My Date Paid for Dinner, Then Everything Took a Turn!

Later that night, Mia called me, still laughing hysterically from the absurdity of the situation. “I’m so sorry,” she managed to say between gasps. “I swear, I had no idea he was that unhinged.”

I realized I wasn’t even angry anymore. Mostly, I felt an enormous sense of relief. It is truly rare for a person to reveal their deeply flawed character so openly on the very first date.

What Eric believed to be a clever or witty move was actually profoundly creepy. It offered a perfect, early preview of the controlling and entitled behavior he was likely trying to hide beneath his thin layer of fake charm. If that ridiculous “invoice” had never shown up in my inbox, it’s impossible to know how much time it would have taken for me to realize his true nature.

I later reviewed his email one more time, trying to rationally understand his thought process. Was his motive truly about power? Was it purely ego? Or was it just the garden-variety arrogance of an entitled man, poorly disguised as humor? It was probably a combination of all three.Continue reading…