Just Put the Lime in the Coconut

Submitted by Marrah:

Drew, a hospital administrator I had met on a dating site, had canceled our first date twice.  I had the distinct impression that he was stringing me along, and I waited until the next time he reached out to me to tell him how I felt.

He became very defensive and offered to take me someplace "special" to make it up to me.  How was 3pm, next Monday?

"That's an odd time," I told him, "Let's do dinner instead."

He insisted, "It has to be then.  I promise."

It would mean that I'd have to take off of work a little early (I work in an electronics store), but I would probably have been able to do it without repercussions.

When I asked him where we were going, he only said, "We'll have a lot of time together.  You'll learn a lot about me.  I think you'll like it."  He told me to meet him in the parking lot of a professional building in town.

That Monday, I did, and he led me inside the building, where we both had to sign in.

We entered an elevator, and he had a hard time making eye contact with me.  I asked him if everything was okay.  He replied that he was slightly embarrassed, but glad that he was "doing this with" me.  A knot that had formed in my stomach was steadily tightening.

We made it to the third or fourth floor, and he led me to a door with a nameplate:

"Dr. Michael Yarrow, Clinical Psychologist."

Drew pressed a buzzer on the door, and it unlocked.

I asked, "Hey Drew, why are we at a psychologist's office?"

He said, "It's a good way for you to get to know me, and I think that it'll be healthy for us.  It's my way of saying sorry for canceling those two times."

I went inside with him, met Dr. Yarrow, and sat down for one of the most excruciatingly painful hours of my life.  If Drew needed my support, I would've felt awful for leaving, but I found his method of springing this on me to be inconsiderate in the sharpest sense of the word.

So preoccupied I was with these thoughts, I hadn't even noticed that Dr. Yarrow had asked me a question.  "Marrah, why do you think Drew asked you to come here today?"

"He didn't ask me, but I'm here to support him."

"I'm sorry?"

I explained to Dr. Yarrow that I had no idea that we were going to the psychologist's until we had arrived there.

Dr. Yarrow asked me to step outside, and he closed his door to be alone with Drew.  A minute or two later, Drew came out, still not making eye contact, and said, "I'm sorry for springing this on you, Marrah.  It was wrong to not tell you, first.  Do you forgive me?"

I forgave him, and told him that I had to go.  Thankfully, I haven't heard from him since.  I wish him well and hope that he's okay.  Far, far away from wherever I am.