My friend, bless her heart, decided to play matchmaker. She set me up with this guy, Mark, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. I’ve been on my fair share of disastrous dates, and I was bracing myself for another one. But then Mark showed up, and he was carrying **a bouquet of roses**. Not the cheap grocery store kind, but actual, beautiful roses. I was already impressed. Dinner was at this cute little Italian place downtown, and the entire evening felt like something out of a movie. Mark was incredibly charming. He opened doors for me, pulled out my chair, and made sure my wine glass was never empty. We talked for hours about everything and nothing, and I genuinely enjoyed his company. He was funny, intelligent, and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. I found myself thinking that maybe, just maybe, my friend had actually found me a decent guy. When the check arrived, I instinctively reached for my wallet, ready to split the bill. But Mark immediately stopped me. With a confident smile, he said, “Absolutely not. A man pays on the first date.” He slid his credit card across the table before I could even protest. I was pleasantly surprised and, I’ll admit, a little flattered. It felt old-fashioned in a good way. As we walked out of the restaurant, I couldn’t help but think it was one of the best first dates I’d ever had.
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I went home feeling optimistic and excited about the possibility of seeing Mark again. I even texted my friend to thank her for the great setup. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, replaying the evening in my head. Everything felt perfect, like I had finally found someone with old-school values and a generous spirit. That’s where the dream ended.
The next morning, I woke up and checked my phone. I had a text message from Mark. “Hey, had a great time last night! Just wanted to follow up on the bill… I can send you my Venmo, and you can just send me half.” I stared at the message, completely dumbfounded. Had I read that correctly? Was he seriously asking me to pay him back for half of the meal after he had insisted on paying?
I reread the message several times, thinking there had to be some mistake. But no, it was crystal clear. He expected me to reimburse him. The charming, generous man from the night before had vanished, replaced by someone who was keeping score down to the last penny. I was so shocked and disappointed that I didn’t even know how to respond. The roses, the chivalry, the “a man pays on the first date” line – it was all a facade. A meticulously crafted performance designed to… what? Impress me enough to then demand I pay him back?
I ended up replying with a simple, “Seriously?” To which he responded with a lengthy explanation about how it’s only fair and modern women should be willing to split the bill, especially after a nice date. I didn’t bother arguing. I just blocked his number and moved on. My friend was horrified when I told her what happened. Turns out, what seems too good to be true often is. Lesson learned: Always reach for your wallet, even if he insists on paying.
