Tereza invited Darko to dinner to celebrate the completion of his professional examination. She chose a small restaurant they had never visited, booked a table, and said in advance that it was her treat. Darko arrived without a tie because he could no longer bear it after the long day. They sat beside a window. The waiter handed them two menus with identical covers, but Tereza soon noticed that hers contained no prices.
She assumed a page was missing. The waiter explained that this was the ladies' menu. The gentleman received the prices, while the lady could choose without thinking about them. His tone suggested he was offering a free dessert. Tereza asked for the same version Darko had. The waiter looked at him, expecting confirmation. Darko said the lady had just ordered a menu, so he had nothing to add. The man walked away, slightly offended.
The owner returned. He presented the custom as an old-fashioned courtesy, something that distinguished their restaurant from others. Tereza said she wanted to know the cost of what she was choosing. The owner smiled at Darko and added that his guest evidently needed a little more encouragement to relax. At that point Tereza stood. She did not want to announce her earnings or explain who had invited whom. None of that should be an admission ticket to ordinary information.
A woman at the next table raised her own menu. She asked whether she was entitled to numbers too, even though someone else had invited her to dinner that day. Her husband initially laughed, then handed over his copy. The owner began explaining that nobody was forbidding anyone anything. Tereza indicated the chair where her bag still lay. She had requested an identical menu several minutes earlier. Instead, she had received two men explaining why she did not need one.
The waiter brought a menu with prices. Tereza thanked him but did not sit down. Darko rose and collected his jacket. They had not ordered anything yet. As they left, the owner said they had misunderstood a good intention. Darko started to answer, then looked at Tereza. She was already opening the door. She did not want an evening dedicated to his success to become an endless demonstration that she could read a bill.
They ate at an ordinary place several streets away. Prices were written in large letters above the counter, visible to anybody who could raise their head. Tereza paid for two portions and asked Darko to collect cutlery. While they waited, he finally told her about the exam question that had nearly defeated him. She listened closely. They had returned to the reason they went out, and there was enough room on the table for both their wallets.