When Eric insisted on covering the cost of our first date, I thought I had found a true gentleman. He arrived with a bouquet of roses, a thoughtful little gift, and an easy, engaging conversation that felt effortless. It almost felt like a scene from a romantic comedy, and I could practically hear my best friend, Mia, smugly saying, “I told you so,” since she had set this up.
I had my doubts when she first suggested it. “Come on, Kelly, trust me. Eric is such a gentleman. You’ll love him,” she said excitedly on the phone while I frantically searched my closet for something to wear.
“You’ve never set me up before,” I reminded her. “What makes you think you know my type?”
Mia wasn’t fazed. “Because I know you better than anyone! Plus, Chris thinks he’s great. They’ve been friends for years.”
That gave me pause. Chris, Mia’s boyfriend, had an impressive knack for reading people. He didn’t hype someone up unless he genuinely believed in them. If he thought Eric was worth a shot, maybe I should give it a chance.
“Fine,” I sighed. “But at least send me a picture.”
Seconds later, my phone pinged. I opened the message and took a look. Eric looked exactly like his photo—clean-cut, well-dressed, and sporting a warm smile. Not bad at all.
“Okay,” I admitted. “He’s cute.”
Mia squealed with excitement. “Text him! Set it up! You won’t regret it.”
After a few casual exchanges, I agreed to meet Eric for dinner at a new Italian restaurant by the river—fancy but not intimidating. The kind of place where first dates could either go perfectly or end in awkwardness.
I arrived five minutes early, nervously checking my reflection in my phone’s camera as I waited near the entrance. That’s when I saw him. My heart skipped a beat. He looked just as good in person—attractive in a polished, business-casual way. But what really caught me off guard was the bouquet of roses he held.
These weren’t your typical grocery store flowers; they were from a florist, tied with a ribbon.
“You must be Kelly,” he said, flashing that same warm smile. “These are for you.”
“Wow, thank you,” I said, pleasantly surprised. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to start the night off right,” he said smoothly.
But that wasn’t all.
From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small gift box tied with a neat cyan bow.
“What’s this?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Just a little something. Go ahead, open it,” he encouraged.
Inside was a sleek silver keychain engraved with the letter “K.” Simple, personalized, and genuinely thoughtful.
“I asked Mia what you might like,” he explained.
At this point, I was truly impressed. Flowers and a gift on a first date? He was either incredibly thoughtful or a master of first impressions. Either way, I wasn’t complaining.
“This is really sweet of you,” I said sincerely. “Thank you.”
Eric continued to impress me throughout the evening. He pulled out my chair, made eye contact, and listened intently as I talked about my work as a graphic designer. He even remembered little things from our texts—my favorite books, my weekend hobbies, and even a casual mention of my brother’s dog.
“So, what made you agree to this setup?” he asked after we placed our orders.
“Mia can be very persuasive,” I laughed. “And Chris vouched for you, which is rare.”
“Chris and I go way back,” Eric said. “We met in college. He’s always been a stand-up guy.”
The conversation flowed easily from there. We found out we both enjoyed true crime podcasts and documentaries about unusual subcultures. Eric shared funny stories from his job as a marketing manager, and I found myself thinking this might be the best first date I’d ever had.
Then the check arrived.
I automatically reached for my purse.
“Absolutely not,” Eric said firmly, placing his card down before I could even unzip my bag. “A man always pays on the first date.”
His tone surprised me. It wasn’t just polite—it felt like a rule he lived by.
I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay, if you insist. Thank you.”
As we left together, he asked if he could call me soon.
“I’d like that,” I replied—and I really meant it.
He gave me a friendly yet interested hug, and I drove home thinking this had been one of the best first dates I’d ever experienced.
Then came the text message.
The next morning, I woke up to a notification from Eric. My sleepy brain expected something sweet like, “Had a great time last night.” Instead, there was an attachment.