A Cinematic Break

A few months after a major breakup, a friend of mine said she had the perfect guy for me. I’m a computer programmer, so I’m kind of a techie and I play video games. This guy also loved video games, was into computers, and was super nice, according to my friend. I said okay (reluctantly) and agreed to a blind date.

My friend and I decided to see a movie and follow up with dinner. I met her, her boyfriend, and the mystery man at the theater. He walks in wearing a dirty t-shirt, old worn-out Nike’s, and baggy, holey jeans. We’re talking holes from middle school and not the “fashion” kind you see at the stores in the mall. I was shocked. I was appalled. If my friend wasn’t there, I would’ve ran. I decided to suck it up and go along with it. When we went to buy our tickets, he didn’t even pay for me, and griped about how $7.50 to see a movie was “too expensive” and couldn’t understand why people “supported this kind of institution.” Luckily for him, this was a movie I’d been dying to see…

We went into the theater and got our seats. The first preview came on. At this point, he turned to my friend and asked, “Where are the restrooms?” Then he left. And so, the second preview comes then the third and the fourth. He still was not back. The movie was halfway done before I finally moved over to sit by my friend. I asked where he went, and she said, “I have no idea! I’m so sorry!”

Later, she called me and told me he had to go home “and mow his grass.” After he paid $7.50 to see one preview? Go figure. I should have run at the introductions!

July 7th, 2010 in Match Made In Confusion, WTF? | tags: bad date, date night, double date, Matchmaker, movie night

Comments (22)

emJuly 7th, 2010 at 5:09 am

Stating the obvious, but you clearly dodged a bullet there. At least it was a double date and you weren’t left alone!

ZakJuly 7th, 2010 at 5:20 am

And the awful part of this date is it looks like the guy bailed out on the girl in the end… mutual rejection! He should have said he had to go home to wash his hair that evening. From the sounds of his description, it would be entirely believable as he clearly was in need of urgent cleaning up.

Also I want to know what film you guys went to see.

JennMJuly 7th, 2010 at 6:06 am

Did your friend even realize what the mistake in choosing him was? I think I would be quite offended if that was the guy my friend chose for me…

VeronicaJuly 7th, 2010 at 6:24 am

Once a date of mine showed up wearing yes a dirty holey t-shirt, bright hawaiian floral SWIM TRUNKS, and dirty old shower shoes. To go out for drinks. To my everlasting shame, I went on several more dates with this kid, I guess I was trying to be nice. Honey, be glad he bailed on you!!

popJuly 7th, 2010 at 6:40 am

ok… i would ask my friend what constitutes “super-nice” and in what way was he “perfect” because she could be having a stroke or something and not realizing…
now, the “he didn’t even pay for me” thing bothers me. and not in a “i’m a feminist” kind of way. just a “I’m a girl and this kind of assuming obligation annoys me as hell” way.
if you didn’t liked him and he (as it seems) didn’t like you either, why would he pay? and mostly why would you accept it?
it was a blind date. if anyone should have payed was your friend. for both!

LucyJuly 7th, 2010 at 6:47 am

I’d say he picked up pretty clearly on your horror.

YGJuly 7th, 2010 at 8:09 am

Maybe he thought it was just a group of friends going out for a movie and not a “date” date. Still doesn’t excuse the stinky behaviour or the poor dress sense, but he sounds like he’s in his own world…

Lil_LoriiJuly 7th, 2010 at 8:49 am

At least you weren’t forced to suffer through that horrible sounding date xD

MMMichelleJuly 7th, 2010 at 9:16 am

I think the “didn’t even pay for me” was because, if he was a crummy date, you could say at least it was very nice of him of offer to pick up the tab. Any man that can’t look nice for me certainly dose not get to enjoy my company when I worked to look nice for them. Ugh.

karenJuly 7th, 2010 at 9:40 am

I agree. I would have been kind of annoyed @ the friend.

LauraJuly 7th, 2010 at 2:03 pm

You should realize right now that because he left so early he more than likely got his money back for the movie.

Also, I want to disagree with anyone that gave you the benefit of the doubt when you said “he didn’t even pay for me.” In that same paragraph you say “Luckily for him, it was a movie I was dying to see.” Luckily for him? Really? What a bullet that was dodged. By him.

ShawJuly 7th, 2010 at 4:35 pm

Sounds like you just weren’t into each other. No biggie, it happens. Leaving without an explanation and bitching about movie prices when he apparently agreed to going is just classless, though.

LisaJuly 7th, 2010 at 5:05 pm

I’m with you Laura– how presumptuous & slavishly conventional to assume he should pay for the movie!

What a quaint notion. If he pays for the movie, does that mean he also gets a complimentary goodnight kiss, like in the old days?

KimJuly 8th, 2010 at 12:08 am

Hahahhahaha I don’t understand the whole ‘guys paying for everything’ thing.

I think the guy left because he could pick up your hostility more than anything.

TedJuly 8th, 2010 at 8:44 am

I think the guy left because she was lame and judgemental

mayflyJuly 8th, 2010 at 10:36 am

Why the heck should he have paid for your ticket? I would have scrammed, too (though I would have at least made a lame excuse first).

buffyJuly 8th, 2010 at 2:03 pm

Sounds like maybe it was “grass” he had to go mow, not grass.

Old FashionedJuly 8th, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Call me old fashioned, but guys that don’t pay, open doors, etc. aren’t worth your time anyway!

popJuly 9th, 2010 at 4:01 am

yep… you are old fashioned.

it’s one thing to be polite and offer to pay, open doors, etc, another to assume that date = paying for everything. i want my date to want to do those things for me, not to feel it’s an obligation especially in a set up blind date.
money’s hard to gain for everyone and if i can pay my share i will, unless he really wants to. (sorry, English as second language)

i’ll keep my stand. OP’s friend should have payed for both.

wafflesJuly 9th, 2010 at 8:35 am

It is the general consensus that the man pays for the first date. After that, the check is split or they take turns. It may be old fashioned, but that is what is usually expected.