At first, it felt like something out of a romantic movie — flowers, laughter, effortless chemistry.
He was charming, polite, even a little old-fashioned. My best friend had promised I’d love him, and for one night, I actually believed her. But the next morning, everything I thought I knew about him — and about modern dating — collapsed in an instant. The subject line alone made my blood run cold: “Invoice for Last Night.”
Mia, my best friend, had set me up with her boyfriend’s friend, Eric. He seemed perfect at first: attentive messages, meaningful conversation, and a dinner date at a cozy Italian restaurant. He arrived early with roses,
a small keychain engraved with my initial, and even pulled out my chair. Dinner was easy, full of laughter, travel dreams, and playful complaints about overpriced movie tickets. He insisted on paying, citing the “first date rule,” and walked me to my car afterward. I texted Mia: You might actually be right about him.
Then came the email. At first, I thought it was a joke. But opening it, my heart sank. Eric had turned our date into a fake invoice:
Dinner: $120 — covered.
Flowers: “In-kind gesture — repayable with one hug.”
Keychain: “Personalized gift — to be reimbursed with a coffee date.”
Emotional Labor: “Holding hands next time to show appreciation.”
At the bottom, in bold:
“Failure to comply may result in Chris hearing about it.”
Chris — Mia’s boyfriend. I stared at the screen, speechless. What was supposed to be a charming gesture had become a transactional power play, complete with implied blackmail. I forwarded it to Mia, who replied instantly: Oh my God. He’s insane. Don’t reply.
Mia and Chris decided on the perfect revenge. That afternoon, Chris sent Eric an “invoice” from Karma & Co., listing:
Emotional Disturbance Fee: For making a woman uncomfortable.
Public Embarrassment Surcharge: For acting like a creep on a first date.
Service Charge: For sitting with someone clearly out of your league.
At the bottom:
“Failure to comply will result in permanent reputation damage. No refunds.”
Eric lost it. Messages flooded my phone: “You’re overreacting.” “It was just a joke.” “You missed out on a great guy.” I sent a single thumbs-up emoji and blocked him.
Later, Mia called, laughing so hard she could barely speak. “I swear, I didn’t know he was that crazy.” Honestly, I wasn’t even mad — just relieved. His charm had been a mask, and that ridiculous invoice revealed his true colors: controlling, manipulative, and entitled.
Looking back, it’s almost funny. That one night started like a romance and ended as a crash course in spotting red flags. Real kindness doesn’t come with strings attached. Genuine effort doesn’t demand repayment. Eric’s “clever joke” was actually a test — and I gave him nothing.
Now, whenever someone asks about my worst date, I smile: “The one who sent me a bill.” It gets a laugh, but behind it lies a lesson every woman should remember: sometimes, the price of dinner isn’t money — it’s ignoring the first red flag.