“Consider yourself lucky they gave you two. Could’ve been one.” Griffin’s tone is serious.
I look at him, then laugh when I note the faint crinkling at the outer corners of his eyes.
After the main course is finished, I get up, ostensibly to use the bathroom. I do need to use the bathroom, but I want to pay for our meal before Griffin can. So far, except for the souvenirs I bought at the department store, he’s paid for everything. This is an incredible trip, and I want to do something nice for him.
But when I stop our server and ask about the bill, he smiles. “It has already been paid, madam,” he says in accented English.
“Already?”
“Yes. Mr. Lasker prepaid when he booked.”
“I see,” I say slowly, trying to hide my disappointment. It isn’t this man’s fault.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?” he asks.
“No, thank you.” I flash him a smile, then look back at Griffin at the table. He’s sipping his bubbly and looking out over the cityscape as though he hasn’t a care in the world.
How can he afford all this?I don’t know how much econ professors make, but surely it can’t be enough to just casually pay for two first-class tickets to Tokyo…? When I was with Todd, he didn’t even pay for beers when we were out because I made so much more money, even though he hated admitting that.
Should I say something to Griffin about splitting the bill? It’d be a nice gesture, but I don’t want to offend him or hurt his ego. Men can get really weird about money, especially if the woman has more of it.
He’s a big boy. It isn’t like he doesn’t understand finance,a voice argues in my head. If he needs help, he’ll ask, or you can offer subtly.
I let out a breath and re-center myself. There’s no reason for me to worry about something when Griffin hasn’t demonstrated that he can’t take care of it. I push aside my unease. Just enjoy the time and have fun.