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, \u201cI told you so,\u201d since she had set this up.<\/p>\n
I had my doubts when she first suggested it. \u201cCome on, Kelly, trust me. Eric is such a gentleman. You\u2019ll love him,\u201d she said excitedly on the phone while I frantically searched my closet for something to wear.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve never set me up before,\u201d I reminded her. \u201cWhat makes you think you know my type?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mia wasn\u2019t fazed. \u201cBecause I know you better than anyone! Plus, Chris thinks he\u2019s great. They\u2019ve been friends for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
That gave me pause. Chris, Mia\u2019s boyfriend, had an impressive knack for reading people. He didn\u2019t hype someone up unless he genuinely believed in them. If he thought Eric was worth a shot, maybe I should give it a chance.<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d I sighed. \u201cBut at least send me a picture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seconds later, my phone pinged. I opened the message and took a look. Eric looked exactly like his photo\u2014clean-cut, well-dressed, and sporting a warm smile. Not bad at all.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d I admitted. \u201cHe\u2019s cute.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mia squealed with excitement. \u201cText him! Set it up! You won\u2019t regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n
After a few casual exchanges, I agreed to meet Eric for dinner at a new Italian restaurant by the river\u2014fancy but not intimidating. The kind of place where first dates could either go perfectly or end in awkwardness.<\/p>\n
I arrived five minutes early, nervously checking my reflection in my phone\u2019s camera as I waited near the entrance. That\u2019s when I saw him. My heart skipped a beat. He looked just as good in person\u2014attractive in a polished, business-casual way. But what really caught me off guard was the bouquet of roses he held.<\/p>\n
These weren\u2019t your typical grocery store flowers; they were from a florist, tied with a ribbon.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must be Kelly,\u201d he said, flashing that same warm smile. \u201cThese are for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWow, thank you,\u201d I said, pleasantly surprised. \u201cYou didn\u2019t have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to start the night off right,\u201d he said smoothly.<\/p>\n
But that wasn\u2019t all.<\/p>\n
From his jacket pocket, he pulled out a small gift box tied with a neat cyan bow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d I asked, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust a little something. Go ahead, open it,\u201d he encouraged.<\/p>\n
Inside was a sleek silver keychain engraved with the letter \u201cK.\u201d Simple, personalized, and genuinely thoughtful.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked Mia what you might like,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t complaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really sweet of you,\u201d I said sincerely. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2014my favorite books, my weekend hobbies, and even a casual mention of my brother\u2019s dog.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, what made you agree to this setup?\u201d he asked after we placed our orders.<\/p>\n
\u201cMia can be very persuasive,\u201d I laughed. \u201cAnd Chris vouched for you, which is rare.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cChris and I go way back,\u201d Eric said. \u201cWe met in college. He\u2019s always been a stand-up guy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019d ever had.<\/p>\n
Then the check arrived.<\/p>\n
I automatically reached for my purse.<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely not,\u201d Eric said firmly, placing his card down before I could even unzip my bag. \u201cA man always pays on the first date.\u201d<\/p>\n
His tone surprised me. It wasn\u2019t just polite\u2014it felt like a rule he lived by.<\/p>\n
I hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. \u201cOkay, if you insist. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n
As we left together, he asked if he could call me soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like that,\u201d I replied\u2014and I really meant it.<\/p>\n
He gave me a friendly yet interested hug, and I drove home thinking this had been one of the best first dates I\u2019d ever experienced.<\/p>\n
Then came the text message.<\/p>\n
The next morning, I woke up to a notification from Eric. My sleepy brain expected something sweet like, \u201cHad a great time last night.\u201d Instead, there was an attachment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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