I had just come back to Kenya after finishing my Master’s degree and was looking forward to reconnecting with my friends. After being separated for more than two years, I was pretty excited to hang out with them again. My best friend, Sheila, was also excited to have me back and we immediately made plans to meet at a Sip And Paint event that her friend had organized.
“I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me too, babe. So, where are you taking me?”
“Have you heard of Sip And Paint?”
“Of course, I don’t live in a cave.”
“Okay. There’s one happening this weekend. We can go if you want.”
“Sure. I’m down.”
“Awesome. I’ll bring you a date too. There’s someone who has been dying to meet you.”
I wasn’t a fan of hookups because the last time someone set me up, it was a hot mess. But since I was still trying to settle back I figured I could meet as many people as possible. Besides, I didn’t want to third wheel since Sheila was bringing her boyfriend.
The Sip And Paint sounded like a fun idea and I figured everyone, including my date, would be too distracted for awkward small talk. However, I didn’t anticipate what was about to happen. Everything that could possibly go wrong at a Sip And Paint went wrong.
We met at around 11 am. Sheila and I detoured to a coffee shop to catch up and wait for our dates. Our reunion was great. I wanted to know everything that had happened since I left and she wanted to know all about my university. We chatted for over an hour before Sheila’s boyfriend called her and alerted her that he was in town.
We walked to where he had parked his car and met him with his friend aka my date for the Sip And Paint. After exchanging pleasantries, we all got in the car and drove to Karen. There was an awkward silence between me and my date which was a sign of how the rest of the day would go. Sheila tried to break the ice but it was futile.
“Babe, Henry was saying how he couldn’t wait to meet you.” She said.
“Oh, okay,” I responded and looked at him to say something but he stayed quiet.
Eventually, he spoke to me.
“You look great, by the way.”
“Thanks.”
It was a generic compliment but I appreciate it. It was probably the only thing he would say to me all day. At that point, I wanted the day to be over so I could go back home. Since Sheila was busy with her boyfriend, I was bored out of my mind. I tried keeping myself busy with my phone but the guy kept lurking so I couldn’t even use my phone comfortably.
We got to the venue, eventually. He hopped out of the car and ran to my side to open the door. It was sweet but a bit awkward since he hadn’t said a word to me. he then insisted on holding my hand as we walked in. His hands were sweaty which just irked me more. The day couldn’t get worse, honestly. Or so I thought.
The host welcomed us and showed us to our seats. The place looked good and had a great ambience. We were served with our first drinks of the day – Mojitos. It seemed like the drinks were the secret to breaking the ice between me and my date. After a few sips, he came alive. He went from being the shy, awkward guy to being the life of the party.
It was fun, at first. He cracked jokes, teased people’s drawings, and generally made everyone at the Sip And Paint laugh. However, things took a different turn after a few cocktails. The attention got to his head and he took it overboard. He started getting handsy with me and when he saw that I was having none of it, he decided to put on a Magic Mike performance. He started taking off his shirt while dancing. Again, people thought it was funny but I was visibly embarrassed since I didn’t want to be part of his show.
“Go dance with him.” Sheila urged me.
“Hell no!”
He won’t leave you alone until you do.”
I won’t deny, he looked good shirtless but I wasn’t that outgoing and the attention was really overwhelming for me. I decided to listen to my friend’s advice and went dancing with him. That was a big mistake. He ended up grinding on me, turning me around and bending me over.
Sheila’s boyfriend pulled him away before he stripped to his underwear. We followed them behind and watched as he staggered to the car. t’s safe to say that I wasn’t going on another date with him or anyone that my friend’s set me up with. They tried to justify his antics saying that he was nervous. To me, he didn’t look nervous. Either way, I had no interest in dating a man who couldn’t handle his liquor.
“Don’t worry, I’ll set you up with another guy,” Sheila whispered to me.
“No thank you. I think I’ll stay single for a while.”
“I promise, I didn’t know he was like this. He’s never done anything like this.”
“It’s fine, babe. It’s not your fault.”
It was interesting to see that even after being away from the country for two years, Nairobi men were still the same and they would always find a way to embarrass you. At least, I was busy trying to build a career that I wasn’t so focused on dating. My horrible date at the Sip And Paint confirmed that I should just stick to building my career and that I shouldn’t get my hopes up about dating especially in Nairobi.
More stories in The Singlehood Series:
My Date Thought It Was Romantic To Offer Me Drugs
I Invited Her To A House Party And She Embarrassed Me
My Date Humiliated Me In Front Of My Workmates At A Tusker Project Fame Event
He Went On A Blind Date And Had Dinner With The Wrong Girl
I Found Out My Boyfriend Of 5 Years Was Married When He Sent Me The Wrong Text By Mistake
There Was Drama In Our Apartment Building Because This Lady Brought Another Man Home From The Club
The Singlehood Series: I Got Drunk And Started Confessing My Secrets
