First dates are always a gamble, but rarely do they spiral from “wholesome” to “blocking their number” in under 30 minutes.
For TikTok user Jezabel (@jezacat), a recent coffee date became a viral cautionary tale about ignoring early warning signs. In a video that has captured the internet’s attention, she detailed an encounter that began with mild confusion over a bill and ended with her fleeing the coffee shop.
The “Wholesome” Setup
Jezabel explained that she matched with a man online who suggested a coffee date for the following morning. It sounded innocent enough. However, the red flags began the moment she arrived.
Despite making eye contact when he walked in, the man didn’t greet her. Instead, he walked straight to the line. When they finally ordered—an iced vanilla latte for her, a hot matcha and a blueberry muffin for him—the situation turned awkward.
When the cashier announced the total, the man stared at Jezabel in silence.
“He looked at me as if, ‘Are you going to pay or am I going to pay?’” she recalled. Shocked by the expectation, she walked away, leaving him to sort out his own order.
The Situation Deteriorates
The payment standoff was just the beginning. When he joined her at the table, he was yawning loudly and looked visibly disheveled. Jezabel noted he had deep eye bags, a cold sore, and a hickey.
“Is this guy okay?” she remembered thinking.
When she suggested rescheduling because he seemed so tired, he refused, insisting, “No, I really needed this coffee.”
The Final Straw
The date officially imploded when Jezabel tried to make small talk about his tattoos. When she asked about them, he rolled up the sleeve of his hoodie to show her his arm.
Instead of ink, she was met with a disturbing sight: his arm was covered in scabs.
At this point, Jezabel felt nauseous. Between the hygiene issues, the strange behavior, and the visual on his arm, she knew she had to leave. The man later mentioned he had been in a car accident months prior and was still on pain medication, which offered some context to his erratic state, but Jezabel had seen enough.
The Audacity
After enduring 30 minutes of discomfort, the man stepped outside to vape. Jezabel seized the moment to leave.
Despite the obvious disaster, the man texted her shortly after she drove away. He apologized that the date ended so quickly and asked if she wanted to meet for dinner next time.
“Were you just looking for meals out of me? Because you were about to let me buy your muffin and your matcha,” she thought.
She blocked his number immediately. Looking back on the experience years later, she joked, “I couldn’t drink matcha for a long time.”
This article originally appeared earlier this year.
