The night had everything I’d planned for: candlelight, wine, and the promise of a deeper connection. But when my colleague burst through the door with her kids in tow, the evening spiraled into a disaster I never anticipated and a truth I wasn’t prepared for.
My third date with Susan was supposed to be the one. We’d met on Tinder — her profile was a perfect mix of witty humor and effortless beauty. After two amazing dates and a dreamy walk in the park, I felt like we were ready to take things further.
I’d picked a cozy Italian restaurant, tucked away from the usual noise, for the perfect evening — candlelight, good food, and deep conversation.
Susan arrived in a navy dress that accentuated her figure perfectly, her hair flowing over her shoulders. She smiled, and for a moment, I thought, Wow, this might actually turn into something special.
The waiter had just placed a basket of fresh bread on the table when the sound of the door opening caught my attention. I tried to ignore it, but then I heard a familiar voice.
“Oh, hey, Rob! Fancy seeing you here!”
I froze, breadstick halfway to my mouth. There she was, unmistakably Linda from accounting, standing at the entrance. Her bright floral dress clashed with the intimate ambiance of the restaurant, but that wasn’t the problem. No, the problem was the three kids trailing behind her, each bursting with energy.
“Linda?” I stammered, blinking in disbelief.
She marched over with her kids and plopped down at our table. “You didn’t tell me you were coming here tonight!” she said with a grin.
Susan’s confused glance darted between Linda and me. “A friend of yours?” she asked, her tone cautious.
“Colleague,” I corrected, forcing a smile as Linda sat down with her kids.
“It’s packed tonight,” Linda said casually, swiping a breadstick. “I figured we’d join you. You don’t mind, do you?”
Oh, I definitely minded.
Linda had always been an enigma. A single mom of three — two, eight, and twelve — from two failed relationships, she was as magnetic as she was intimidating.
At the office, she commanded attention with her sharp intellect and striking beauty, yet she kept everyone at arm’s length. I admired her resilience, devotion to her kids, and how she balanced chaos with grace.
But that admiration had always been strictly professional. A woman like Linda? She was definitely out of my league.
But tonight, as she slid into the booth beside me with her kids, her presence wasn’t awe-inspiring. It was suffocating.
“Linda, what are you doing here?” I stammered, my voice low, my eyes nervously darting toward Susan, whose confusion had turned into irritation.
“Oh, don’t be silly,” Linda replied, casually placing her hand on mine. I quickly pulled away. “You promised to watch the kids tonight, and here you are… having dinner with her?” She gestured toward Susan like she was some unwelcome guest.
Susan’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?” she demanded, her voice sharp.
Linda was unfazed. “We’re a family,” she said, motioning to her children, now happily munching on the breadsticks. “The kids were so excited to see you!”
“Linda, I never promised—”
She cut me off. “Really, Rob? You’re going to pretend this isn’t a thing in front of her?”
“Pretend what’s a thing?” Susan demanded, standing now, a mix of disbelief and anger on her face.
Linda shrugged, a smug grin spreading across her face. “I didn’t mean to ruin your date, Susan. But you should know the kind of man you’re seeing. He’s been leading me — and the kids — on for months.”
My heart stopped. “What? Linda, stop this!” I hissed, glancing around as diners began to take notice.
Susan grabbed her purse. “You two clearly have… unfinished business,” she snapped, glaring at me as if I was something she had to scrape off her shoe. Without another word, she turned and stormed out.
I moved to follow, but Linda’s toddler, an adorable baby girl, clung to my leg.
The restaurant fell silent.
I turned to Linda, my voice barely controlled. “What are you doing? You just ruined my date!”
She didn’t flinch. Instead, she leaned back in her chair, her toddler happily munching on a breadstick. “You should thank me.”
“Thank you?” I mumbled, my anger mounting. “For what? Humiliating me in front of everyone?”
Linda calmly pulled out her phone and scrolled. “No, for saving you.”
“Saving me?” I stared at her, bewildered.
She flipped the phone around, showing me a photo. “Recognize this?”
I squinted at the screen. It was a grainy photo, but unmistakably, that was Susan’s face. “That’s… Susan. Why are you showing me this?”
“This,” Linda said, zooming in on the image, “is a mugshot.”
I blinked, not processing the words right away. “A mugshot?”
Linda nodded gravely. “My brother’s a cop. Last night, I dropped off some paperwork for him at the station. While I was there, I saw her face on the bulletin board. She’s wanted for fraud.”
“Fraud?” I echoed, my mind struggling to catch up.
“Yeah,” Linda said. “She’s been conning men. Gets into relationships, earns their trust, and then scams them out of thousands. I didn’t connect the dots until I saw the picture you posted on Instagram before your date tonight. So I called my brother, and well, here we are. She’s probably being arrested as we speak.”
The world tilted. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not,” she said softly. “Look, Rob, I know this was… a lot. But I couldn’t just stand by and let her take advantage of you. You’re a good guy. You don’t deserve that.”
For a moment, I was speechless. My anger drained, replaced by disbelief, confusion, and even a touch of gratitude. “Why didn’t you just… tell me? Why the dramatic entrance?”
Linda sighed, glancing at her kids. “I tried calling you before your date, but you didn’t answer. And once I saw you here, I panicked. I didn’t want her to slip away. I did what I thought was right.”
I rubbed my temples as everything sank in. “So… Susan is—”
“Gone,” Linda finished, her voice firm. “And you’re welcome.”
I stared at her, my emotions a swirl of conflicting thoughts. If what she was saying was true, she’d saved me from disaster. But the way she’d done it? I wasn’t sure I could forgive that.
Then her eldest broke the silence, kicking his legs under the table. “Are we getting pizza or what?”
I couldn’t help it — I laughed. A real, unfiltered laugh that cut through the tension.
Linda smirked. “You should thank me right about now.”
I shook my head, half-amused, half-exasperated. “You’re unbelievable.”
She shrugged. “And yet, here you are. Not scammed out of your life savings.”
As I looked at her — tired but radiant, with her kids hanging on every word she said — something shifted. Linda wasn’t just the bold, maddening woman who had stormed into my evening; she was more. She’d saved me, but she’d also shown me something I hadn’t seen before.
“Linda,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected, “can I buy you dinner? All of you?”
She blinked, surprised. “You want to buy us dinner? After everything?”
“Yeah,” I said, glancing at her kids. “You’ve earned it. And honestly? I could use the company.”
Her eldest grinned. “I vote pizza!”
Linda studied me for a moment, then smiled — a real, genuine smile that made my heart skip. “Alright, Rob. But only if you’re buying dessert, too.”
“Deal,” I grinned.
Two years later, Linda and I are still together. I’ve adopted her kids, and every day, they remind me what it means to love and be loved.
As for Linda? She still insists I should thank her for that night.
And every single day, I do.