Dating is a huge gamble. You might spend years with someone and it all ends in heartbreak. It seems people have become wiser and aren’t playing with time wasters anymore. One man, particularly, went to the extreme of showing up with a relationship contract on the first day. The contract was not meant to be a big deal but of course, his date wasn’t too happy about it.
Daniel had been heartbroken many times in the past. He seemed to always pick the wrong girls who would end up using him and dumping him. His last relationship was an eye-opener that made him decide to put his foot down and have more control of his relationships.
“I can’t keep making the same mistakes.” He confided in a friend.
“Maybe you should take a break from relationships.”
“Bro, I’m getting old. I need to find someone to settle with and start a family.”
“It’s not that serious. We’re the same age and I’m not married nor do I even want to get married any time soon.”
“We’re not the same. What do you think I should do to find the right girl?” Daniel asked.
“Tinder?” His friend suggested.
“You’re funny.”
“Okay, jokes aside. I read something that might help you. Have you heard of a relationship contract?” He asked.
“No, but it sounds interesting.”
“It’s almost like a prenuptial agreement but it’s not a legal contract. You simply write a contract of all the things that you want your partner to do in a relationship and if they don’t, you can hold them accountable.”
After a brief silence, Daniel said, “I like that.”
Since Daniel had a date lined up that weekend, he thought it was the perfect time to test the relationship contract. He spent the whole night writing what he expected in a relationship and went through it a few times to make sure he had included everything.
Some of the terms included:
“Before going to bed, you need to call me every night.”
“We should spend at least 4 days a week together.”
“We should take equal responsibility for planning dates.”
“If we live together, you’re in charge of taking care of the home and I will take care of the bills.”
Though it seems harmless and fun, presenting such a contract to your date can come off as a bit intense. So, you can imagine how Daniel’s date would react when he showed her the contract.
Daniel, however, didn’t see any problem with giving his date a relationship contract. He thought his date would be happy because it showed he was serious about dating and if she was on the same page, she would appreciate his efforts. He was in for a rude awakening.
Some of his friends tried to talk him out of doing it but he had already made up his mind.
“This doesn’t seem like a good idea.” His best friend warned him.
“Why not? I’ve tried everything and nothing has worked.”
“Maybe it’s just not your time.”
“This relationship contract will keep all jokers and time wasters away, at least.”
“It will keep everyone away. You won’t get a second date if you show up with a relationship contract.”
“I’m willing to take that risk. I have nothing to lose.”
Seeing that he wasn’t going to change his mind, his friend gave up and let him learn the hard way.
Daniel’s date, Olive, was a beautiful and successful career woman in her mid-30s looking to settle down. They met at a concert and after talking briefly, they agreed to go on a date. She was excited about the date since Daniel seemed different. He had his life together and during their brief talk, she realized that they wanted the same things in life. She had high hopes about the date and so did Daniel.
“When are we going to meet again?” She asked after weeks of texting each other.
“Anytime you want,” Daniel responded.
“How about this weekend?”
“Sure. Where do you want to go?”
She picked a spot in Westlands and Daniel happily went along. All he cared about was to meet the amazing lady from the concert.
Two hours before they were going to meet, Daniel started getting ready for the date. He stashed the 4-page relationship contract in the inside pocket of his blazer so he wouldn’t forget it then went to take a shower.
An hour later, he headed to the restaurant to meet Olive. She showed up early as well which was a good sign. Everything had been going well. Olive was enjoying Daniel’s company and Daniel was enjoying her company as well. For a moment, he even forgot he had the relationship contract in his pocket.
When things slowed down, they started talking about the serious stuff.
“Do you want to live with your partner?” Daniel asked.
“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, you’re successful and you don’t need to live with a man.”
“I don’t think people live with their partner because they’re broke.”
“I’ve dated people who dated me for accommodation so I know people do that.”
“Wow, you have an interesting past.”
“I do. Speaking of, I have something for you.” He said then removed the contract.
“What’s this?” Olive asked.
“It’s a relationship contract.”
“For me?”
“Yes. I think it’s a good idea to avoid wasting each other’s time.”
“It’s a bit much for a first date.”
Though she protested, she still read through the contract just to see what Daniel had included. It’s safe to say that she wasn’t happy with what she saw.
“This is so backward, Daniel. I expected better from you. Do you think women are slaves to do what they’re told?”
“It’s just a draft. You can add whatever you want.” He explained.
“This is all about what you want a woman to do for you. What about what you’ll do? It’s also very offensive to give someone a relationship contract, especially when you hardly know them.”
Olive didn’t stick around very long since things got awkward after Daniel gave her the relationship contract. Daniel also left shortly after and returned home with his tail in between his legs. He felt defeated since he thought that the contract would work. Instead, it blew up in his face and he lost the one lady who seemed like she was genuinely interested in a relationship.
He never brought the contract to another date but Daniel was still unsuccessful in finding his life partner and he ultimately took a break hoping that love would find him.
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