I was on a date, and he was so sweet. When the bill came, the waitress looked at him and said, “Sir, your card was declined.” He turned pale. I smiled and paid. As we left, the waitress grabbed my arm and whispered…..

heavier than the osso buco. Clara saw the panic, saw the sweat beading on his upper lip, and felt a rush of something like protectiveness. The man who was nervous about cartography was about to crumble over a restaurant bill.

Clara forced a reassuring smile. “Elias, it’s fine. Seriously. It happens all the time.” Before he could argue, before he could spin more erratic theories about bank errors, she was already fishing her wallet out of her bag. She pulled out her well-worn debit card and handed it to Maya. “