Often, when on the dating scene, you meet people who are cool individuals, but there’s just no chemistry, and that’s fine. Usually when this happens, the feeling is mutual and both sides make some sort of nonverbal agreement to not arrange a second date. There are also those times when one person leaves date with that “meh” feeling and the other person goes in the complete opposite direction, turning into a level 10 clinger.

I had dinner one night – a first date-  with “Clinger” boy. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, I just wasn’t into him. The conversation was very bland, even a little strained at points, but not terrible. At the end of the evening, we left each other with a firm handshake and I filed it away as a nice meal, mentally crossing the guy off my list of potential boyfriends.

The next day at work ,  a sizable bouquet of flowers show up with my name on them. From Clinger. Now, I love flowers, but here’s the thing: I never told the guy where I worked. (And, let’s be honest, the date did not merit a flowers follow up.)

It gets worse.

Shortly after the flowers arrive, Clinger starts texting me all his ideas for date two. “bowling, mini golf, movies, ropes course, etc., etc.” The list was about a paragraph long. Oh and he also mentioned that he told his family all about me and how they can’t wait to meet me! (wtf, right?)  It took a good amount of effort over the course of two weeks to get this guy to move on. (lots of unanswered texts and avoided calls culminating in a really awkward “I just don’t feel that spark” type of conversation)

If I learned anything, it was to be brutally honest – maybe even a bit mean- if faced with this type of situation again. Being ‘nice’ may seem like the right thing to do, but really it just makes clingers think they have a shot, prolonging the inevitable. Rip the band aid off, my friends.

As for the flowers, they lived happily in my boss’ office for a few weeks until they died. The vase is now a lovely desk ornament.