When the waiter placed the bill on the table, I automatically reached for my purse, but Eric immediately stopped me. “A man pays on the first date,” he said with a smooth, decisive action, quickly sliding his credit card over to the waiter. It was an old-fashioned gesture, possibly even a bit of a performance, but I appreciated the clear sign of generosity and did not object.
The pleasant evening continued as we left the restaurant. Eric offered me his arm as we walked to my car, and in another thoughtful move, he waited until he saw me start the engine and drive away before he departed. It felt wonderfully refreshingly normal—there was no uncomfortable pressure or rushed ending, just a genuinely nice and relaxing evening. Feeling quite pleased, I sent Mia a text message on my drive home: You might actually be right about this one.
📧 The Shocking “Invoice” for Affection
The Turn of Events and a Massive Red Flag
At first, I was certain it was a simple misunderstanding or a bad attempt at a joke—maybe a funny meme or some sort of playful reference to the expensive dinner bill. However, when I clicked to open the email, the contents made me freeze. It was absolutely not a joke.
The attached document was formatted to look extremely professionally done, complete with a company-style logo, a meticulous table of ‘services,’ and a total amount due section. This was clearly calculated and deliberate.
Every single kind gesture from the night before was listed as a formal charge:
Continue reading…
