When my best friend Mia insisted on setting me up with her boyfriend\u2019s friend, I hesitated. Blind dates weren\u2019t my thing, but she promised he was \u201cpolite, smart, stable \u2014 a total gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n
His name was Eric. From our first messages, he seemed thoughtful, articulate \u2014 a rare find. We met at a cozy Italian restaurant. He arrived early with roses, held the door, pulled out my chair, even gave me a small engraved keychain. Over dinner, he was charming and attentive. When the bill came, he smiled. \u201cA man pays on the first date.\u201d I texted Mia afterward: You might be right about this one.<\/em><\/p>\n The next morning, I woke to an email titled Invoice for Last Night.<\/strong><\/p>\n At first, I laughed \u2014 until I opened it. It was formatted like a real bill:<\/p>\n Dinner \u2013 $120<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Flowers \u2013 \u201cRepayable via hug.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Keychain \u2013 \u201cRedeemable with coffee date.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Emotional labor \u2013 \u201cHolding hands next time.\u201d Chris \u2014 Mia\u2019s boyfriend.<\/p>\n Disgusted, I sent it to her. Within hours, she and Chris crafted a perfect reply: a mock invoice from \u201cKarma & Co.\u201d charging Eric for \u201cemotional disturbance,\u201d \u201cpublic embarrassment,\u201d and \u201cacting out of his league.\u201d<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t take it well. \u201cIt was a joke,\u201d he protested. \u201cYou missed out on a great guy.\u201d<\/p>\n I blocked him.<\/p>\n Looking back, that invoice was a gift \u2014 a red flag with a receipt.<\/p>\n People ask about my worst date. I tell them, \u201cThe one who sent me an invoice.\u201d<\/p>\n And I always add, \u201cHe thought I\u2019d pay \u2014 but I just paid attention.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When my best friend Mia insisted on setting me up with her boyfriend\u2019s friend, I hesitated. Blind dates weren\u2019t my thing, but she promised he was \u201cpolite,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
And at the bottom: Failure to comply may result in Chris hearing about it.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n