- Dinner: $120, covered in full.
- Flowers: “Requires reciprocation (one hug).”
- Keychain: “Repayable via coffee date.”
- Emotional labor: “Holding hands next time to express appreciation.”
And at the bottom, in bold letters:
“Failure to comply may result in Chris hearing about it.”
Chris — as in Mia’s boyfriend. Eric’s friend.
I was speechless. He had actually turned a date into a financial statement — complete with emotional “fees” and threats. I forwarded the email to Mia, who immediately replied: Oh my god. He’s insane. Don’t answer him.
But Mia didn’t stop there. She told Chris, who decided to give Eric a taste of his own medicine. That afternoon, he sent Eric a mock invoice from “Karma & Co.” — charging him for:
- Emotional disturbance
- Public embarrassment
- “Sitting at the same table as someone out of your league.”
At the bottom, it read: “Failure to comply will result in permanent reputation damage.”
Eric lost it. He sent a flurry of messages:
“You’re overreacting.”
“It was supposed to be funny.”
“You just can’t take a joke.”
And finally: “You missed out on a great guy.”
I just replied with a thumbs-up emoji and blocked him.
Later, Mia called me, still laughing. “I swear, I had no idea he was that unhinged,” she said. I wasn’t even mad. If anything, I was relieved. Eric’s “invoice” wasn’t just weird — it was revealing. It showed exactly who he was before I had a chance to fall for the act.
Looking back, it’s almost funny. The night started like a rom-com and ended like a red flag tutorial. Eric thought he was being clever, but all he did was prove that kindness shouldn’t come with strings — or receipts.
So now, when people ask about my worst date ever, I don’t even hesitate.
“The one who sent me an invoice,” I say.
It always gets a laugh, but I make sure to add, “And he really thought I’d pay.”
In a way, I did pay — just not in the way he expected. I paid attention.
Have you ever been on a date that turned into a total red flag moment? Share your story in the comments — I’d love to hear it!