1. The Persistent Planner
“I went out with a guy for coffee. It wasn’t the best date ever, but it wasn’t awful, so I agreed to a second date. There were lots of red flags, so I politely told him it wasn’t going to work out. He then asked when he could see me again. I reiterated that I wasn’t interested in a future date. Undeterred, he asked me to go to a movie ‘as friends’ and even offered to come over to help me with my garden fence. I declined, but he kept planning our future together. I paid the bill, and as he walked me to my car, he gave me a hug that involved pinning my arms, lifting me off the ground, and swinging my legs back and forth. He begged me to let him know when I got home.
I sat in my car for a moment, knowing I needed to vent a bit. My best friend got off work at midnight, so I asked him to meet me for a drink. I remembered I had promised my date I would text when I got home. I considered lying but decided to be honest, texting that I was safe but had decided to meet a friend. The next day, I received a long rant about how rude I was for not informing him of my change in plans and how he would have liked to join me. Dude, I already told you I wasn’t interested in seeing you again. You have no say in what I do after our date is over.”
