For dinner Mirjana wore black trousers, a silk blouse, and shoes she could tolerate all night. The hotel advertised a formal evening, and that was her understanding of formality. Her husband put on a tie he loosened in the elevator. At the dining room entrance a young employee greeted them with a smile and a reservation list. She found their name, looked at Mirjana, then looked back at the paper as though an explanation might remain there.
She said ladies were expected to wear a dress or skirt. Mirjana looked at the guests passing them. All the men wore trousers, some much more creased than hers. She asked where the rule appeared. The employee pointed to the formal attire notice and said she was only relaying instructions. Mirjana recognized the discomfort on her face and asked to speak to whoever had given them. Her husband suggested she quickly change into something from her suitcase.
There was no dress in the suitcase. She was sixty and no longer bought dresses for other people's dinners. The dining room manager arrived, assuring them that he wanted to preserve a particular atmosphere. Mirjana asked exactly what atmosphere her trouser legs were spoiling. He replied that they could not debate every rule individually. A line was already forming behind them. Nobody said anything, giving the scene a weight much greater than one item of clothing.
Her husband then took off his jacket. He made no speech. He offered it to her and asked the manager whether she could enter dressed like him. The jacket was too wide and its sleeves covered part of her hands. She looked less tidy than before, but now she had a suit. A woman in the line laughed, and Mirjana followed. The manager said there was no need for a performance. She replied that she wanted to end the performance and occupy the seat she had paid for.
They were admitted with a reminder that this was an exception. Mirjana did not thank him for it. At the table she returned her husband's jacket and ordered dinner. She did not immediately feel comfortable. Her hands were still cold and she barely tasted the first mouthful. Her husband admitted that his quick fix had been easiest only for him. She did not comfort him. She asked him to pass the water and let the conversation remain unfinished for a while.
The next day she sent a short complaint from reception before leaving. She described what had happened and requested a clear answer, without asking for the young employee to be punished. No reply arrived during their journey home. Mirjana folded the trousers among her clean clothes. Her husband asked whether she would wear them on another evening out. She looked at him across the suitcase. He said it had been a stupid question and helped her close the lid.