That was until the next morning when I saw that he’d sent me a Venmo request for $87.43.
The caption read:
“Your half of dinner. Plus tax and tip.”
I stared at my phone in complete shock. This was the same man who had smiled across the table and proudly declared, “A man pays on the first date.” Now he was charging me for the bread basket and sparkling water.
At first, I thought maybe it was a joke. I even waited for a laughing text to follow.
Nothing came.
Instead, ten minutes later, he sent another message:
“I believe relationships should start with honesty and financial equality.”
I almost ignored it, but curiosity got the better of me. I replied, “Then why did you insist on paying?”
His answer came instantly.
“I wanted to see if you were the type of woman who would offer.”
I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my phone.
Then I opened our mutual friend’s profile and noticed something interesting. Three different women had commented under his latest picture with the exact same rose emoji he’d sent me after dinner.
So I declined the request, blocked his number, and mailed the roses back to him.
With the receipt taped on top.
