It was when Lucas insisted on paying for our first date that I realized I had finally found a gentleman worth my time. A thoughtful gift, roses, and an effortless charm—he appeared to be the ideal candidate. I was therefore anticipating butterflies when his text message arrived the following day. On the contrary, the instant I read that, my stomach fell immediately.
In all honesty, I didn’t give much thought to the idea of my closest friend Tessa scheduling a date for me when she made the suggestion. She is the kind of person that has good intentions, but she has never been a matchmaker in her entire life. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t exactly in a hurry to go out on a date anyway to be perfectly honest. Nevertheless, Tessa was unrelenting.
“He is absolutely perfect, Julia. A gentleman in every sense of the word. She said this to me over the phone on a Thursday evening as I was standing in front of my closet, yanking hangers left and right in a frustrated manner. “You are going to thank me later,” she continued.
“You’ve never set me up before,” I reminded her as I clutched a blue dress and gave it a suspicious look in the mirror. “I’ve never been set up before.” “What gives you the right to believe that you even know my type?”
The reason she responded with such self-assurance was, “Because I’ve known you since we were thirteen.” Additionally, Owen is a firm believer in him. Friends for all of time, they have been.”
I was taken aback by that. Owen, who was Tessa’s boyfriend, possessed a level mind and a composed demeanor. It is possible that there was a glimpse of potential if he stated that this individual, Lucas, who was his friend, was reliable. Owen was not the type of person to give anyone a casual endorsement.
I let out a sigh, half to her and half to myself, and said, “Fine.” But at the very least, show me a photo so that I can be sure that I am not entering into a catastrophe.
After a few seconds, my phone rang to alert me that a snapshot was on its way.
Lucas was… well, he was attractive. His dark hair was trimmed short, his beard was crisp, and he smiled so broadly that it touched his eyes. He had that clean-cut, accessible face. Although she is not remarkable in the sense that a movie star would be, she is certainly gorgeous in that reliable and steady way.
“Alright,” I conceded with some reluctance, “he’s adorable.”
Oh, I told you! Tessa let out a squeal as if she had already triumphed. Send him a text message. Put it in place. You won’t be sorry you did it.”
I went against my common instinct to be cautious and did it. We agreed to meet at a new Italian restaurant in the downtown area that had a view of the river after having a few fun conversations with one another. Not excessively sentimental or stuffy, but decent enough to give the impression of being deliberate.
As a result of the fact that I am incapable of ever bringing myself to be fashionably late, I arrived five minutes early. While I was standing close to the door, I examined my reflection in the camera on my phone for the very last time. I also worked to remove a strand of hair that was stubbornly refusing to cooperate. I was walking down the sidewalk when I saw him coming down the street.
It was clear from the photograph that he appeared to be in good health. He walked with a tall, self-assured stride, and the same warm smile that lit up his face. On the other hand, the bouquet of roses that he was holding was the thing that took me entirely by surprise.
And not flowers from the grocery store either. These were placed with great attention to detail, wrapped in paper, and tied with a ribbon made of satin. My heart rate intensified.
As he handed the flower to me with a flourish, he remarked, “You must be Julia.” These are intended for you.
With genuine amazement, I blinked my eyes. “Wow, I am really grateful. You didn’t have to complete that task.”
It was easy for him to say, “I thought I’d get the night off to a good start.” In addition, before I had the opportunity to properly comprehend the gesture, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a little gift box that was tied with a bright teal bow.
This is what it is. With a raised eyebrow, I inquired again.
As he spoke, he appeared to be pleased with himself and said, “Just a little something.” “You are free to open it.”
An elegant silver keychain that had been polished and etched with the initial J was also present inside. Effortless, sophisticated, and, strangely enough, intimate.
Lucas stated to me, “I asked Tessa what you might like,” while he was paying great attention to me.
I was blown away by it. A present that is both personalized and a bouquet? It is either that he had a degree in making first impressions or that he was genuinely interested in the subject.
“This is really thoughtful,” I said under my breath. “I am grateful.”
Although it was obvious that he was content, he grinned and extended his arm to me as we went inside.
Even from the beginning, he made an effort to demonstrate every “gentlemanly” action, such as pushing out my chair, holding the door open, and maintaining attentive eye contact. In addition to asking me intelligent questions about my work as a graphic designer, he recalled the minute details that I had described in our messages, and he laughed easily at the anecdotes that I told.
As we sipped our wine, he inquired, “So, what was it that led you to agree to this arrangement?”
With a chuckle, I remarked, “Mmm, Tessa has the ability to be pretty convincing.” Considering that she and Owen both vouched for you, I thought it would be a good idea to give it a chance.
“They make a wonderful couple,” he said with a nod. Owen and I are going to return to college. Among the good ones, he is one of them.
The chat moved along without any difficulty. True crime podcasts and offbeat films were two of the things that brought us together as a group. He shared with me tales from his work in marketing that were both humorous and frustrating at the same time they were told. I discovered that I was able to relax and had a true enjoyment of his company.
By the time we had finished clearing our plates, I was already considering the possibility that this was going to be one of the most enjoyable first dates I’d ever been on.
Immediately upon receiving the cheque, I went for my purse out of automatic response.
Then again, Lucas was quicker. Before I had even finished unzipping my purse, he discreetly placed his card into the folder and then set it down.
He responded with a resolute “absolutely not.” On the first date, a male is expected to pay.
I was taken aback by his tone. neither only was it neither humorous or amusing, but it was also conclusive. Similar to a regulation that has been carved into stone.
I was hesitant, but ultimately opted against pushing it. “Alright, if you insist on me. I am grateful to you.”
He wore a grin as if he had just achieved a minor win.
Inside, he escorted me to my vehicle and inquired about the possibility of calling me once again.
To tell you the truth, I said, “I’d like that.”
As I drove home, I was feeling cautiously optimistic about the future. He gave me a cordial hug goodbye, but there was also a suggestion of curiosity. The roses, the meaningful talk, and the goodnight hug that didn’t go too far—all of these things felt incredibly unusual and invigorating.
I received a notification from him the following morning when I got up. Because I was so drowsy, my brain imagined that it was one of those cute texts that said “had a great time last night.”
On the contrary, it was an attachment to an email.
As a result of my curiosity, I brewed some coffee and then went back to bed before opening it.
I then came dangerously close to choking on my drink.
An invoice was what it was.
A real invoice that has been formatted by a professional.
With a bold typeface at the very top:
The amount that is due on the Date Night Invoice is one outstanding balance.
There was a breakdown of “services rendered” underneath it to consider.
As I read each line, I stared at it with complete disbelief:
Roses in a bouquet: one embrace
One coffee date, booked within the next week, is included with the custom keychain gift.
Taking a beautiful selfie together while opening the car door
At the next date, we will be holding hands and pulling out the chair.
A compliment regarding my appearance, along with an engaging conversation and attentive listening:
Including a full dinner and a tip, there are no excuses for a second date.
Finally, here’s the clincher:
We anticipate receiving full payment. There will be no refunds. In the event that compliance is not established, the balance may be forwarded to collections (Owen will be informed of this). Awaiting your prompt payment with great anticipation!
You could say that my jaw dropped.
This was a joke, right? Is there some insane effort at humor here? Because it was formatted in a professional manner, it appeared to be really credible.
I proceeded to take a screenshot of the invoice and promptly forwarded it to Tessa.
She responded in a matter of seconds.
“Oh, yes. Oh, my God! At this very moment, I am presenting this to Owen.
What is this, the real world? I replied with a kind. Does he really mean what he says?
Until Owen sees this, you should wait. Because he is going to lose it.”
After a period of five minutes, my phone rang. Owen was the one who was laughing so hard that he was almost crying.
The news is beyond my comprehension, Julia. An invoice was issued to you by Lucas. An actual bill of lading?”
So you’ve never witnessed him pull something like this before? I inquired about it.
Not at all! Owen continued to wheeze as he spoke. To put it another way, he has always been… passionate about dating. To put it another way, it has an odd structure. But what about this? Wow, this is the next level.
After that, his tone changed to one of mischief. “Alright, it’s time for us to retrieve him,”
In the end, it was Owen who emerged victorious as the undisputed king of petty comebacks.
His declaration was, “I’m going to make my own invoice.” “The same structure. Same phony tone of legality. However, he is the one who is responsible for paying the bill this time.
After waiting for an hour, he emailed me his masterpiece.
A lifetime of silence is the amount that is due on the service invoice.
Let Me Introduce You to a Beautiful Woman: One block that will remain in place across all platforms
The article “Convincing Her You Were a Gentleman” is a profound and introspective look at the reasons why you are still single.
A formal apology to each and every lady you have ever dated on the occasion of allowing you to sit at the same table as her
The fact that you are not exposed to the entirety of the internet is a priceless blessing for which you should be eternally grateful.
Instantaneous payment is required. Should you fail to comply, you may be subjected to public degradation. Greetings!
My eyes were filled with tears because I was laughing so hard.
I texted him, “This is absolutely perfect.” Just send it.
“Done,” was his reply.
Without a doubt, not much time had passed before my phone began to light up with angry texts from Lucas.
“Wow. ” Totally grown up.”
There are some people who are not wealthy, and I was only attempting to set expectations.
“Owen is definitely not a good friend.”
A wonderful individual has just been lost to you.
I was really perplexed and stared at the screen. Is he being serious? He was under the impression that affection and attention might be invoiced in the same way as utilities.
My response was a simple thumbs-up emoji, and I hit the “block” button instead of engaging in conversation.
Tessa called later that night, and she continued to laugh each time she brought it up and brought it up again.
“Jules, I hope you understand. I swore to myself that I thought he was okay. Nobody, not even Owen, was aware that he was like this.
Honestly, I told her, “Don’t worry about it,” and she agreed. Even if nothing more comes out of it, we all have a narrative that will stick with us forever.
She responded with a “True,” starting laughing once again. At this very moment, I am going to inform you that this story is going to be told at each and every party for the next ten years.
Quite maybe, she was correct.
Upon reflection, I came to the realization that I had taken away a significant concept of dating:
If the man insists on paying the bill, you should be sure that he does not intend to send you an invoice for it at a later time.
What about the keychain that is silver? I did not throw it out. With the intention of not serving as a reminder of Lucas, but rather as a hilarious little memento from the most bizarre and absurd occasion of my whole life.
