I went on a date with a guy my friend set me up with. He showed up with roses—actual roses, not a grocery store bunch. Dinner was perfect. He was charming, opened doors, pulled out my chair. When the check came, I reached for my wallet—big mistake.
“Absolutely not,” he said, sliding his card down. “A man pays on the first date.”
I left thinking it was one of the best dates ever—until he messaged me later: “I don’t believe in letting women think they can just get free meals. I paid as a courtesy, but now that the date is over, I expect fairness.”
I was stunned. The money wasn’t the issue—it was the principle. He made such a show of paying and then wanted his money back?
I replied, “You made it clear YOU were paying. I offered.”
He messaged again, accusing me of ruining his reputation. I laughed and shared the receipts. His post was deleted, but the damage was done. His name spread across local Facebook groups as a red flag.
My friend apologized, but lesson learned: trust your gut. And Kevin, hope that $68.42 was worth it.
