“I had a crush on this guy from my college class, and I finally got the courage to ask him out. He said yes, and I was over the moon. I planned a romantic picnic at the park, with flowers, wine, and cheese. I thought it was perfect. But when I got there, he was already talking to a girl who I recognized from the English department. From afar they looked quite cozy with each other and like…they were almost flirting? I went over and he looked like he was caught off guard…like forgot-I-had-a-date off-guard and it was so clear on his face that I just wanted to run in the opposite direction. But instead, I powered through that instinct and asked him if he was still up for the date. He said yes but also added a request for the girl he was talking to, to join us? I was so surprised, I was struck dumb. Needless to say, the three of us were on a date for a good forty-five minutes before I could take it no more and left with my unopened bottle of wine and uneaten food. They hardly noticed, they were so into each other. As for how first dates go, it was quite horrible.”