When Reality Bites

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Jean was so intrigued by Jack. It was their first date, one of many she’d been on recently, but something about him felt different. She had been through her fair share of disappointing dates, where the reality never quite matched the profile on the dating app. But Jack had her attention from the moment they sat down. As she watched him take a sip of red wine from the fancy glass cup served at the upscale French restaurant, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement mixed with a twinge of nervousness.

Jack looked every bit the part, with his neatly curled deep black hair tied back perfectly in a ponytail, his casual silk beach shirt with three buttons left open, revealing his perfectly sculpted chest muscles, and a single gold necklace with a dolphin pendant resting just below his collarbone.

As she continued to observe him, she realized he was watching her too. “What?” he asked, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips as he caught her staring.

Jean immediately looked down, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Just then, the waiter approached to take their orders, providing her a much-needed distraction.

“Have you decided on what to order?” the waiter asked

“I’ll have the Bouillabaisse,” Jack said with a perfect French accent.

Jean quickly scanned the menu, but the French names intimidated her. “I think I’ll go with this, the one just below whatever it is he ordered,” she said, not wanting to embarrass herself by mispronouncing a dish. Jack’s fluency in French made her feel a bit insecure, and she didn’t want to disgrace herself by trying.

“I believe she’ll enjoy the Bouillabaisse with a little lime,” Jack added smoothly, smiling at her.

As they waited for their food, the conversation flowed effortlessly. Jack was a 25-year-old medical doctor who owned his own house. He was exactly the way his description was on the dating app, unlike the men she met on her previous dates. It felt like she’d hit the jackpot, and she wasn’t going to let this one slip away. To keep his interest, she painted a few lies about herself, claiming she wasn’t looking for a relationship because she had many men at her feet, waiting on her. It was just to play hard to get and not seem too eager.

Finally, their dish arrived. Jean's dish looked delicious, but she couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of Jack’s Bouillabaisse, which not only smelled divine but also had a presentation that screamed luxury. She was ready to dig in but held back, trying her best to maintain her composure.

After finishing their meals, Jean noticed how Jack gently placed his cutlery down, wiping his mouth with the napkin before looking at her with a satisfied smile. She followed suit, mirroring his actions, and then asked him more about his life, trying to keep the conversation light and engaging.

“Sorry, excuse me for a second,” Jack interrupted as she was telling him about her work.

“Okay,” Jean replied, relieved by the break. She had been worried she was talking too much and needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

Jean waited for a few minutes after Jack left, using the time to adjust her appearance and calm her nerves. She took small sips of her wine, savoring the taste but making sure not to finish it before he returned. But as more time passed, she grew anxious. ‘It’s almost an hour gone,’ she thought, checking her phone.

Finally, she walked over to the bar, her steps slow and hesitant as she scanned the restaurant, searching for Jack.

“Hi, Lily,” she read the bartender’s name from the tag on her shirt. “I don’t know if you remember the guy I was sitting with—black curly hair in a ponytail, a casual silk beach shirt…”

“Oh yes, I remember him,” Lily replied,

“I don’t know if you’ve seen him. He went into the restroom and hasn’t been out,” Jean said, feeling a bit of relief at the bartender’s recognition.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you, he left almost an hour ago.”

“What?!” Jean almost shouted, her heart sinking. “Are you sure?”

The bartender’s pitiful look confirmed it. Jean slowly walked back to her table, still in disbelief that she had been conned. Shortly after, a waiter arrived with the bill. Jean's heart skipped a beat when she saw the number of zeros on it. Splitting it wouldn’t have been a problem, but the total bill, with Jack’s Bouillabaisse being twice the price of her Coq au Vin, came to almost half her monthly salary.

“So much for the perfect catch,” she muttered to herself as she signaled the waiter and brought out her card for payment. As she waited for the transaction to go through, she reflected on her evening, realizing that charm and good looks could come with a hefty price,things are not always what they seem.

It took a long time before Jean started going on dates again. When she did, she was more cautious, determined never to let herself get so carried away again. She had learned the hard way that sometimes, what seemed like a fairy tale could quickly turn into a cautionary tale.