The one with the cheap tricks.

I know that most of you I've been on a date -or even a relationship!- with a man -or a woman- who used, what I like to call, cheap tricks. By cheap tricks, I obviously mean, forgetting his wallet home or serving you leftovers. I thought I'd seen it all in the cheap tricks department, until I met Will. He was in construction. He was very manly -oh man!- and a tad redneck, but I figured that's be a nice change from the artsy guys I usually went for.

We met at a mutual friend's baseball game one summer. I agreed to meet him over a drink, the next week-end. The date went well and we agreed to have dinner together the following Saturday. He said I should pick the restaurant, and I remembered he said he loved seafood. So, I choose I nice place who served good seafood and wasn't that expensive.

We sat down, got drinks, had a nice conversation. After finishing our meals, Will suggested that we went to his place for one last drink. I was up for it; he was nice and somewhat funny. -Plus, he was good looking- Then, he also suggested that we split the the cost. I figured maybe money was tight for him these days, so I agreed.

When the waitress came back with one receipt, I divided the cost; about forty bucks each. I didn't have enough cash on me so I took my credit card out. He said he would pay his half cash. As the waitress got close, he leaned in and said;
"You know, I think it'll be less complicated if we pay with only one payment."

I thought that he was maybe embarrassed to not be able to pay for me.

"I could just give you my half in the car.", he said.

I agreed and handed over my credit card to the waitress.

In the car, Will started to look through his wallet, he seemed bothered.
"What's wrong?", I asked.

"I feel very embarrassed by this.", he said, "I don't have enough to pay you back for dinner."

Will looked like he was feeling very bad about the whole situation.

"It's okay.", I told him, "You can pay me back some other time."

There, I was sure I was going to see him again. We got along pretty great and I was attracted. He seemed to be too. After all, he did  propose we went back to his place.

We were driving and I thought that we were going back to his place for that drink he proposed earlier. However, he seemed to have something else in mind. -Don't worry, this story doesn't end by; he shopped me up in pieces and now, I'm a ghost looking for revenge.- He stopped the car in front of my building.
"I thought you wanted us to have one last drink at your place?", I said, confused.
"Yeah, I do. But, you know what, I'm beat. I feel like going to bed.", he explained, "I'll take you to dinner next week."

I was disappointed but I figured, alright he's tired. Big whop! He probably had a rough day at work.

I e-mailed him the next week after not hearing from him. He never called me back. I had been the victim of a cheap trick. The guy had free-mealed me. I couldn't believe I fell for his: "I feel very embarrassed" bullshit. If you are reading this, Will, I'm still waiting for that forty bucks, dude.

Basically, I got the tricks and no treats.