I believed I had found a real gentleman when Eric insisted on paying for our first date. He arrived with a thoughtful small gift, a bouquet of roses, and a conversation that flowed naturally. I could practically hear my best friend, Mia, smugly saying, “I told you so,” because she had set this up. It felt like a scene from a romantic comedy.

When she first proposed it, I was hesitant. “Just believe me, Kelly, please. Such a gentleman, Eric. She had excitedly said, “You’ll love him,” on the phone as I was searching through my closet for something to wear.

I remarked, “You’ve never set me up before.” “What gives you the impression that you know my type?”

Mia was not deterred. “Because I am the one who knows you the best! Chris also thinks he’s fantastic. For years, they have been friends.

That made me think. Mia’s boyfriend, Chris, had a talent for interpreting people. He wouldn’t exaggerate someone unless he had genuine faith in them. Maybe I should try if he thought Eric was worth a try.

“All right,” I sighed. “Send me a picture at the very least.”

My phone pinged a few seconds later. Curious, I opened the message and looked at the picture. Eric had a warm smile, was well-groomed, and looked exactly like his photo. Not bad at all.

“All right,” I said. “He’s adorable.”

Mia let out a happy squeal. Send him a text! Get it going! You won’t be sorry.

I agreed to meet Eric for dinner at a new Italian restaurant by the river, which was fancy but not too intimidating, after we exchanged a few lighthearted messages. It’s the kind of place where first dates can end in awkward disaster or romantic success.

I was anxiously looking at my reflection in my phone’s camera as I waited close to the entrance, five minutes early. I noticed him at that point. My heart pounded a bit. He was equally attractive in person, with a polished, business-casual look. The bouquet of roses he held, however, caught me off guard.

These flowers were from a florist and were tied with a ribbon; they weren’t from the cheap grocery store.

He smiled warmly again and said, “You must be Kelly.” “These are for you.”

“Wow, thanks,” I said, feeling pleasantly taken aback. “That wasn’t necessary for you to do.”

Smoothly, he said, “I thought I’d start the night off right.”

However, that wasn’t all.

He took a small gift box tied with a tidy cyan bow from the pocket of his jacket.

“What is this?” I raised an eyebrow in question.

“Just a small amount. “Open it up,” he said.

A stylish silver keychain featuring the letter “K” engraved on it was found inside. Personalized, subtle, and truly considerate.

He went on, “I asked Mia what you might like.”

This was when I was impressed. On a first date, flowers and a present? He was either a master of first impressions or extremely thoughtful. In any case, I wasn’t whining.

I genuinely said, “This is very kind of you.” “I’m grateful.”

All evening long, Eric maintained his gentlemanly manner. I talked about my work as a graphic designer, and he listened carefully while keeping eye contact and pulling out my chair. My favorite books, my weekend pastimes, and even a casual remark I had made about my brother’s dog were among the small details he recalled from our texts.

After we gave our orders, he asked, “So, what made you agree to this setup?”

I chuckled and said, “Mia can be very persuasive.” “And Chris, who rarely does that, endorsed you.”

“I have a long history with Chris,” Eric remarked. “College is where we first met. He has always been an outspoken individual.

From there, the conversation flowed naturally. We found that we were both fascinated by documentaries about odd subcultures and true crime podcasts. I thought this might be the best first date I’d ever had after he told me funny stories about his work as a marketing manager.

Then came the check.

My first instinct was to grab my purse.

Before I could even unzip my bag, Eric firmly stated, “Absolutely not,” setting his card down. “On the first date, a man always pays.”

I was taken aback by his tone. It felt like an unbreakable rule, not just a polite one.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I shrugged. “All right, if you insist. Thank you.

He asked if he could give me a call shortly as we were leaving together.

I said, “I’d like that,” and I truly meant it.

After he gave me a warm but curious embrace, I drove home with the impression that this was one of the most wonderful first dates I had ever gone on.

Then the text message arrived.

Eric sent me a notification when I woke up the following morning. Something like, “Had a great time last night,” was what my drowsy brain was expecting. There was an attachment instead.