My Coworker Uses to Do One Specific Mean Thing on Dates, So I Warned My Friend Who Matched With Her on App

Online dating apps help people meet new friends or find romantic partners. You can create a profile and swipe through other people’s profiles to find matches. Sometimes, you might even find someone you already know. In the story below, our heroine found out that two people she knew matched on the app, and one of them was her friend. She felt like she needed to intervene for a reason.

“I (28m) work with this woman Lydia (24f) who has a very annoying habit. She has a dating profile that she uses specifically to lure guys to buy her expensive dinners at restaurants she wants to try, and then ghosts them. Lydia brags about this all the time and is never interested in actually dating, but she’ll act like it to sell it.

I can’t stand this because it’s playing with people’s hearts, but Lydia thinks of it as a life hack to try food or drinks she otherwise couldn’t afford.”

“My friend Daniel (32m) is also on dating sites, but for the right reasons. His late wife died a few years ago, and he’s just started jumping back into the dating scene. Daniel’s a very sweet guy, and I really want him to find a great lady for him.

A few days ago, he texted me asking if I knew Lydia. They matched and got to talking about work, which is how he found out we worked at the same place. I told him all about Lydia’s intentions with the restaurant thing and made it very clear to him that he would do his best to drop things off with her early on. Daniel said he’d probably still do the date but ask for separate checks.”

“Well, they went out this past weekend and on Monday Lydia came into work very upset. I asked her how her date with Daniel went, and she ripped into me, asking if I was the one who told him not to pay for her dinner.

Apparently, she had Daniel take her to a high-end steakhouse, and she ended up splurging. She got a drink, a full entrée with a side and dessert, and Daniel just ordered a sandwich and salad. Her bill alone came to $70 something, and she was almost in tears at work as she didn’t expect to pay for it and now her car was low on gas.”

“I got a little upset too as she tried to use my friend as a literal meal ticket, but somehow she didn’t see it that way. Daniel told me later the date was going kind of well until he asked for separate checks, and then Lydia just got weirdly cold.

So now Lydia’s mad at me because I told someone about her little tactic, and it backfired on her. I don’t feel like I did anything wrong since it was a grieving friend I was protecting, but some other people we work with said I should have stayed out of it because it was none of my business.”

People had various opinions, some shared their own experience.

• Honestly a smart move. Especially knowing it has no risk and the opportunity to break off the rust from a broken heart. © Actual-Conclusion64 / Reddit
• He’s an absolute missile of a man, is why he went on the date. It was guaranteed for his own entertainment and to see if it was just all games. Very well played. © Unknown author / Reddit
• One could say it was a life hack of sorts. Protect your friends with one simple trick! I would take a picture of Lydia and create a game profile with her picture, warning guys of her tactic. © liquid_acid-OG / Reddit

• I have been out of the dating scene for almost 15 years, but I met someone like Lydia once, and it convinced me that first dates would only ever be a coffee. If you're not interested in meeting for a coffee, then you are not actually interested. © Greensparow / Reddit
• When I was dating, I always covered my portion of the bill when on a first date. I did this so whoever I was on a date with couldn’t try and use the fact that they paid to guilt me into a second date or whatever else. My husband and I alternate who pays now, just makes it easier. © iCoeur285 / Reddit
• Honestly, I'm wondering if she ever encounters guys who just split the check even without warning. When I was dating I'd rarely go to dinner on a first date, but even if I liked the woman, if she ordered $70 worth of food without asking me, I wouldn't have even offered to pay. © blarghy0 / Reddit

Going on a first date is often compared to playing the lottery. There’s a chance it could lead to discovering true love and a happy relationship. However, there’s also the possibility that it could turn into a real nightmare. Just like in the lottery, you never quite know what you’re going to get until you give it a try.