My first date wasn’t even mine.
When I was fifteen, quite a few of my school friends were loved up. They went out together, they had fun together, and that was all very fine and okay.
But one particular friend felt a bit bad about neglecting me and invited me along one night. I politely declined, but she mentioned that others were coming and that it wouldn’t be like I was date-crashing.
It’s just dinner and a movie, she said. It’ll be fun, she said. Please come, she said. We want you to, she said.
So I went. I got to the restaurant. My friend was there. Her boyfriend was there. And others were there.
Two more people. Another couple.
I was the fifth person on a double-date.
HOLY EMBARRASSMENT, BATMAN.
I wanted to leave. But they were all friends of mine, they were expecting me, and it was actually quite lovely that they’d invited me and insisted that it wasn’t a date and that they wanted me to stay (although the continued repetition of that sentiment ALL NIGHT ironically diluted the message).
We ate dinner. We went to the movie. I stupidly sat between the couples and then spent the entire movie trying to ignore the outstretched-but-not-quite-touching hands and furtive glances to the left of me, and the slurping sounds to the right. (Here I am, stuck in the middle with NO-ONE.)
And, what felt like years hours later, I went home and vowed NEVER to go out in public on someone else’s double-date again.
(Two years later, I would be vowing never to go on ANY sort of double-date again, especially when you weren’t yet sure if you and your crush were in fact on a date in the first place. But that’s another story for another time. And it has a much happier ending. Or, you could argue, no ending at all.)
Have you ever inadvertently – or perhaps completely intentionally – crashed someone else’s date?
Linking up with Kerri Sackville’s Life and Other Crises for #MyFirst… Date. Thanks for hosting us, Kerri!
I feel your pain! My daughter calls it being the “third wheel” – not a pleasant experience š
I, myself, personally haven’t been in your same situation but I have been on a date where the other couple were SO loved-up and I wasn’t interested in my date at all. It was horribly stressful. After dinner (what was I thinking?) the other couple suggested going ‘parking’ (where you drive somewhere quiet and pash for hours) but I escaped by saying “I can’t go, my parents are expecting me home at 9.30 š )
I was definitely the fifth wheel! And yours sounds worse than mine – having a couple there who were into each other when you just wanted to escape your date? AARGH!
Oh wow! That’s rough! I must admit that occasionally now when I go out with my three closest girlfriends and their partners, it’s hard to be the 7th wheel! š
Thanks! And seventh wheel! You’ve trumped my fifth wheel effort.
Oooh that would have been awkward to say the least! Although I remember a friend of mine during teen years would always tag along (welcome of course) when my best friend and our boyfriends would hang out. We were always trying to fix her up with someone!
Ah yes. They really were being very nice and lovely, it just felt yucky. Did you find the right someone for your friend?
I have never been on a date. Like a real date.
Back when I was a teenager our group of friends hung out together, some ended up dating… so it was still the same except a couple were dating!
MC
#teamIBOT
I don’t think I went on what you’d call a ‘proper date’ until I was married and had kids!
(I’d just like to clarify that said date was with my husband. That sounded so dodgy!!!!!)
No way that is horrible, I would have feigned a sickness and left halfway through the movie, not before taking a HUGE tub of salty, buttery popcorn with me to drown my sorrows x
Didn’t even enter my head. I definitely should have done that! It didn’t help that one of the fellas kept saying that I was there so that everyone would know what the movie was about. AWKWARD!
Yikes. That’s a bit awkward. Very nice thought of your mates though.
It was. I focused on that. I really did. Just in case any of them are reading, I really do (and did) appreciate the thought!
Oh man that is so awkward.
Totes awks!
Oh you poor thing! That would have been so tricky. I hope the movie was worth watching!
I cannot remember what it was. I’ve tried really hard – I didn’t go to many movies so you’d think I’d remember. But no!
Oh god. That is awful. Having said that, now that I’m single again I have gone out with two couples. It’s not ideal, but if they’re all good friends it’s okay. But they know they’re not allowed to hold hands unless they hold mine too….
Ah yes. If I was single now, I’d appreciate it more. Pretty sure I would have blushed an even brighter shade of red if anyone had offered to hold my hand back then!