Hey, I’ll tell you a story that happened to me… It turns out I just wanted a quiet dinner with friends, but an unexpected guest turned the night into a nightmare.
Everything was going to be a celebration of my promotion at work. I had everything planned: the menu, the wine, the tableware… even the background music. I wanted something intimate, with a good vibe, without any frills. I wanted my loved ones to feel at home: laughing, chatting, enjoying ourselves without thinking about bills or work.
I invited just five people: my best friend Lucía and her husband Álvaro, my friend from university Sergio, and Laura, a colleague I get along with really well. Everyone knew each other, so I expected a relaxed, stress-free atmosphere.
The evening started off wonderfully. Delicious tapas were on the table: bread with tomato, croquettes, Iberian ham… Everyone arrived punctually, well-dressed, and in a good mood. The wine flowed, as did the conversation: Lucía and Laura talked about travel, Sergio shared anecdotes about his new job. I smiled; everything was going perfectly.
And then… there was a knock at the door.
I was surprised because all my guests were already there. I thought it might be a neighbor or a mistaken delivery man. I opened it… and found a guy who simply said:
—Hi! I’m Jorge, a friend of Lucía’s. She said I could come in. I’m not bothering you, am I?
And, without waiting for an answer, he slipped inside.
I was stunned. Lucía had never mentioned any Jorge to me before. I looked at her with wide eyes, and she, looking at the ground, muttered:
—Well… I mentioned it to him by chance and he signed up…
I resisted the urge to give him a hard time. I didn’t want to ruin the evening. I pretended everything was fine, poured Jorge some wine, and introduced him to the others. They all looked at each other, but nodded politely.
But it soon became clear: this was THE guest who was unnecessary at any dinner party.
Jorge couldn’t stop talking, interrupting everyone, cracking inappropriate jokes, and laughing like a madman. His wine glass emptied faster than anyone else’s, and with it, any remaining decency.
Lucía became extremely tense. She pretended to smile, but seemed to want to disappear. Álvaro remained serious, Sergio rolled his eyes, and Laura counted the seconds until she could leave.
The final straw was when George, staggering, raised his glass and shouted:
—To friendship… and to new friends! Although, to be honest, I don’t know how you all put up with Lucía. She’s nice, but she’s such a pain, huh?
The silence was absolute. Lucía paled, Álvaro clenched his fists, Sergio choked, and Laura almost dropped her glass.
“Jorge, that’s enough,” Lucia whispered, on the verge of tears.
“Come on, what a bunch of snobs!” he laughed, as if nothing had happened.
And there, my patience ran out.
I stood up, looked at him and said calmly but firmly:
—Jorge, thanks for coming. But you have to go. You’re redundant.
He laughed:
—Really? How annoying? Come on, don’t overreact, Bea.
—I mean it. Go away.
I pointed to the door. The silence was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even Jorge understood there was no room for discussion. He shrugged and left.
I closed the door. I took a deep breath. And I turned to my friends.
—Sorry. I didn’t know you were going to show up. This wasn’t what I had planned.
Lucia, with red eyes, murmured:
—Forgive me. I… I didn’t think it would get like this.
“Relax,” said Álvaro. “Now we’re feeling better.”
Sergio laughed:
—Well, at least we’ll have an anecdote.
We all laughed. The tension began to dissipate.
The rest of the night wasn’t as perfect as I’d dreamed, but it was a thousand times more authentic. We spoke without filters, we laughed, we opened up. The dinner wasn’t flawless… but it was real. And I learned something: even if you can’t control who comes to your party, you always decide who stays.
And from now on, I’m going to be very careful with the “friends” others invite without warning. Especially… if Lucía invites them.
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