They Set Up The Poor Mechanic On A Blind Date As A Prank—but The Ceo’s Daughter Said, “I Like Him”…
The Dinner Conversation
The dinner that followed was nothing like Jake had expected. Victoria was warm and funny, asking genuine questions about his work and actually listening to the answers.
Emma was a delightful whirlwind, telling stories about her preschool, her friends, and her grandpa, who apparently let her help him in his workshop.
Emma explained.
“He’s teaching me about computers.”
“He says I’m going to be smarter than him someday.”
“I said I’m already smarter because I know how to use a tablet and he doesn’t.”
Victoria admitted.
“She’s not wrong.”
“My father is a genius with programming but terrible with user interfaces.”
Jake found himself relaxing, genuinely enjoying the evening. He told them about the shop, about the satisfaction of diagnosing a tricky problem and fixing it, and about his regular customers who’d become friends.
He said.
“Mrs. Patterson brings me cookies every time she comes in.”
“Says I’m the only mechanic who doesn’t talk down to her or try to sell her things she doesn’t need.”
Emma said with certainty.
“That’s because you’re nice.”
“And honest.”
“Mommy says honest people are hard to find.”
As dinner wound down, Victoria excused herself to use the restroom, leaving Jake with Emma.
Emma asked with the blunt directness of a three-year-old.
“Do you like my mommy?”
Jake said carefully.
“I just met her.”
Emma asked again.
“But do you like her?”
Jake replied.
“She’s very pretty, and very smart, and she reads me stories with different voices for all the characters.”
“She sounds wonderful, and you’re very lucky to have such a great mom.”
Emma nodded seriously.
“I am lucky.”
“But Mommy is sad sometimes.”
“She thinks I don’t notice, but I do.”
Emma continued.
“She doesn’t have a lot of friends because people are fake.”
“That’s what Grandpa says.”
“They pretend to like Mommy, but they really just like her money.”
Jake’s heart ached for this insightful little girl.
“That must be hard.”
Emma added.
“It is.”
“That’s why I’m glad we met you.”
“You’re not fake.”
“I can tell.”
Emma leaned in conspiratorially.
“Also, those men over there are very mean.”
“They were laughing and pointing earlier, but now they look mad because we’re having fun.”
Jake said.
“That’s because they’re bad people, and bad people don’t like when good people are happy.”
From his perspective, Jake could see Brad’s table. Emma was right; they looked frustrated and angry, their prank having thoroughly backfired.
A New Opportunity
When Victoria returned, Jake asked.
“What happens now when we leave?”
“I mean, they’re obviously going to say things.”
Victoria said calmly.
“Let them.”
“Jake, can I be honest with you about something else?”
Jake replied.
“Please.”
Victoria said.
“When Brad contacted me, I was in a bad place.”
“I just ended yet another relationship with yet another man who saw Emma as an obstacle and me as a trophy.”
“I was starting to think I’d never meet someone genuine.”
“Someone who’d value me for who I am rather than what I have.”
“I almost didn’t come tonight, but something told me to give it a chance.”
Jake said quietly.
“I’m glad you did.”
Victoria smiled.
“So am I.”
Victoria asked.
“I know this is fast and this whole evening has been bizarre, but would you be interested in seeing me again properly, without the audience?”
Jake asked.
“Really?”
“You’d want to go out with a mechanic?”
Victoria answered.
“I’d want to go out with a kind, honest man who treats my daughter with respect and doesn’t judge people by their bank accounts.”
“The fact that you’re a mechanic is just what you do, not who you are.”
Jake said.
“Then yes.”
“I’d like that very much.”
Emma clapped her hands.
“Can we go to the park?”
“Jake should come to the park with us.”
“And maybe he can meet Grandpa.”
“Grandpa will like him because he works with his hands.”
“And Grandpa says people who work with their hands built the world.”
The Backfire
As they stood to leave, Brad intercepted them near the door. His face was flushed—whether from alcohol or anger, Jake couldn’t tell.
Brad shouted.
“Victoria, what the hell was this?”
“This was supposed to be funny.”
“You were supposed to—”
Victoria’s voice was ice.
“I was supposed to what, Brad?”
“Mock this man for not being born wealthy?”
“Humiliate him for having an honest job?”
“Laugh at him with you and your friends?”
Victoria asked.
“Did you really think I’d participate in that?”
Brad replied.
“Come on.”
“It was just a joke.”
“He’s just a mechanic.”
Victoria cut him off.
*”He’s just a man who works hard, treats people with kindness, and has more integrity in his little finger than you have in your entire body.”
“You know what the real joke is, Brad?”
“You thought this would make you look clever and superior.”
“Instead, you’ve shown everyone here exactly what kind of person you are.”
“And trust me, that’s not a good look.”
Brad said.
“Whatever.”
“Your dad’s probably going to love this.”
“His daughter dating some poor grease monkey.”
Emma, who’d been holding Victoria’s hand, let go and marched right up to Brad. At three years old, she barely reached his knees, but she planted her feet and glared up at him with fierce determination.
Emma announced.
“You’re mean.”
“And you smell bad.”
“And Jake is nice and you’re not.”
“So Jake is better than you.”
“Mommy says money doesn’t make you good.”
“Being good makes you good.”
“You have money but you’re still bad, so the money doesn’t work.”
The entire restaurant had gone quiet. Everyone was watching this tiny child face down a man who outweighed her by 200 pounds.
Brad’s face turned even redder.
“You little—”
A new voice said.
“Finish that sentence and see what happens.”
