Dating Misadventure • 8min read

Blind Date Disaster: When the Past Meets Present

The Setup

Maggie had been single for a while and her best friend, Sarah, thought it was time for her to get back in the dating game. Sarah had set up a blind date for Maggie with one of her husband’s coworkers.

”I don’t know about this, Sarah,” Maggie said hesitantly as she fidgeted with her dress. “Blind dates are always so awkward."

"Come on, Mags,” Sarah urged. “You need to get out there and meet new people. Plus, I promise he’s cute!”

Maggie rolled her eyes but couldn’t deny that she was intrigued by the idea of meeting someone new. She had been stuck in a rut lately and maybe this would be just what she needed.

After some more convincing from Sarah, Maggie finally agreed to go on the blind date.

The day of the date arrived and Maggie found herself getting more nervous by the minute. What if they didn’t have anything in common? What if he didn’t like her?

Sarah called to check in on her before the date and offered some words of encouragement.

”Just be yourself, Mags,” Sarah said soothingly. “And remember: if it doesn’t work out, at least you’ll have a good story to tell!”

The Unexpected Date

The restaurant was a popular spot for couples, with dim lights that gave the place an intimate feel. As she made her way towards the table, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement. She had been set up on a blind date by her best friend, and despite her initial reluctance, she decided to go through with it.

As she reached the table, however, her heart sank. Sitting across from her was not some stranger eager to meet her, but her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend. Panic began to set in as she tried to figure out what to do next.

She could see the surprise in the other woman’s eyes as they both realized who each other were. Protagonist stood there awkwardly for several moments before finally sitting down at the table.

Their conversation started off polite and strained. They talked about their jobs and mutual friends in an attempt to fill the uncomfortable silence between them.

But as they got further into their meals, things took a turn for the worse. Ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend started asking more personal questions about protagonist’s previous relationship with him. It was clear that this wasn’t just a coincidence and there was something more nefarious behind this setup than just wanting two people who are single together.

Suddenly feeling trapped under intense scrutiny and pressure of unfavorable situation which is beyond protagonist’s control; how will she navigate further?

The Failed Plan

As soon as the protagonist recognizes her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, she starts to panic. She can’t handle the idea of sitting across from her ex and his new flame for an entire meal. So, she comes up with a plan to avoid them altogether.

The first step is to try to switch tables with someone else in the restaurant. She approaches a couple at a nearby table, “Excuse me, would you mind switching tables with us? It’s just that I see my ex-boyfriend over there and it would be really uncomfortable for me if we sat here.”

To her surprise, the couple agrees quickly without asking any questions. However, when they move to their new table, she realizes that it’s right next to her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend.

Panicking even more now than before, she tries another tactic. “Hey! It’s so great to see you guys!” She yells loudly enough for everyone in the restaurant to hear.

Her hope is that this will make them feel embarrassed about whatever fight or drama they had between them and leave immediately rather than face each other again.

Unfortunately for her, this only makes things worse. Her ex-boyfriend stands up and walks towards their table while his new girlfriend stays put with a smirk on her face.

”You know what?” he says sternly while looking directly at our protagonist. “I’m not going anywhere until we finally talk about what happened between us.”

The Confrontation

The moment the protagonist saw her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, her heart sank. She had hoped that she wouldn’t have to deal with the awkwardness of their past relationship tonight, but fate seemed to have other plans. As they sat down for dinner, the new girlfriend wasted no time in bringing up the elephant in the room.

”I heard a lot about you from my boyfriend,” she said with a smirk. “He told me all about how you were never able to keep him happy.”

The protagonist felt her face flush with anger and embarrassment. She couldn’t believe this girl was being so confrontational right off the bat.

”That’s not true,” she replied defensively. “We just weren’t meant to be together.”

The new girlfriend rolled her eyes before continuing. “Well, he seems pretty happy with me now. And I just thought it would be nice for us to get to know each other better since we both dated him.”

Emotions were running high as they argued back and forth about their past relationship and what went wrong. Old wounds were being reopened, and it was clear that neither of them was willing to back down.

As they continued their argument, other diners began to notice the commotion in their corner of the restaurant. Waiters were shooting them concerned looks as they tried unsuccessfully to diffuse the tension.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was really only minutes, the protagonist’s best friend stepped in and suggested that they leave before things got even more out of hand.

As they walked out of the restaurant, emotions still raw from their confrontation, it became clear that this blind date had gone horribly wrong - and there was no going back now.

The Great Escape

As soon as the opportunity presented itself, the protagonist grabbed her coat and bolted for the door. Her best friend was hot on her heels. They made it to the street and started walking briskly, not daring to look back.

”I can’t believe that just happened,” she muttered under her breath.

”I know, right?” her friend replied. “I’m so sorry I set you up on that blind date."

"It’s not your fault,” the protagonist said with a sigh. “I should have asked for more details about who I was meeting.”

They walked in silence for a few minutes before her friend spoke up again.

”Are you okay?”

The protagonist shook her head. “No, not really. That was so awkward and embarrassing.” She paused for a moment before adding, “And now I’m worried about how this will affect future relationships.”

Her friend put an arm around her shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about that now. Let’s just get some ice cream and forget all about tonight.”

Despite feeling like crawling into bed until next week, the idea of ice cream sounded appealing. They headed towards their favorite spot and ordered two scoops each of their favorite flavors.

As they sat down at a small table in the corner of the shop, the protagonist took a deep breath and tried to shake off the events of earlier in the evening.

”I guess it could have been worse,” she mused out loud.

”How so?” Her friend raised an eyebrow curiously.

”Well…at least he wasn’t my actual blind date? And…at least it wasn’t him sitting across from me at dinner tonight.” She shuddered at the thought.

Her friend nodded in agreement. “True enough."

"But still,” continued protagonist sadly after taking another spoonful of ice cream. “It sucks knowing that part of my past is going to keep coming back to haunt me.”

Her friend put a supportive hand on hers. “I understand. But just remember that you’re strong and amazing, and that one bad date doesn’t define your future.”

The protagonist managed a small smile at her friend’s words. Maybe the night hadn’t gone as planned, but at least she had an amazing support system to lean on.

As they finished their ice cream and headed back out into the chilly evening air, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for having such an incredible best friend by her side through it all.

Epilogue: The Lesson Learned

As the protagonist sat on her couch, sipping a glass of wine and reflecting on the disaster of a night that was her blind date with her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend, she realized that sometimes it’s just not worth it. She had gone into the date with an open mind, hoping for a pleasant surprise, but instead found herself in one of the most uncomfortable situations she had ever been in.

She knew that going out with someone you don’t know can be risky business, but she never could have predicted this outcome. The awkward tension from past relationships was too much to handle and left her feeling unsettled long after the date ended.

Despite this experience, she wasn’t ready to give up on dating altogether. She realized that there were other ways to meet people and decided to explore other options. Maybe online dating or even joining social clubs would help her find someone who is more compatible without all the baggage.

She also learned that it’s important to trust your instincts when it comes to dating. If something doesn’t feel right or if there are red flags during the initial interactions, it’s better to cut things off before they progress further.

In the end, while this blind date may have been a complete disaster, it served as an important lesson for our protagonist. She was able to gain valuable insight into what she truly wants and needs in a partner while learning how to avoid uncomfortable situations like this in future dates.