The Restaurant Bill With a Mistake
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Three friends splitting a dinner bill find an extra pizza on the total that nobody at their table ordered.
Brianna, Paige, and Megan met for dinner at a small Italian restaurant. They shared two pizzas and a plate of salad.
At the end of the meal, the waiter brought the bill. Brianna picked it up and looked at the total.
"That seems like a lot," she said, frowning at the number. "Let's split it three ways."
She divided the total by three and told the others their share. Each person owed close to forty dollars.
"Wait, that feels too high for what we ordered," Paige said. "Can we check it again?"
Megan pulled the bill toward her and read each line slowly. She found two pizzas, one salad, and three drinks.
"Here's the problem," Megan said, pointing at the paper. "There's a fourth pizza on here. We only ordered two."
Brianna looked closely and saw it too. A large pepperoni pizza sat on the list. Nobody at the table remembered ordering it.
"Maybe it's for another table," Paige said. "The waiter probably mixed up two orders."
Brianna waved the waiter over and showed him the bill. He checked his notes and apologized right away.
"You're right," he said. "That pizza belongs to the table behind you. I'm very sorry."
He took the bill and returned with a new one. The new bill did not include the extra pizza.
"Now let's split this one," Megan said, smiling.
They divided the correct total three ways. They left cash on the table together.
