I still remember that evening as if it happened yesterday. It was one of those nights that quietly changes the course of your life, though at the time, it felt like nothing more than a nervous attempt at romance. I had been looking forward to this date for weeks.
We’d been talking online for a while, exchanging jokes, late-night thoughts, and little stories about ourselves, and now it was finally time to meet face to face. I’d picked a small restaurant tucked away on a quiet street — the kind of place with soft golden lights, gentle music humming in the background, and tables spaced just far enough apart to make the night feel private. Everything about it was carefully chosen, every detail meant to make a good impression.
But as I sat there waiting for her to arrive, my confidence started to waver. My palms were sweaty, my stomach was tight, and I caught myself rehearsing possible conversation starters in my head. What if the chemistry wasn’t there?
What if the conversation stalled? And worse, what if I liked her more than she liked me? I laughed at myself under my breath — I was acting like a teenager again.
And then, before I could spiral too far into my thoughts, she walked in. She was wearing a simple dress that somehow made the entire room feel brighter. Her smile was effortless, the kind that made you feel at ease instantly.
When our eyes met, the noise of the restaurant seemed to fade a little. We greeted each other, exchanged a slightly awkward but genuine hug, and sat down. My heart was beating fast, but in the best way — that mix of excitement and hope that comes with new beginnings.
The waiter arrived with the menus, and as we flipped through them, I started to relax. We talked about the day, laughed about how nervous we both were, and shared little pieces of ourselves like strangers slowly becoming something more. I was just starting to feel like everything was going perfectly when she did something that completely threw me off guard.
She looked up at the waiter, smiled politely, and asked, “What’s the most expensive thing on the menu?”
For a second, I thought I’d misheard her. The waiter paused, maybe just as surprised as I was, and then described a seafood platter so extravagant that the price alone could have covered my groceries for the entire month. My heart sank a little.
I was prepared to pay for dinner — that was never the issue — but this question felt like a trap. Was she testing how much I could spend? Was this one of those dates where money mattered more than the connection?
I tried not to let my confusion show. I swallowed my nerves, forced a small smile, and asked carefully, “Is that what you’d like?”
She laughed. It wasn’t a mocking laugh, just light and genuine.
Then she shook her head. “No,” she said. “That’s my first-date test.”
I blinked, completely lost.
“Your what?”
“It’s just something I do,” she explained. “If someone orders it to try to impress me, I know they care more about appearances than about being real. If they get upset, it shows they can’t handle unexpected situations.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
Tap READ MORE to discover the rest 🔎👇
