Dinner at The Palace

The gorgeous Natalie, who had been sitting in the front row in George's class, picked up her bag and moved to sit down next to George.

Alice glared fiercely at her and cursed silently. "You little hussy. How dare you try to snatch this guy from me. You're playing with fire." Alice had intended to sit beside George, all ready to win him back. Then she would take the opportunity to swindle all the money out of his hands.

"George, I'm Natalie, do you remember me?" She leaned her body forward as she spoke, revealing the curves within her V neck.

"Of course, I do. We're all in the same class. Why wouldn't I recognize you?" George glanced at her. His eyes were inadvertently drawn to the curves of her breasts, but he quickly looked back up at her face.

"George, do you think I'm cute?" She asked as she moved her body directly in front of him.

She didn't believe that he could resist falling for the trap when he felt her body rubbing against his. Natalie was famous for her sultry vibe. Her face was bronzed. Her breasts were large and she had long legs and a tiny waist, but she was obsessed with money, just like Alice.

It was enough for him to have gone through that once. So he just snorted disdainfully at her. But her uncontrollably behavior was confusing him. He knew he had to do something to get out of the situation. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of so many people.

"Natalie, go back to your own seat." He said, and moved to another seat himself, taking the black plastic bag with him.

"George, you..." she sighed in exasperation and returned to the first row.

When Alice saw this, she smiled complacently and thought, "Seems like she's taken a fatal blow. Serves her right."

The moment the class ended, all the students in the room crowded around George. "George, you agreed to treat everyone to a meal. You can't get out of it now."

The closest to him in the circle were his roommates, Alex and Lex.

"Dude, you won the lottery. You're loaded", said Alex.

Lex continued, "Who doesn't want to share the profits?" They thought because they took care of George in the dorm, now that George was rich, it was time he repaid them.

"Don't worry. When I promise something, I don't go back on my word."

"All right. That's what I was waiting for. So where are you taking us for dinner?" Lex asked.

"Yeah. Where are you going to take us? And it can't be some food truck." Alex added.

"Of course, not. Choose a place. We can go anywhere you want." George said, grandly.

"What the hell are you bragging for? I bet you'll stretch some crappy all-you-can eat place at most." Ashley sneered.

George suddenly stood up from his seat and hit the table with the bag. Everyone was shocked into silence. "I'll show you this isn't just empty bragging. You can choose anywhere you want, anything you want to eat. I'll pay for it." He proclaimed loudly.

"Okay. Then make a reservation at the Palace Garden. That's the most expensive restaurant in town. If you can afford that, I'll eat my hat." Ashley mocked, full of confidence. He was sure that George wouldn't dare accept the challenge.

"George, sweetie, how much money did you win?" Natalie walked over and put her arms around him.

"Not much. Just 50,000." She was dumbfounded. A trace of disbelief flashed across Terry's eyes.

Lex and Alex were so jealous that their eyes had practically turned green. The three of them silently looked at each other and came up with a plan.

Then a real commotion broke out. "George, you really won a fortune. "

"Ashley, do you remember what you said?" George startled him.

Ashley's expression turned into grimes. He gritted his teeth. "What did I say? I didn't say anything."

"You said if I invited you for a meal at the Palace Garden, you'd eat your hat." He said. "So who wears that hat?"

Ashley's face was blotched angry, red and pale white, and his eyes flashed with viciousness. "Don't be ridiculous. The prices there are completely insane."

"It doesn't matter. Forget it. I'll just call you, Ashley, the liar from now on, but I'll let you travel with me and sit at my table." George understood that Ashley meant him harm and thought it was wise to keep him close.

He smiled indifferently. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Everyone wanted to be part of George's dinner party now that he was rich and popular. He wouldn't let Ashley get the upper hand.

"You." Ashley looked coldly at George, his heart surging with waves of fury and desire for revenge. "If you dare go to the Palace Garden to eat, I guarantee that I will come after you. Trust me. I'll find a way to destroy you."

Lex intervened. To try to smooth things over, he changed the topic. "Didn't he say he's treating everyone? We've decided on the Palace Garden. So let's hurry up and get over there. If we leave too late, some of us won't be able to go."

"Great. Let's go now." George nodded calmly.

Cheers immediately rose from the classroom. "George is the best! George is the coolest! "

But his roommate, Matt, whispered to him anxiously. "George, do you really want to treat everyone to a meal at the Palace Garden? There are so many people in the class. Going to such an expensive place for a meal, how much money will you have to spend and for what? Don't take money for granted just because you're angry at those guys."

"Matt, it's just a meal. It won't cost all that much. Don't stress."

Some people overheard and were immediately unhappy. They tugged at Matt's sleeve and pulled him aside. Natalie who was beside George was the most unhappy. George had become her current prey. In her view, even if the whole $50,000 was spent on her it wouldn't be enough. She didn't think that George was an idiot for spending his money to treat a bunch of people to a meal. Eating in a group at such an expensive place would cost at least $20,000. And if George was going to be taken out by Ashley later that night, then they may as well spend it all quickly. And if that's the case then there's no worries about having to hook up with him.

Alice stood at the back of the crowd. Her heart was filled with anger and her cheeks were red from rage. She was scolding George over and over in her mind for being an idiot, spending so much money to treat people who you don't even know was pointless. Surely it would be better for him to spend it all on her, by her new phone, an Anne's bag, a Chanel dress, Coach perfume. There would basically be no limit. She refused to have wasted all that time she had spent with him. She had to get some money out of him no matter what.

"George, come over here for a moment. I have something to say to you." She quickly pushed her way through the crowd and called to him with a bright smile on her face.

"Uh, Alice, what can I do for you?" George glanced at her. He had guessed that she would come looking for him, but he didn't expect her to come so soon.

"George, don't be like this. Our relationship has always been fiery. Just call me baby like you do in private."

He responded bluntly, "Don't. Please, don't. There's nothing between us anymore, Alice. When I had no money, you didn't even think I was good enough to say your name."

Then he added. "And by the way, I seem to remember you broke up with me last night."

Her expression froze for a moment before she continued trying to be charmingly persuasive. "George, there might have been a misunderstanding between us." Her face turned red again and her expression became awkward.

"Misunderstanding? Earlier you called me a loser, a thief, and a pretty boy who sponges off other people. You looked down on me so much that you wished you could make me disappear. How could there be a misunderstanding when I heard all that with my own ears?" George said coldly.

"George, you..." Alice's eyes darkened as she felt the humiliation of his words. She was getting angry.

"Bye-bye, Gold Digger." Natalie waved at Alice as she mocked her.

"Natalie, you a little bitch. Who do you think you're talking to?" Alice's embarrassment and anger came rushing out.

"I'm talking to you." Natalie snapped back. She had no time for Alice who had just ditched George without hesitation and only wanted him back because he had money now.

"George doesn't care about you anymore, Alice. Why don't you look at yourself in the mirror? You're just a sad loser who's obsessed with money and has gone crazy. It's over babe. You had your chance and you lost it. Georgie is done with you." Natalie didn't want to be out done. So she shouted arrogantly while holding George's hand tightly.

Observing the scene, Terry laughed sinisterly. "If you're going to the Palace Garden, I won't kill you yet. I'll just make sure your money's gone before it comes time to pay the bill."