Member-only story
Table for one
And a lot of memories
The first time I remember having a fancy dinner on my own was at the Grand Floridian while in the Disney College Program. It was my first Christmas away from home, and even though I would spend the actual holiday with my family, I wanted to gift myself something memorable. Something that felt grown-up.
I didn’t tell anyone I was going. I didn’t want people to think I was snobby, partly because I wanted to indulge and was ready to put the money down for it. Neither did I want to feel self-conscious about making another 20-something spend money or see how much I was willing to pay. 20-year-old girl insecurities, you know?
That night, I took the bus with students in resort uniforms and stuck like a fancy sore thumb. I arrived at the hotel, and a friendly hostess asked, “Do you want to wait for your party?”
“The reservation is for one,” I replied.
“For one?”
“Yes.”
She tilted her head, a little befuddled. “Well, ok. Follow me.”
While she walked me to the table, I soaked in the opulent decor and felt excited about the coming meal. It already felt like a great gift.
As soon as I sat, I took out a book, Wicked (I remember because I loved the green page edges), and waited. The waiter, a fellow Puerto Rican, approached me and, with our typical “Ay bendito!” (Aw, sweetie! Loosely translated), let me know that he pitied me for eating on my own.
But I had no time for that. I had bigger fish to fry or, rather, veal shank to stew. As I read the menu, the Osso Buco jumped out at me mainly because I had never tried it before, but you know when you read ingredients if something works for you. I was right! The meat fell off the bone so soft and flavorful that it exploded in my mouth. It was comforting and warm. All the while, the staff kept walking to my table to make small talk about the meal.
Before I could even look at the dessert menu, my new waiter friend brought me a decadent chocolate cake on the house. I ate it too, amused by the great concern my table of one had created. I could only imagine the host and server talking to other staffers about the lonely girl at table 12.
