point.

John is aware of this.

Indeed, he was aware of it right away. I was honest with him from the beginning when we started dating.

While I don’t mind if you eat meat, I won’t foot the bill. It’s merely a rule I have.”

It wasn’t a huge problem, he replied, laughing at the moment.

But now that I’ve looked back, I see how frequently it really became a problem. Small things like splitting the check when we went out to eat were the norm at first. On sometimes, I would gladly feed the two of us when he ordered a vegetarian dish.

On other occasions, when he ordered something substantial, I would pay my share and assume he would pay the rest.

“It’s just food, Leighton. Oh my god. Are you arguing about this? Not purchasing a burger isn’t going to make a difference in the world. Oh my.”

And each time I would give him an explanation of my position or point of view, that would be his response.

I would brush it aside, not wanting to get into a fight over something I was so passionate about. It did, I must admit, irritate me. This man said he loved me, but he didn’t get me at all. And that was annoying.

Still, I didn’t handle matters by yelling my opinions. I decided to let it go.

However, his birthday soon arrived. And that’s when everything really started to go wrong.

For weeks, we had been discussing John’s birthday. When I first decided to host a formal dinner at home, I did it mostly for myself. However, cooking meat didn’t sound like fun.

“I don’t want to have something at home, Leigh,” John replied. “Thereafter, we would need to provide entertainment for the public. Just have supper together, please. Just the two of us.”

“Okay,” I replied, figuring that choice was the simpler of the two.

But I recoiled entirely when John said where he intended to go.

A restaurant serving steaks. His desire was to visit a steakhouse.

John didn’t even think twice when the bill arrived later. Grinning, he slid it across the table.
“So, you’ve got this, right, Leigh?” he asked.

The one and only time I had gone there, it had been a nightmare. Other than baked potatoes and maybe two salads, there wasn’t much on the menu that wasn’t meat-based.

But I wanted to support John because it was his birthday.

The beginning of the night went really well, perhaps better than I had anticipated.

John came inside for a quick glass of champagne after picking me up and we headed to the steakhouse.

Saying “Happy birthday, darling,” I gave him the nice sneakers he had been coveting for a while as a present.

To be honest, it did take a bite out of my monthly budget, and I didn’t get paid as much as I would have liked to be compensated as a junior copywriter. However, I reasoned that since it was John’s birthday, he should get more attention.

For this reason, I put on a nice outfit and applied my all-time favorite scent. I desired perfection in everything.

Upon arriving to the restaurant, we took a seat at a small table in the corner and attempted to make the occasion as romantic as possible.

John seemed happy. He smiled widely and kept reaching for my hand.

He went all out when I ordered a baked potato and a Greek salad. Once more, this was his birthday, so he should have deserved it.

He placed our shared bottle of wine, some sides, and the priciest steak on the menu. Even though I knew what was going to happen, I remained silent when he placed the steak order.

For some reason, I thought maybe he would remember my rule. Perhaps, just maybe, he would pick something else, or at the very least be willing to foot the bill himself.

When the dinner was served, we didn’t say anything. Every bite of John’s steak seemed to please him, and he would periodically take up his phone to respond to birthday wishes.

John didn’t even think twice when the bill arrived later. Grinning, he slid it across the table.

“So, you’ve got this, right, Leigh?” he asked.

I was a little shocked when I looked at him.

“Hold on, what? You’re aware of my feelings about this.”

He waved his hand and remarked, “It’s my birthday, Leighton,” as if that clarified everything.

I scowled while trying not to panic.

“What the heck, hold on? You are conscious of how I feel about this.”

“It’s my birthday, Leighton,” he said, waving his hand as if that made everything clear.

I frowned, trying not to get too worked up.

The smile on his face vanished as he blinked at me.

“I assume you’re kidding. Leighton, it’s my birthday, for crying out loud.”

I exhaled. I could tell by the tone of his voice that things weren’t going to go well.

I am aware that today is your birthday. John, but, it doesn’t alter my rule. I refuse to pay for the steak. In addition, your birthday gift has caused me to overspend on my spending.”

John’s visage hardened in an instant, and he sat back in his chair, crossing his arms.

“So, you think I should cover the cost of my own birthday dinner? And you’re attempting to cast blame on me for receiving a birthday present from me?”

“I didn’t expect you to order the most expensive thing on the menu and assume that I’d cover it,” I said.

John shook his head and scoffed.

“This was not covered by my budget. Leighton, I felt you had it. What a letdown. Happy birthday to myself, I suppose.”

I leaned forward while attempting to speak quietly. Making a scene was the last thing I wanted to do.

“I’ve already told you, John. I don’t buy meat with money. You have to cover the steak, but I’ll take care of the rest.”

I tried to make it stick by speaking slowly and repeating what I had said.

However, John simply rolled his eyes and reclined, gazing at me as though I had just informed him that the sky was green.

“Leighton, it’s my birthday,” he said once again. “My girlfriend is supposed to treat me.”

“I did treat you!” I lost my temper. “John, I have a present for you! The majority of this lunch is on me. Truly, what more could you possibly want?

I could feel the other diners looking at us at this moment. I attempted to speak more quietly, but I was becoming agitated.

It’s also not possible for me to merely disregard my morals since it’s your birthday. Which kind of lady would I be?

Abruptly, he got up from his chair, scraping the floor, and tossed his napkin onto the table.

“What do you know? I require a moment.”

John stormed off into the bathroom before I could even reply, leaving me sitting there looking foolish. My face burned with embarrassment. Now everyone was observing.

I remained seated for ten, then twenty minutes.

While refilling my water glass, the server passed by and glanced at the vacant seat across from me.

He asked me nicely, “Would you like another glass of wine?”

I gave a headshake.

“No, I’m grateful. But could you obtain a card machine?”

He nodded and grinned.

“Leighton, you’re so damn self-centered. Couldn’t you just pay for one dinner? On my birthday?
I paid for my meal, the wine, and the sides when he brought it over. not the steak, though.

“My boyfriend will pay for that,” I replied. “We have a thing where he pays for his meat.”

With a perplexed expression, the server nodded once again.

That’s not an issue, he declared.

I waited for John for twenty minutes and then made the decision to go. I assumed he would eventually calm down and come look for me.

It turned out that I observed him pouting while seated on a bench close to the parking lot as I was leaving the restaurant.

“What the hell, John?” I enquired. “You just left me in there!”

Not so much as apologize, he looked up.

He insisted, “Did you pay?”

I answered, “I paid what I owed.” “You need to go back for yours.”

“I’m not going back in there, Leighton,” he replied.

“What? Why not, I enquired.

“Because they will identify me. See, don’t you? Sort of like a dine-and-dash affair. I turned to leave. They observed me. If I return, I’ll be barred from this location.”

I was hearing things that I couldn’t believe. I was astounded by this man’s reasoning.

John, it was you that left without making a payment. You are responsible for that.

With a flash of rage in his eyes, he looked at me.

“Leighton, you’re so damn self-centered. Couldn’t you just pay for one dinner? On my birthday?

I looked at him, in disbelief. “Tonight, all I’ve done is pay for you. However, I have stated from the start that I will not be purchasing meat.”

“Leighton, it’s not all about the money! The issue lies in your extreme stubbornness. Develop into an adult.”

My hands started to shake. I forced myself to remain composed as I took a big breath. ‘I’m not doing this. I’m heading out.

I walked toward the automobile, pirouetting myself, thinking he would follow. I had the keys, but it was his automobile. He was just sitting there, pouting like a child who didn’t get his way, when I turned to check where he was.

I shut the door behind me, got in the car, and went home by myself. I kept thinking about the previous night the entire drive. Why had everything gone so wrong? Was I really this guy’s antagonist?

I texted him as soon as I got home.

Simply swallow your emotions and attitude and pay the money. It’s your favorite steakhouse. Do you truly think you won’t return there?

He remained silent for hours. And all he did was level additional charges at me when he did.

I was too lazy to respond. I had no doubt that he would soon drop by with his automobile. Then, we could discuss.

How would you have responded in that situation?

Here’s another story for you if you liked this one.

“I’ll kick her out if she’s not obedient; she’s on my maintenance,” my husband said about me during his celebration.
When Abby loses her job, she turns to her spouse, Gregor, for support as she looks for a new one. Abby believes that Gregor will be encouraging, but when they celebrate his birthday with their closest friends and family, she learns the truth about his true feelings.

Click here to read the entire story.

Though it has been romanticized for artistic purposes, this work draws inspiration from actual individuals and events. For reasons of privacy protection and story improvement, names, characters, and details have been changed. Any likeness to real people, alive or dead, or real events is entirely accidental and not the author’s intention.

The publisher and author disclaim all liability for any misinterpretation and make no claims on the veracity of the events or character portrayals. The thoughts represented in this story are those of the characters and do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the author or publisher. The story is offered “as is.”