logo
My date showered me with compliments - until I turned down his request

My date showered me with compliments - until I turned down his request

Metro19-07-2025
Almost two years ago, a quirky guy stopped me from absent-mindedly scrolling one evening.
I had downloaded Hinge as part of my post-divorce foray into dating. I thought I'd find it daunting after being out of the scene for five years but I was enjoying my quest to find Mr Right.
George* wasn't my usual type but his humorous photos and prompts caught my eye. In one photo he was dressed as an astronaut; another showed him with his pet bird. He had a good job, was a couple of years older than me and seemed to have his life together.
We soon matched and and he suggested a first date later that week at a pub.
When I wandered into the arranged venue, I recognised him hunched over his table while rolling a cigarette. Oddly, on his profile he'd listed himself as a non-smoker, but I figured he was in the process of quitting or calming his nerves.
I found it sweet that he was early and had a pint waiting for me. My ex-husband had never been that chivalrous.
There was no initial awkwardness, and the conversation flowed, despite George admitting during our second round that he'd been nervous all day in anticipation.
He told me he'd been single for a good couple of years and was ready to settle down. Then he leaned forward to speak. 'I don't want to be presumptuous, but I hope we have a second date?
Love reading juicy stories like this? Need some tips for how to spice things up in the bedroom?
Sign up to The Hook-Up and we'll slide into your inbox every week with all the latest sex and dating stories from Metro. We can't wait for you to join us!
I was caught off-guard by his forwardness – he was interesting and funny, but I wasn't feeling romantic chemistry. Trying to be diplomatic, I told him it was too soon to tell.
That's when the compliments started. They were all centred on how I looked, which seemed shallow and disingenuous for a man in his mid 30s.
I looked better than my photos, he said, adding, 'You'd never guess how many women trick men with their profiles'.
He loved my hair; I was a nine out of 10. Throwing around these superficial compliments on a first date was too much too soon but I didn't feel comfortable telling him to cool it.
Then, George divulged that he'd been recently told that he would soon meet the love of his life – and she'd be wearing a red dress. I was wearing a red dress that night. No pressure.
I changed the subject.
Half an hour later, we were sitting side-by-side and George asked if he could kiss me. I thought, why not – it was refreshing being asked for consent compared with previous dates who had launched themselves at me, and it seemed a good way to establish once and for all if there was a spark.
It wasn't a good kiss. It confirmed there was no chemistry on my end and I mentally friend-zoned him, then avoided further physical contact by surreptitiously changing seats after buying the next round.
Soon after, George begged to stay the night at mine, but I politely declined. I just didn't fancy him.
So, How Did It Go? is a weekly Metro.co.uk series that will make you cringe with second-hand embarrassment or ooze with jealousy as people share their worst and best date stories.
Want to spill the beans about your own awkward encounter or love story? Contact jess.austin@metro.co.uk
After I rejected his sleepover request, everything changed.
George suddenly changed tack. 'You think you're so cool!' he huffed. I laughed, before he added: 'You're not that hot actually, I've changed my rating to 6/10.'
I shrugged nonchalantly. I didn't rise to his disparaging comments, which confused him. It had been a while since I'd been on the receiving end of hot and cold sentiments, and I wasn't impressed; it was weird and immature.
I think George was pulling a power move to save face. Maybe he had a fragile ego, maybe I triggered a weird memory… regardless, it's unacceptable for a grown man, and was the nail in the coffin of our mediocre date. I told him I better call it a night.
Again, George implored that he wanted to stay at mine and grabbed my arm. 'Please! I like you so much.'
'Sorry, I don't have sex on the first date,' I said. His face darkened and the next wave of insults hit: Now, he was ridiculing my star sign, telling me my Libra was a terrible match for his Cancer before narrowing his eyes and sneering, 'I can tell you're part ginger!'.
Despite starting to feel unsafe, I almost had to laugh at this last remark. I was a brunette, and I didn't know how having ginger hair could be something to be ashamed of!
Gathering my belongings, I made moves to leave, and George was adamant he'd take me home. When I refused, he threw out a final recycled comment – 'You think you're so cool!' – and I walked away, leaving him at the bus stop.
Walking through my front door, I was relieved the evening was over. But when I glanced at my phone, a barrage of WhatsApps and Hinge messages began popping up: 'I didn't mean what I said… please can I see you again? Pleeeaaseee? I'm sorry. I blame the booze.' More Trending
I didn't open them. I just blocked him. I was disappointed, especially given his age and claims of wanting to settle down – I've dated guys in their 20s with lightyears more decorum than George.
Thankfully, it was easy to move on and swipe again. But the more I've told this story to single friends of all ages around the world, I've learnt that they have all experienced similar dates.
Perhaps this behaviour stems from a desire to control the situation due to insecurity or emotional immaturity. But nobody wins by playing mind games.
*Name has been changed
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk.
Share your views in the comments below.
MORE: What to do when your partner betrays you — and everyone else knows about it
MORE: Think twice before you mock the Coldplay kiss-cam couple
MORE: My date said I had one drink to impress him – so I downed it
Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Strictly star swaps ballroom for Hollywood with movie debut
Strictly star swaps ballroom for Hollywood with movie debut

Metro

time5 hours ago

  • Metro

Strictly star swaps ballroom for Hollywood with movie debut

Olympic champion and former Strictly Come Dancing star Nicola Adams has lined up her debut acting role in an upcoming Hollywood movie. Former professional boxer Nicola, 42, appeared on the 18th series of the BBC dance competition in 2020. She made history when partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones as the show's first-ever same-sex partnership. However, her Strictly dreams were cut abruptly short when they were forced to withdraw during the fourth week of the competition, after Katya tested positive for Covid-19. The two-time Olympic champ will now pursue another dream—turning her hand to acting in an upcoming movie. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Nicola will star alongside Poppy Delevigne, Jack Kesy, and Bruce Willis's daughter, Rumer, in the allegorical thriller The Gun on Second Street. Talking about her career move, Nicola told The Sun: 'I just want to work with people that are just as hungry as I am. 'I'm not one of those people that just show up and just expect everything to be fine. 'I put in the work, I put in the graft, just as I do as an athlete as well. I want to take it as far as I can in terms of how I grow as an actor, being able to experience different types of roles, playing different characters that really flex my abilities and my ability to be able to dig deep on the emotions that are needed for the more dark characters.' Written and directed by Rohit Karn Batra, its story follows two police officers who are called to a domestic violence dispute on the titular Second Street in Philadelphia. The call-out goes awry when one officer accidentally shoots and kills the other. The film is described as an allegory about the gun crisis in America. At present, Nicola is listed on IMDB, although her character has not been named. Nicola rose to fame during the Olympics in 2012, becoming the first female boxer to win Olympic Gold for Britain. She went on to successfully defend her title at Rio 2016, before winning the title of WBO (World Boxing Organisation) flyweight in 2019. The athlete was forced into an early retirement that same year due to a serious eye injury, having only fought six times as a pro. She returned to the spotlight the very next year as a Strictly hopeful and has since expressed how much she'd love to return as a contestant due to 'unfinished business' after her premature departure. Of her decision to retire, Nicola said in 2019: 'I'm immensely honoured to have represented our country—to win double Olympic gold medals and then the WBO championship belt is a dream come true. 'But it's not without taking its toll on my body, and aside from the expected aches and pains, I've been advised that any further impact to my eye would most likely lead to irreparable damage and permanent vision loss. 'Boxing has always been such an important part of my life—and it always will—but after training every day for over 20 years, my body is quite looking forward to a rest!' More recently, Nicola is reported to have split from her partner of seven years, Ella Baig. The boxer began dating the OnlyFans model, 27, after they met on a night out in 2018. More Trending Now, the couple share two-year-old son, Taylor Nate, who was born via IVF using one of Nicola's eggs. A spokesperson told The Sun in March: 'Nicola and Ella have shared an incredible journey together, full of love, growth, and resilience. 'After much thoughtful reflection and important therapy work, they have made the difficult decision to separate. View More » 'Their priority remains their son, Taylor, and they are committed to co-parenting with love and respect.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Strictly Come Dancing confirms two new professionals after show scandals MORE: Strictly star recalls being confronted about full frontal nudity on OnlyFans MORE: Strictly star Anton Du Beke opens up on wife's 'cruel' diagnosis

John seeks help in Emmerdale spoiler video in shock plan to get rid of Robert
John seeks help in Emmerdale spoiler video in shock plan to get rid of Robert

Metro

time5 hours ago

  • Metro

John seeks help in Emmerdale spoiler video in shock plan to get rid of Robert

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) discovers some new information about Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) in Emmerdale soon. The two siblings have been involved in a tense back and forth ever since Robert returned to the village. For John, he wants to get rid of Robert because he's worried about him getting back with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller). For Robert, he wants to see the back of John because he's utterly convinced he is bad news. Robert is absolutely right but whenever he expresses this theory, no one believes him due to them assuming he's just jealous of Aaron's relationship with his brother. In upcoming episodes, Robert will get closer to the truth about John when he learns about all the times he's saved the lives of villagers. It leaves him terribly suspicious, and then spies an opportunity to get more information on his brother when he leaves his phone unattended. When Robert hands the device back, John thinks the entire interaction is odd. He voices his concerns to Chas (Lucy Pargeter), and then word about Robert's weird behaviour gets back to Vic (Isabel Hodgins), who thinks he needs some help. More Trending Robert refuses, but John then decides he can get Liam (Jonny McPherson) to talk to him instead. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Just before Liam heads to see Robert, John plants a listening device in the house. He overhears something important and in this new video, John approaches Ross Barton (Michael Parr) to tell him about it. Let's not forget that Ross isn't a fan of Robert after figuring out that he stole the weed from a barn at Butlers. View More » What exactly will John say to him, and how will Ross react? MORE: All Emmerdale spoiler videos for next week as legend 'saves the day' MORE: Emmerdale fans blow holes in Owen and John 'suicide' twist MORE: Robert attacked in Emmerdale early ITVX release – and not by John

Duke and Duchess of Westminster ‘thrilled' as they welcome first child
Duke and Duchess of Westminster ‘thrilled' as they welcome first child

The Herald Scotland

time9 hours ago

  • The Herald Scotland

Duke and Duchess of Westminster ‘thrilled' as they welcome first child

'The Duke and Duchess of Westminster are thrilled to announce the birth of their baby daughter,' a spokesperson for the couple said. 'Both the duchess and Cosima are doing well. 'The duke and duchess now look forward to spending this special time together as a family.' The duke, one of the UK's biggest landowners, is a close friend of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, and godfather to Prince George and also reportedly to Prince Archie. William acted as an usher at his wedding in Chester Cathedral in June last year but Harry mutually agreed with the groom he would not attend amid his long-running rift with his brother. Hugh, once considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors, became an instant billionaire when he inherited his title and control of the historic Grosvenor Estate aged 25, following the death of his father from a heart attack in 2016. His property company, Grosvenor Group, owns hundreds of acres of land in Mayfair and Belgravia, as well as major city centre developments such as Liverpool's One shopping centre. In 2020, the duke donated £12.5 million to the UK's Covid-19 relief effort including funds for NHS Charities Together and for medical research and development.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store