Cherry didn’t always have the best luck in the dating scene. She always picked the worst type of men who ended up being toxic toward her. So, when she met Greg, a humble, church-going man, she felt like she hit the lottery. Their paths crossed one evening while she waited to take a bus home after work. He stood behind her and struck up a conversation as soon as he noticed the beautiful lady in front of him.
“The queue is quite long today.” He said
“Yes, I hear there’s a lot of traffic.” She replied, turning around to face the man dressed in a full suit.
“I’m Greg, by the way.”
“Cherry.”
“Wow, that’s a lovely name.”
“Thanks.”
The difference in their personalities was apparent almost immediately after they started talking. Greg was soft-spoken while Cherry was bubbly. Nonetheless, she was willing to give him a chance since everything else had failed up to that point. They both seemed to enjoy each other’s company since they talked until they boarded the bus and sat next to each other once they were inside. Greg even alighted before his stop so he could walk Cherry home. She was quite impressed by the attention he gave her.
After their encounter, they exchanged numbers and kept in touch over the phone. They met regularly after work but never went on a date since Greg wasn’t a big fan of late-night dates. Once they became more familiar with each other, he asked her out on a brunch date. It came as a surprise to Cherry since she had almost given up on going on a date with him.
“What are you doing this Sunday?” he asked her as they went home.
“Nothing. What do you have in mind?”
“I want to take you out for brunch.”
“What?”
“Yea. I know a really good brunch spot in Westlands.”
“Oh. That sounds good.”
“Okay. So, I’ll come to pick you up at 10.”
It seemed a bit early but it wasn’t unusual for Greg. She knew very well that he wasn’t a fan of evening dates so when he suggested the time, she didn’t object. In fact, she welcomed the idea of an early date since they had more time to get to know each other without a lot of distractions.
“Wear something nice.” He said almost before he alighted.
Again, she didn’t think much into it and brushed it off as a playful flirtation. Maybe she was simply excited to go on a date with him that she didn’t find anything suspicious. She also thought that Greg could do no wrong so she trusted him. However, nothing could prepare her for the events of that day.
Greg came to pick her up exactly at 10 a.m. He didn’t seem to like her choice of outfit and made her wear something else.
“What’s wrong with this outfit? We’re going for brunch.”
“Yes, but we’re making a quick stop somewhere first so please wear something else.” He said.
She reluctantly changed into a floral jumpsuit and a black coat. Their drive was rather quiet and Greg played gospel music the entire time. Again, nothing seemed out of the blue since she was aware of his religious beliefs.
“Did you go to church today?” she asked trying to start up a conversation.
“Of course. Did you?”
“No, I don’t go to church normally.”
He almost choked after she revealed that.
“We should go.”
“Yea, we can go next Sunday.”
“No. I mean, we should go right now. We can still make it for the third service.”
She laughed, thinking he was joking but she soon realized he was serious when he changed their route.
“I thought we’re going to Westlands.”
“We’ll go for brunch later. We’re going to church first.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, my dear. How can you not go to church on a Sunday?”
She tried to stay open-minded about it but she was visibly uncomfortable. She barely said anything until they reached his church. Greg was like a local celebrity there and as soon as he got out of the car, he was met with greetings. This only made Cherry more uncomfortable. She felt like she was dressed inappropriately and that people were judging her the same way that Greg was.
However, he introduced her to everyone he met and made her feel welcome. They reached inside the building just as the service began so they quietly made their way to some empty seats at the back. Before she knew it, she was having fun and participating in the service.
“You have a beautiful voice.” He whispered to her as they sang.
“Thank you.”
The church service lasted for two hours and the pair went back to the car after it was over.
“That was good.” She said.
“I know. I enjoyed it too. We can make it a regular thing.”
“Yea. I’d love that.”
“We still have a brunch date.”
“Are we still going?”
“Of course.”
He drove to the restaurant and they had another wonderful date. It became their Sunday tradition to go for church service and brunch. At first, Cherry enjoyed the experience but she soon realized why she didn’t like religious men. Greg would control everything she did. He started having an issue with her going out at night even when she was attending a friend’s event. He also made her change her dressing style to something “more decent”.
His controlling nature finally got to her and she ended the relationship. Their breakup was not as easygoing as their relationship. Greg put up a fight and didn’t want to let her go. In fact, it took the intervention of some of her friends to convince him to leave her alone.
Despite the breakup, Cherry continued going to church regularly. She may have had a bad experience dating a church guy but she’s still hoping to meet her soulmate in church one day.
More stories in The Singlehood Series:
She Showed Up To Our First Date With Her Ex-Boyfriend
Would She Give Him A Chance Even Though He Was Not Her Type?
My Date Offered Me Money So I Could Leave
I Got Out Of The Friendzone And Dated My Best Friend For One Month
He Took Me Out On A Valentine’s Date Then Broke Up With Me
He Swore He Was A Church Boy But His Car Reeked Of Alcohol
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