The evening was set to be perfect—exactly how I’d imagined it. A table for two under soft candlelight, a bottle of red wine breathing on the table, and the hope of taking my connection with Susan to the next level. But all my plans went up in smoke the moment my coworker, Linda, stormed in with her three kids. That night turned chaotic and revealed something about Susan I never saw coming.
This was my third date with Susan, and it felt like a make-or-break moment. We’d met on Tinder, where her sharp wit and easygoing charm had caught my attention. Two dates later—one involving coffee and the other a lovely walk through the park—I was convinced there was potential for something more.
I chose an intimate, hidden-away Italian restaurant for our third date. The place wasn’t on the tourist radar, which made it perfect for uninterrupted conversation. Dim lighting, soft music, and the promise of amazing pasta made it the ideal setting.
When Susan arrived, she looked stunning. Her navy dress hugged her figure, and her hair framed her face like it had been styled by angels. She gave me a warm smile that made my stomach do flips. “This place is gorgeous,” she said, sitting down.
“I thought you’d like it,” I replied, feeling a surge of pride. Things were off to a great start.
The waiter brought over a basket of warm, freshly baked bread, and we started talking about anything and everything. It felt so natural with her. I was already imagining how the night would unfold when the restaurant door flew open with a loud bang. The sound broke through the cozy atmosphere like a record scratch. I glanced up, hoping to ignore it, but my heart sank when I recognized the voice.
“Rob! Wow, what are the odds?” called out Linda from accounting.
I froze with a breadstick halfway to my mouth. Of all the people to run into tonight, it had to be her. Linda wasn’t just a coworker; she was the coworker everyone knew. Her vibrant, over-the-top personality made her impossible to miss, and tonight, she had her three kids in tow.
The oldest looked like he was about twelve, the middle one maybe eight, and the toddler was clutching a stuffed animal covered in suspicious stains.
“Linda?” I muttered, trying to mask my shock. She marched straight to our table with the confidence of someone who owned the place.
“You didn’t tell me you’d be here tonight,” she said cheerfully as if we’d planned this. Without waiting for an invitation, she grabbed a chair and started ushering her kids into the empty seats around us.
“Is this… someone you know?” Susan asked, her eyebrows lifting as she glanced from Linda to me.
“Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “She’s a colleague. From work.”
“Oh, don’t be modest, Rob,” Linda interjected, helping herself to a breadstick. “We’re more than just colleagues.”
Susan’s expression shifted to wary disbelief. “More than colleagues?” she repeated.
Before I could clarify, Linda leaned in, her tone casual but loaded with meaning. “Rob promised to watch the kids tonight, didn’t you? And here you are… on a date.” She gave me a mock-disappointed look that could win awards.
Susan’s mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry, what?” she said, her voice growing sharp.
“Linda, stop,” I hissed, feeling my face heat up as people at nearby tables began to stare.
Linda ignored me, continuing her performance. “I mean, Rob’s been such a big help to us lately. It’s hard being a single mom, you know?”
Susan stood abruptly, grabbing her purse. “You clearly have some issues to sort out,” she said coldly. “Good luck with… whatever this is.”
“Susan, wait!” I called, getting up to follow her, but Linda’s toddler wrapped herself around my leg like a tiny, sticky octopus.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Linda asked smugly.
I turned to her, furious. “What the hell are you doing, Linda? You just ruined my date!”
“Ruined it?” she replied, arching an eyebrow. “I saved you.”
“Saved me? From what, exactly?” I shot back.
Linda pulled out her phone, scrolling until she found what she was looking for. “Recognize this?” she asked, holding the screen up to my face.
It was a mugshot. My heart sank as I squinted at the grainy photo. “Wait… is that Susan?”
“Ding, ding, ding,” Linda said with mock enthusiasm. “Turns out your dream date has a history. My brother’s a cop, and he recognized her from an Instagram post you shared. She’s wanted for fraud—big-time. She scams guys, gains their trust, and then drains their bank accounts.”
I sank back into my chair, feeling like the ground had been ripped out from under me. “Why didn’t you just call me?”
“I did,” Linda said flatly. “You didn’t pick up. So when I saw you here, I had to act fast. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“You couldn’t have been a little more subtle?” I muttered, rubbing my temples.
Linda shrugged, smirking. “Subtlety’s not my style.”
At that moment, her eldest piped up. “So… are we getting pizza or not?”
Despite everything, a laugh burst out of me. The absurdity of the situation was too much. “You’re impossible,” I said to Linda, shaking my head.
“And yet,” she replied, smiling, “here you are. Not broke, thanks to me.”
I looked at her, really looked at her. Beneath all the chaos and theatrics, there was something genuine about Linda—a fierce determination to protect the people she cared about. It made me see her in a completely different light.
“Alright,” I said, sighing. “Let me at least buy you and the kids dinner.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “After all that?”
“Yeah,” I said with a grin. “I think you’ve earned it.”
“Pizza!” her eldest cheered.
Linda smiled warmly. “Alright, Rob. But dessert’s on you.”
“Deal,” I said, laughing.
Fast forward two years, and Linda is now my wife. Her kids call me Dad, and I can’t imagine my life without them. Every day, Linda reminds me of that night and how she “saved” me.
And every day, I thank her—with all my heart.
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