My Entitled Date Brought Her Own Bell with Her to the Restaurant to Get Servers Attention

When I agreed to meet Vanessa for our first date, I knew it wouldnt be a normal date. However, I never imagined Id end up at a fancy restaurant, watching her ring a silver bell for service like she was royalty. It was the start of one of the most bizarre evenings of my life.

So, I matched up with a woman named Vanessa on a dating app. Her profile had a line that said she was “high maintenance but worth it.” I shrugged it off, thinking it was some kind of joke or just her way of standing out.

A man opening a dating app | Souce: Unsplash

We texted back and forth for a few weeks. She came off as confident, maybe a little self-absorbed, but nothing that set off alarm bells. At least, not yet.

When we finally decided to meet, she suggested this upscale outdoor restaurant downtown. You know, the kind of place with craft cocktails and dishes that cost more than my entire grocery budget for the week. I figured, okay, shes got expensive taste. Its our first date, so why not make it special?

A fancy high-end restaurant | Source: Unsplash

Vanessa showed up in this stunning dress, looking like she just walked out of a fashion magazine. But before we took our seats, she pulled this shiny silver bell out of her purse, and I thought it was some kind of quirky icebreaker or a funny prop for the night.

I laughed and said, “Whats that for? A secret weapon?” She smiled, but it was one of those smiles that didnt quite reach her eyes.

We sat down, and before I could even get comfortable, Vanessa gave the bell a couple of light dings. I thought, surely, shes just messing around. But nope, she was dead serious.

A woman ringing a bell in a restaurant | Source: Midjourney

Heads turned, and I felt a wave of second-hand embarrassment wash over me. Our server, a young guy with a polite smile, approached the table.

“Is there something I can help you with, maam?” he asked, clearly puzzled.

“Oh good, it works,” Vanessa said, totally straight-faced. She ordered a cocktail like she was at some exclusive club, not even bothering to glance at the menu. The server nodded, a bemused look on his face, and walked off. I caught him raising an eyebrow at me, and I just shrugged.

A woman and man enjoying their meal on a date | Source: Midjourney

From there, it was a disaster. Every time Vanessa wanted something — water, another drink, bread — shed ring that damn bell. Ding, ding, ding. It was relentless.

And heres where it got interesting: the staff decided they were not playing along anymore. Every time she rang the bell, they pretended they couldnt hear it. No one came over. She rang it harder, and still, nothing.

At first, Vanessa was baffled. She tried to keep her cool, muttering, “This bell worked earlier.” But then she got visibly irritated.

A woman looking unimpressed in a restaurant | Source: Pexels

The more she rang it, the more obvious it became that the staff was ignoring her on purpose. They kept perfectly straight faces, acting like she didnt exist. I was sinking into my chair, wishing I could disappear.

Eventually, the manager, a middle-aged guy with a calm demeanor, approached us. He kept a perfectly straight face. “I saw you banging on that broken bell so hard I thought Id come over to see if you were okay.”

Vanessas face twisted in disbelief. “Broken? Its not broken. Ive been using it all night.”

He smiled politely. “Must be something wrong with it. We couldnt hear a thing back there. Maybe we should just rely on good old-fashioned waving.”

A woman in disbelief as she rings her bell | Source: Midjourney

I couldnt help but snort, trying to stifle my laughter. Vanessa, however, was far from amused. “This is ridiculous,” she snapped, glaring at the manager.

Just when I thought it couldnt get any weirder, this guy sitting a few tables over stood up and walked over to us. He looked at Vanessas bell, then back at her. “Hey, thats a pretty neat idea! What does it cost for me to get one of those?”

Vanessa, still trying to maintain her composure, replied, “Oh, about $20 online.”

Without skipping a beat, the guy grabbed the bell from the table, wound up like a baseball pitcher, and launched it onto the roof of the restaurant. He calmly pulled out his wallet, slapped a $20 bill on our table, and walked back to his seat without another word.

A man pulling out bills from his wallet | Source: Pexels

The entire patio erupted in laughter. Vanessas face turned bright red, and she whipped around to me, her voice shrill. “Are you going to do something about that?”

I leaned back, chuckling harder than I had all night. “Honestly, Id love to do something, but that guy just came up with a better idea than I ever could.”

Vanessa snapped, crossing her arms. “Youre just going to let that guy throw my bell?”

A woman and a man arguing on a date | Source: Midjourney

I clicked, trying to keep my cool. “Vanessa, its not about the bell. Its just… nobody here is into this whole bell thing.”

She frowned, looking genuinely baffled. “What do you mean? Its efficient. I dont see the problem.”

I shook my head, grinning. “Its not about efficiency. Its about how youre treating people. You dont need a bell to get attention; you just need to be polite.”

Vanessa scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please. Like they care. Its their job to serve us.”

A woman looking angry | Source: Midjourney

When I simply shrugged, she stared at me like Id lost my mind. Vanessa didnt get it — she really thought she was being clever with that bell like it was a genius move that everyone should applaud.

The truth was finally sinking in — no one was impressed, and the whole act had backfired spectacularly. She demanded we get the check, and when it came, she didnt even pretend to offer to split. By that point, I was ready to be done with the whole evening, so I paid and didnt say a word.

A man paying for a meal after a date | Source: Midjourney

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As we walked to the parking lot, Vanessa threw out one last comment, rolling her eyes. “Some people just dont appreciate class.”

I couldnt help but smirk. “Yeah, well, class is hard to find these days.”

She didnt seem to catch the jab, or maybe she just didnt care. Either way, I knew this was the last time Id be seeing Vanessa and her bell.

A man watching a woman walk away after their date | Source: Midjourney

The lesson? Sometimes, entitlement doesnt just make you look bad — it makes everyone around you wonder what on earth you were thinking. And that bell? Pretty sure its still up on the roof, right where it belongs.

Heres another story you might like: When Ronny meets Denise for their first date, hes shocked to find her mother, Claire, tagging along. Over dinner, Claires intrusive questions and expensive demands reveal their true intentions. But Ronny, quick-witted and unfazed, hilariously turns the tables on them both.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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