I’ve been in touch with a guy who I met on OLD some time back when I was active on the apps (and now I know better) and we hadn’t met owing to the pandemic. However, I was recently travelling to his city and thought it would be a good time to meet up for a dinner after months of being in touch. For background, he had shown a lot of interest in how much I earn and how he was “so impressed” with my career prospects, and how he really liked me. He’d been after my life to meet and was fairly decent in his behaviour, but I could feel the pressure that he imposed to meet up. I was also not very serious in terms of any commitment with him.

While I was planning this dinner with him, to my utter disgust, he actually suggested that we should skip the date and just “hook up” which first he suggested would be at his place but later, suggested that I should book a hotel room for us (because I earn more). This is a guy who I’ve never met leave alone for a date, and the sheer entitlement shocked me. I have never removed someone from my life faster. The audacity has just left me wondering whether he just couldn’t wait for his mask to fall off. The number of red flags (as per the Handbook) that were hoisted just because he thought that we were finally meeting and that he could get what he has been putting up for is unimaginable. I’m glad I avoided the mental agony of even having to meet him, let alone go on an actual date. Makes me realise the value of vetting, boundaries and not giving in too easily in more absolute terms.