{"id":14446,"date":"2026-10-14T13:11:04","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsamazingday.store\/?p=14446"},"modified":"2026-10-14T13:11:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:11:04","slug":"my-date-insisted-on-driving-me-home-i-wish-id-said-no-14436-9-xhbdk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsamazingday.store\/?p=14446","title":{"rendered":"My Date Insisted on Driving Me Home \u2013 I Wish I\u2019d Said No"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When her brother sets her up with a seemingly perfect gentleman, she\u2019s hesitant, but gives it a shot. Flowers, charm, and a sweet smile make her wonder if he\u2019s the real deal. When he insists on driving her home, a gut feeling whispers: Don\u2019t. She should\u2019ve listened.You know when someone says they have \u201cthe perfect guy\u201d for you? Yeah, that\u2019s exactly how this whole disaster started.<\/p>\n

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My brother Marcus had been going on about this Andy guy from his Saturday morning pickleball group for weeks.\u201cBut he\u2019s not just any guy,\u201d Marcus said, smirking as he refilled his protein shake at my kitchen counter. \u201cPolite. Smart. Good job. Still single, though, for too long, if you ask me.\u201dI rolled my eyes so hard I\u2019m surprised they didn\u2019t fall out of my head.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s what you said about Kevin, remember? The vintage spoon collector?\u201d\u201cAndy\u2019s different,\u201d Marcus insisted, and there was something in his voice, half teasing, half genuinely hopeful, that made me pause mid-chop.I was massacring some poor carrots for dinner, taking out my dating frustrations on root vegetables like any reasonable person would.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Carrots<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Carrots on a cutting board | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n

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Here\u2019s the thing about brothers: they never give up. I\u2019d honestly had enough of \u201cnice guys\u201d with hidden expiration dates, but something about Marcus\u2019s tone wore me down.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Maybe it was the way he looked so hopeful, or maybe I was just tired of being the perpetually single woman at family dinners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFine,\u201d I said finally. \u201cOne date. Just to prove I\u2019m open to this whole thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman in a kitchen looking at someone | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Famous last words, right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So there I was the following Saturday, standing in front of my bedroom mirror, adjusting my dress for the fifth time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why do we do this to ourselves? I mean, what\u2019s the point of trying to look perfect for someone who might turn out to collect belly button lint or something equally disturbing?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman glancing at herself in a mirror | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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At exactly seven o\u2019clock, my doorbell rang.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I took a deep breath, grabbed my purse, and opened the door to find Andy holding a small bouquet of wildflowers wrapped in brown paper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He was tall, adorable, and wearing a button-down that looked freshly pressed. His smile was so earnest it almost made me forget about Kevin and his spoon obsession.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man standing near a front door | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI didn\u2019t know your favorites,\u201d he said, extending the flowers toward me, \u201cbut I thought these looked pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re perfect.\u201d I smiled. \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And you know what? He waited patiently while I found a glass, filled it with water, and arranged the flowers on my dining table. No checking his phone, no tapping his foot, no subtle sighs of frustration.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A smiling man | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cReady?\u201d he asked, and then \u2014 get this \u2014 he opened the car door for me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I know, I know, it sounds old-fashioned, but when\u2019s the last time someone did that for you? I was genuinely surprised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dinner was even better than I\u2019d expected. He held doors, pulled out my chair, and asked about my job like he cared about the answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Two<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Two people on a date in a restaurant | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When I told him about my work in graphic design, he said, \u201cI always admire people who do what they love. Not everyone has the guts.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And when I complimented the food, he said, \u201cRight? But I think our waiter deserves the real five stars.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I found myself softening, which frankly terrified me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"People<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

People enjoying a date in a restaurant | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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You know how it is: you start to think maybe this time will be different. Maybe this guy won\u2019t have some weird deal-breaker hiding in his back pocket.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Spoiler alert: those guys always have a deal-breaker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When the check came, I instinctively reached for my phone to call an Uber. I have a rule, see, no rides home on first dates. It\u2019s just safer that way and avoids any misunderstandings at the front door.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A person holding a phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Andy looked genuinely surprised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo way,\u201d he said, laughing gently. \u201cA gentleman drives his date home and watches her walk inside safely.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Now, I should have stuck to my rule. I really should have, but he looked so sincere, and that smile was back, the one that made me forget about all my carefully constructed dating boundaries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So I caved. Sue me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman smiling shyly | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He opened the car door like we were living in 1954, drove me all the way home without checking his phone once, and stayed parked until I got to my door.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When I turned to wave from my living room window, he waved back before driving away.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I went to bed that night feeling something I hadn\u2019t felt in months: safe. Maybe even lucky. Can you believe that? I thought I might have found one of the good ones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman smiling while hugging a pillow on a bed | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The next morning, my phone buzzed at 7:13 a.m. with a notification that made me blink hard, convinced I was still dreaming.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A PayPal request. At first, I thought it was spam (you know how those scammers work), but when I opened it and saw Andy\u2019s name, my brain just\u2026 stopped working for a moment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Are you ready for this? Because I\u2019m not sure I was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman looking at her cell phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He\u2019d sent me a bill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Gas from restaurant to my place: $4.75<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Car depreciation: $3.50<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Parking: $20<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Cleaning fee for \u201cpuddle splash marks\u201d: $9<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Total: $37.25<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I stared at my phone for a full 30 seconds, trying to process what I was seeing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman staring at her phone in shock | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Then I laughed so hard I nearly dropped my coffee mug.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This man, who had seemed so perfect just 12 hours earlier, had actually itemized the cost of basic human decency and sent me a bill for it. Can you even imagine?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I mean, what goes through someone\u2019s mind when they think, \u201cYou know what would cap off this lovely evening? An invoice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman laughing at something | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I sent him $50 with a note: \u201cThirteen-dollar tip for opening my door. Cheers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then I blocked his number without a second thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But I wasn\u2019t done. Oh no, I was just getting started.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I immediately texted my brother: \u201cTruly a mystery why he\u2019s still single,\u201d followed by screenshots of both Andy\u2019s invoice and my response.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman using her cell phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I spent the rest of the morning on my couch, periodically bursting into fresh waves of laughter. Every time I looked at my phone, I\u2019d start giggling again. It was like my brain couldn\u2019t quite accept that this had truly happened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Around noon, Marcus called, and I could hear both shock and amusement in his voice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman speaking on her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cSarah, I\u2019m so sorry. I had no idea he was like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHow could you? I\u2019m betting he saves his special charm for the ladies.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cActually,\u201d Marcus said, his voice taking on that storyteller tone he gets when he has really good gossip, \u201cthere\u2019s more. He was at pickleball this morning, bragging to all the guys about your date. Said it was \u2018like something out of a rom-com.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman speaking on her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I snorted. \u201cOh, it was definitely movie-worthy. Just not the genre he was thinking of.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYeah, well, when I showed the guys your screenshot, the whole group went dead silent. Then Andy muttered something I\u2019ll never forget: \u2018Chivalry doesn\u2019t pay for itself.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe did not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHe absolutely did. And then he tried to defend himself, saying modern women should appreciate transparency in dating expenses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman speaking on her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I was laughing again, the kind of laugh that makes your sides hurt. \u201cPlease tell me you\u2019re joking.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cI wish I was. Needless to say, he won\u2019t be joining us for Saturday morning pickleball anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The guys had voted him out. Unanimously. I have to admit, that felt pretty good.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But here\u2019s where the story gets really interesting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An amused woman peeking between her fingers | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Last weekend, I was doing my usual Saturday morning routine: sprawled on my couch, coffee in hand, scrolling through TikTok with the dedication of someone who had nowhere else to be.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Suddenly, I choked on my coffee and nearly dropped my phone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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There, on my screen, was a video of a girl sharing screenshots of what she called an \u201citemized date invoice\u201d from a guy called Andy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"The<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The TikTok app on a cell phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The amounts were slightly different, but the audacious entitlement was exactly the same. Gas, car depreciation, parking, cleaning fees; the whole ridiculous breakdown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis guy thinks he\u2019s Uber with dinner service,\u201d she said in the video.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I couldn\u2019t believe it. Andy had done this before. This wasn\u2019t some weird one-off moment of poor judgment, oh no,\u00a0this was his actual dating strategy<\/i>. Can you imagine?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman with a smug smile staring out a window | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The comments section was absolutely brutal, and I lived for every single one:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLadies, beware of Andy\u2019s Taxi & Misogyny Service.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cAt least Uber gives you mints.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis man really said, \u2018pay me back for being a gentleman.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I sent the video to Marcus with a simple message: \u201cYour pickleball friend is TikTok famous.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman holding a cell phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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His response was immediate: \u201cI\u2019m never trusting my judgment about men ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I spent the rest of the afternoon reading comments and sharing the video with friends. It turned into this whole group chat about dating horror stories, and honestly? It was therapeutic. At least my guy waited until after the date to reveal his true colors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You know what the weirdest part is?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A thoughtful woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019m actually grateful for Andy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He gave me the best story I\u2019ve had in years, and more importantly, he taught me something valuable: sometimes the worst dates make the best lessons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I\u2019m still dating, still rolling my eyes at my brother\u2019s suggestions, still single.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman speaking to a man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But now I always take my own ride home, and I do it with a smile, knowing that any man worth keeping around won\u2019t send me a bill for his efforts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n