Busy isn't always bad

I was supposed to meet some old friends for dinner tonight. It has been on my calendar for weeks, but of course work was a total nightmare and there was no way I could sneak out at 5:30 to make the 6:00 reservation. I'd warned my friends of this possibility and they graciously accepted my flakiness as par for the course. Sometimes I am surprised I have friends at all. I did manage to get out eventually, and showed up at the restaurant just as everyone's plates were being taken away. Clearly my only option was to have a glass of wine and tiramisu during the after dinner coffee-chat time. Ordering a hot meal while everyone waited would just have been rude.