My family ordered $3,000 of wagyu, laughing, “Sarah’s paying for all of it.” My mom added, “She always does.” The waiter looked at me, froze, then said quietly, “Wait… you didn’t order anything?”
At exactly 8:14 p.m., I was sitting at the far end of a 10-person table inside the Sterling Prime. The place smelled like truffle butter, roasted garlic, and money people wanted other people to notice. Crystal chandeliers hung over dark oak tables.
A pianist played something soft near the bar. Every few minutes, another server carried out a steak large enough to feed a family of four. I wrapped my hand around a glass of tap water with a single lemon wedge floating near the rim.
That was my entire order. Across from me, Chloe held her phone above a seafood tower stacked with lobster tails, oysters, king crab legs, and shrimp. The flash fired three times in less than 10 seconds.
She adjusted the angle and took another picture. Nothing had been eaten yet. Marcus leaned back in his chair and snapped his fingers at a waiter.
“Let’s do another bottle of the Bordeaux.”
The waiter nodded politely. “The Château Bowmont Reserve?” he asked. Marcus grinned.
“Obviously.”
I glanced at the wine list lying beside the table’s centerpiece. $412 for one bottle. The waiter disappeared.
Marcus immediately started telling a story about a luxury condo project he was supposedly involved with. Nobody asked for details. Nobody questioned anything.
Chloe nodded every few seconds like he was explaining how to cure cancer. My mother smiled proudly. That was enough.
I looked around the table. My aunt Linda was wearing enough jewelry to pay off a used Honda Civic. My cousin Tyler had spent the last 15 minutes talking about cryptocurrencies despite clearly not understanding cryptocurrency.
Two family friends I barely recognized laughed at every joke Marcus made. The performance was exhausting. Another server arrived carrying appetizers: a platter of imported Japanese scallops, three orders of caviar, a tray of Wagyu sliders nobody had actually requested.
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