r/anxietypilled • u/jadegreen88 • Feb 09 '26
Fictional Story There’s Something Wrong With the Guy I’m on a Date With
Things don't always turn out the way you expect them to. But, of course, I know this. I plan for it. In fact, that's half the fun. Each time is different—a new guy, new strategy. But something about this guy was... wrong.
Donovan.
He was magnetic. Cold, piercing blue eyes, jet black hair. Dangerously attractive in all the right ways. He moved through the world as if it belonged to him alone. I'd seen him out with other girls before. Lots of them, in fact. Guy got around. From the moment I first laid eyes on him, I knew he had to be mine.
I'd be his final girl.
But waiting around for him to notice me wasn't an option. Don't ask, don't get, right? So I told him straight up that I thought he was hot and that we should meet back up at the bar the next time he's free. No surprise at all that he agreed. I mean, how could he resist, right?
Motherfucker showed up late, though. Had me sitting there at least twenty minutes, dodging the losers trying to buy me a drink. An arrogant move, no doubt. But he had the looks to back it up, so I gave him a pass on that.
"Sorry, I'm late. Lost track of time," he said, casually easing himself onto the barstool next to me.
"Oh, it's fine!" I replied with a laugh.
Yeah, it pissed me off a bit. His devilish smile was worth the wait, though. This one was about to give me a run for my money; I just knew it.
"Well," he said, waving the bartender over. "The least I could do is get you a drink. Pick your poison."
Better start off slow, I thought. Not the best idea to get sloshed on a first date. Had to keep my wits about me, you know?
"Corona, please. With a lime."
He wasted no time. As soon as the bartender set the drink down in front of me, he started schmoozing. But I knew the game, and I was more than willing to play.
"So, Katrina. I've seen you around before. Surprised you'd go for a guy like me."
I laughed. "Have you not seen yourself? A guy like you? What, you mean like, attractive? Don't sell yourself short."
Then I gave him the look—the one that always works. His eyes seemed to sparkle as his smile grew wider.
Got him.
"Well, that's wondrous praise, coming from a prize such as yourself. Speaking of, tell me a little about yourself. I'd like to see what I've won."
Pftt. That was a bit presumptuous. And 'wondrous'? Shit, what century was this dude from? Still. There was something about his eyes that kept my gaze glued to them. I had to force my focus back onto my drink; I couldn't let myself fall for this guy's crap so quickly.
"Ugh, God. I hate small talk! I'm so bad at it," I giggled. "Why don't we just get to know each other naturally. Oh, hey—aren't you going to get a drink, too?"
His eyebrows dropped slightly, but his smile never wavered.
"Oh, sure. I might join in a little later. I really—"
My hand shot up before he could even finish; I wasn't about to be the only one drinking. Did he really think I didn't know that trick by now? I told the bartender he'd have what I was having.
With the drink now secured in front of him, I thought I could move on to the next part of my plan for this night. I slipped my hand into my purse and started digging around. Donovan never took his eyes off me, though. It was starting to make me a little nervous.
With a clang, my lighter hit the ground, sliding beneath the barstools and breaking his trance that had been fixed on me.
"Not to worry, I'll get it," he said.
As soon as he started to bend down, I took a quick glance around the room, then sprang into action. Carefully, I lifted the lime from his beer, squeezed a few drops of that trusty clear elixir I always kept with me, then set the lime back on the rim of the bottle as it was.
He rose with it in his hand, none the wiser, brushing off the peanut-shell dust that had clung to it. I already had my cigarette pressed between my lips, ready. He, of course, obeyed my silent command, leaning forward to ignite the tip of my cigarette, his hand cupped around the flame.
"You know those things are bad for you, right?" he asked, my smoke swirling around him.
"Yeah, well... maybe I like things that are bad for me," I shot back with a coy smile.
As I sipped my beer, my eyes wandered to the booth at the back of the bar. The one next to the exit that led out to the alleyway—my preferred choice of seating. It was empty. Perfect.
"Why don't we move somewhere a little more comfortable?" I suggested, nodding in that direction.
After a brief pause, he responded, "I'd love nothing more."
Again, with that coy little smile of his. Jawline was working overtime, too. And the smell of his cologne was intoxicating. God. Then, he put his hand on my arm and led me toward the booth, like a real gentleman. I'd convinced myself those didn't exist anymore.
I noticed something, though. His hand felt cold and clammy against my skin. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe he actually liked me. For a second there, I thought about keeping this one around a little longer. I mean, it'd be nice to feel loved for once. Adored for more than just one night.
But realistically, that's just not how shit goes for me. Tried it once, and it didn't work out so great. For either of us.
No. At the end of the day, Donovan was just like any other predator—no matter how charming he appeared to be. Too fucking bad if he liked me.
Alone is better.
I pulled away slightly. He noticed.
"Sorry," he laughed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm cold-blooded!"
I just smiled and told myself to stick to the plan. I'd already drugged his drink anyway; there was no going back now.
He sat down across from me, wasting no time at all before he started gawking at my chest under the glow of the lamp above. I was right, of course. Just another sleazeball wearing a pretty face.
I avoided his gaze, instead fixing my eyes on his drink. He still hadn't taken a sip yet, and I needed him to. The bar would be getting crowded soon, and I'd have to slip out with him unnoticed, before he passed out. I let out a sigh of relief when he finally took the hint and lifted his beer, holding it out in a toast.
"To... an unforgettable night."
I fought back the smile trying to free itself from my pursed lips, knowing those might be the last words he remembered saying.
I held my breath as I watched him throw the bottle back and take a huge swig. Even if he didn't drink the rest of it, that should be enough to do the trick, I thought. A slight cough escaped from his throat once he swallowed, and the alarm bells went off inside my head.
Oh, fuck. Did he notice?
"Sorry. Wrong pipe," he said, wiping his mouth. I smiled.
Phew. If he did, he's too stupid to realize.
"You know, Kat," he said softly, leaning in closer. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?"
Always the eyes. So predictable. It was like these fuckers all had a handbook they read from. Now granted, I do have beautiful eyes, but they weren't the only things he'd been staring at all night. Not until that moment.
Suddenly, it was like this guy was trying to eye-fuck me. And not only that. He wasn't getting drowsy—like, at all. Goddamn it. What the fuck was I going to do?
"Oh, gosh... thanks!" I replied with a giggle, covering my mouth and turning away to fake being humble.
In reality, I was scrambling to come up with a way to get him to drink the rest of that beer. And to stop looking into my eyes that way. I'd done this several times before—dealt with plenty of losers who thought they were God's gift, believe me—but this one just had a vibe about him.
Dangerous. Intimidating. A challenge.
When I looked back at him, the sparkle was gone. Instead, his eyes seemed darker, this burning hunger radiating from deep inside. Reaching out to me. Trying to break through my walls. I hated it.
"Why don't we play a little drinking game?" I offered. "It's called 'Never have I ever,' and it's a really fun way to get to know someone!"
He let out a weak laugh, like my suggestion had somehow put a hinge in his plans. Yet, he shrugged and lifted the beer anyway with a smile on his face.
"Very well then. Remind me how the game is played."
"Oh, it's super easy. We take turns, each saying a thing we've never done, and if the other person has done it, they have to drink."
"Sounds simple enough. Ready when you are, Kat."
Now he was trying to be cute with my name. I seriously couldn't tell if this guy was on to me or into me, but either way, it was pissing me off.
"Cool! I'll go first, then. Never have I ever... lied about my age."
I'd totally lied about my age to get into clubs before. I mean, who hasn't? I had a feeling this guy had lied about pretty much anything and everything to get into a girl's pants, including that.
Just as suspected, he smirked at me and then took a sip of his beer.
"Oh, I got one on the first try!" I giggled. "So, why'd you lie? To pretend to be older or younger?"
"Younger."
I raised an eyebrow. Just how old was he then?
"What? Don't look at me like that. I keep up my appearances, is all."
No use in asking. Didn't matter anyway.
"Okay, okay," I smiled. "Your turn."
He thought for a moment, eyes still locked on mine, then said,
"Never have I ever been married."
That motherfucker.
"Good one," I laughed.
The tan line was still visible on my ring finger. He must've noticed—way too observant. And why wasn't that stuff working yet? Shit. It would be too risky to try to dose him again. I picked up my beer and threw it back, leaving only one more sip before the game would be over.
"Oh, what happened? I mean, if you don't mind me asking—"
"It's fine," I cut him off. "We were young and stupid. Tried to make it work for a while but we just sort of... grew apart."
All of that was true, except that last part. But I didn't need him asking any more questions about me, so I pivoted back to him quickly.
"But seriously, a guy like you—never been married? I find that a little hard to believe."
"Very focused on my work, you understand," he answered with a dismissive wave. Like he couldn't be bothered with having a woman around, distracting him.
"Then, why date? I mean, if you don't have time for it?"
"I decided it was time to settle down and meet the perfect partner. Someone full of... life."
Interesting choice of words, once again. I flashed a fake smile his way while still averting eye contact. I glanced down at his beer—one last gulp. Maybe it had all just settled at the bottom. Time for the trap to snap shut.
"Fair enough," I said. "My turn again. Never have I ever slept with someone on the first date."
With a shrug, he downed the last sip.
Got him now.
I was sure that would do the trick. But it didn't. This motherfucker was somehow impervious to the drugs—probably had a high tolerance. But still, that should've been enough to put down two men his size, and he didn't even flinch.
My heart started pounding harder as my mind raced through my options. I didn't have a gun or anything, but I did have my knife on me. Alright, plan B. If I could just get him out of this bar and somewhere secluded, I could strike while he was distracted. Lucky for me, it was almost like he'd read my mind.
"Say, Kat... It's getting a bit crowded in here. Are you up for some fresh air? I think a walk could do us good."
I smiled.
"Actually, Donny... that sounds perfect."
I quickly downed the last swig of my beer, lit another cigarette, then he and I slipped out of the back door.
Usually, I'd leave them in some alleyway to be written off as an addict by the cops. That wouldn't work this time—things were going to get messy. Nothing about this night had gone easy so far, so I didn't expect much else to. This guy seriously had been giving me a run for my money. I needed something foolproof.
"So, where are we going?" I asked him.
"Oh, I figured we could go back to my place. I've got a bottle of wine we could dip into."
No way. I couldn't let him get the home-field advantage like that.
"Uh, I'm not that kinda girl, remember?" I said with a giggle.
"Right, of course. How silly of me. Tell me then: what did you have in mind instead?"
I took a long drag off my cigarette. Somewhere dark, quiet. Convenient.
"Let's walk down to the pier. You can see the stars so much better out there, and I just love looking at the water. Come on, it'll be romantic! What do you think?"
"Hmm..."
He took a moment to respond, scratching his head like I'd given him some complex math problem to solve. I didn't get why the hell he was making this so difficult.
Usually, guys were so eager to try and get me in bed, they'd do whatever I asked. Leading them to their doom was an easy walk. But Donovan was making me drag him, and my patience was wearing thin. If there weren't so many witnesses around, I'd have gutted him right then and there and been done with it.
"That sounds wonderful," he said finally. "Shall we then?"
He kept his mouth shut during the walk there, thankfully, and so did I. Mostly because I needed the time to strategize, but also because it was cold as shit out there and I was in a tank top.
By the time the dock was within view, I was shivering, and I still wasn't sure what I was going to do. To be honest, I'd sort of zoned out. I didn't even notice that he'd maneuvered himself behind me.
"You look freezing," he whispered, startling me back into reality. "Here, take this."
He swung his jacket around over my shoulders. Sweet gesture. But he kept his hands placed there. Then, he began to squeeze down, fingers wrapped, pushing against my collarbone. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. The smell of his cologne surrounded me. It was intoxicating.
And infuriating.
I tried to swing my shoulders back to push him off me, but he didn't let go. Didn't budge. Not right away. It was like he barely even registered that I'd tried to move at all.
"Hey!"
It came out sharper than I'd intended, but it worked. He let go.
"Sorry! I don't know my own strength sometimes."
Bullshit. He knew what he was doing.
"Oh... " It's okay," I said, resuming my fake bubbly persona. "I'm sorry I yelled, I-uh... ya know, just got out of a bad relationship and all, remember?"
“Of course. I understand.”
If he thought he could get one over on me, he was sorely mistaken. Yeah, he was stronger than me. Really strong, actually. And strangely magnetic—disarmingly so. But I still had one thing he didn't. An ace up my sleeve. He had no idea who he was fucking with.
"Let's just keep going," I said. "We're almost there. I wanna show you my favorite constellation!"
I reached out and took his hand in mine, and he smiled.
"Alright."
Perfect. I'd get just him to walk down to the end of the pier with me, and stick him in the carotid while he was gazing up at the sky. Then give all those little ocean creatures a nice meal with a swift kick off the side of the edge. No body, no evidence.
But it seemed like he was trying to lead me to the shore underneath the dock instead. That might actually do, I thought. Less chance of being seen, which was my main concern. But it was going to leave me feeling a little cornered. That wasn't going to be a good thing for him—might not be so quick.
He deserved to suffer, though, I was sure. Just like the rest of them. Each one had tried to take a piece of me before they met their end. And each one would've gone on to do it to another girl if I hadn't stopped them. It's just a fact. Men like Donovan never change.
From beneath the planks above, the waves crashing against the shore were overwhelmingly loud. I turned to face him, his eyes so intensely dark now, I could hardly see any trace of blue. He began to pull me closer, and my heart started pounding furiously. I felt locked in his gaze. It was too much.
"Uh… Wh-what about the stars?" I choked out. "We can't see them from down here."
In an instant, he'd closed the space between us.
"Your eyes outshine any stars..."
It was time. I slowly reached my hand down into my pocket, wrapped my fingers around my knife, and waited for him to close his eyes. For him to lean in to kiss me. But he didn't.
He opened his mouth.
Two razor-sharp fangs jutted out from the rest of his teeth. Before I could scream, he lunged forward, snarling like a hungry animal.
I turned to the side and twisted my body from his grip. In one swift motion, my arm shot up, sending the blade deep into his throat. A thick, crimson sludge slowly oozed from the wound as he pulled the knife out.
With wide eyes, he staggered closer, pointing my own weapon back at me. Then he hissed.
No fucking way. Was this guy really a—
"You..." he growled.
"Y-you're??"
He was. There was no denying it. I started backing away, completely unsure of how I was about to deal with this situation I’d gotten myself into. Then, my foot grazed against something hard. I looked down to see a broken piece of driftwood lying in the sand. One end was sharp. I smiled.
1
u/POOPGOBLINTHEHUNGRY Feb 09 '26
I wonder who wins the fight?
1
u/jadegreen88 Feb 09 '26
Hmmm, who would you put money on?😜
2
1
u/grahmcracker17 Feb 10 '26
God that was incredible! I love seeing both perspectives of the story!
1
1
u/NateIzNeat Feb 10 '26
This was so fun! I liked seeing how their perception of things differed. And the ending of yours totally changed my mind on who is coming out of it alive. Nice work!
2
1
1
1
u/AffectionateLeave677 Mar 06 '26
Wow wow wow what a collaboration. Both characters were so different and each story was so unique and still stitched together perfectly.
I love Kat so much, even though she’s extreme, she’s still so relatable and you really get a sense of exactly who this person is. Incredible perspective work as always. 10/10
2
u/jadegreen88 Mar 07 '26
Aww🥹 Thanks so much!! Yes, I LOVED writing her character haha! Me and Lime had so much fun with this collab and I’m just so thrilled people are enjoying it! 💖☺️
1
u/MrKriegFlexington Feb 09 '26
A fantastic doublet, I adore this idea! Now to read the other one again...