Seven people sat at the table by the exit, with one empty place for coats. Armin had to stand whenever someone went to the toilet. He had come to the hiking club's annual dinner without a partner, as he had for the previous five years. He had not expected that to become a seating category. In the middle of the room, tables had flowers and two names on each card. Theirs had a bread basket and a sign saying 'others'.
Vesna, recently widowed, removed the sign and wedged it beneath the table's wobbly leg. Everyone laughed except the organiser, Ljubiša. He explained that this was simpler because couples wanted to socialise with couples. He did not answer when asked whom the others wanted to socialise with. He asked Armin to fetch more chairs since he happened to be nearest the door.
Armin brought one. When they sent him for another, he sat down. His membership fee was the same as Ljubiša's, and he had paid for dinner in advance. He had not come to move furniture. At the next table his friend Aida heard part of the conversation and headed towards him with her plate. Ljubiša stopped her, saying she would ruin the seating plan. Her husband was already talking to a colleague at the far end of the room. Apparently the plan applied only to certain people.
Then a couple arrived who had cancelled the previous day. A small table from the office was found for them, with a clean tablecloth and a vase. Vesna approached as the second plate was being laid. She asked whether it could be joined to theirs so they would no longer sit in the draught. Ljubiša told her not to make a drama. She did not raise her voice. She simply took her glass, sat at the new place, and said she was quite comfortable there.
The newly arrived couple exchanged bewildered looks, then sat with her. Aida pulled up a chair. Soon people were carrying plates and choosing their own company. The geometry did not improve; the room became much less orderly. The waiter had to find a passage, but nobody was blocking it with Armin's back any more. Ljubiša spent the rest of the evening saying his efforts were unappreciated.
Returning from an outing the following month, Armin sat beside Vesna on the bus. They did not begin a romance, although someone at the back immediately made a joke. They discussed sandwiches, tired knees, and who had brought too much water. Both came alone to the next shared dinner. This time there were no names on the tables.