A short story
The Dinner I Nearly Missed
Last Saturday, my cousin Olivia invited me to a family dinner. There were going to be many relatives and a few people I did not know. I almost said no because I don't do well with new people, especially women. My brother laughed and said, “Just do it! You need to get out of the house.”
“Got it,” I said, but I was still nervous.
I drove through a long tunnel to the restaurant. It was easy to find, and I arrived on time. Olivia met me at the door.
“You look great!” she said. Then she pointed to a woman near the window. “That's Anna. Go and shake hands with her.”
“Understood,” I joked.
I walked over to Anna, and we shook hands. Her chair was uncomfortable, and she kept moving in her seat. I could tell she was nervous too. It seemed like she wanted to leave.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I am uncomfortable,” she said. “This chair is uncomfortable, and I don't know many people here.”
“I understand,” I said. “To be honest, I don't do well with women. I often fill silences with a joke.”
Anna laughed, and the conversation became easier. She told me that she worked from home and felt nervous at big meetings. I could relate to her story because I had the same problem.
“I can relate,” I said. “All of these things — new people, loud music, and many questions — make me nervous.”
“Yes,” Anna said. “All of those things make me tired too.”
At that moment, I understood that we had a lot in common. Then Olivia came back and pointed to Anna's brother.
“He's not a bad-looking guy,” she said.
“Why do you think he's a bad guy?” I asked.
Olivia and Anna started laughing. “I said bad-looking, not bad!” Olivia explained.
“Oh, I see,” I said. “English can be dangerous.”
After dinner, I called my brother.
“How was it?” he asked.
“It was easy after the first ten minutes,” I said. “I understood something tonight: sometimes you just have to do it.”
